Perspectives - Compare and Contrast
Introduction
Psychology is a science that was started by early Greek philosophers who shared Plato’s principles. They mainly focused on the study of the mind’s functions. Behaviorism is a popular form of psychology that was established in the 19th century. It involves learning perspectives that are derived from different aspects of philosophy. Based on behaviorism, all organisms have distinct behavior, which involves thinking, acting and feeling. Behaviorists study how behaviors are learnt and reinforced. The study of behavior psychology began as a phenomenon, which aimed to help in situations like mental therapy and counseling. The methods and concepts of studying behavioral psychology were developed by theorists and philosophers such as John B. Watson, Edward C. Tolman and B. F. Skinner. These individuals are pioneer psychologists who developed and improved practices and theories of American psychology. The contribution of the three psychologists can be compared and contrasted in terms of their contribution and how their theories can be used in modern psychology.
John B. Watson
He was an American professor in psychology who is credited for introducing behaviorism in American psychology. During his time at John Hopkins University, he developed into an influential figure over many decades. He asserted that behavior was a reaction to surroundings that an organism is found. He did not approve mental processes because he felt they were unscientific. Watson developed his theories on behavior soon after abandoning ideas about consciousness and introspection. He believed that psychology involved studying actions and the person’s potential to control the actions. That was Watson’s initial theory of behaviorism.
Watson had a radical view on behaviorism because he claimed that responses and stimuli determine how behaviors should be learned. Watson also asserted that psychology should focus on behavior and its cause rather than mental processes and consciousness. Through studying animal behavior, and how behavior could improve people’s well-being. This led to Watson’s controversial contribution about basic emotions in children. Through an experiment on a child named Albert, he found out that emotion was a reaction to the surrounding.
In modern psychology, Watson’s contribution is seen to be controversial because it involved ethical issues during the research because the baby’s welfare was put into consideration. The child underwent several tests that were conditioned before conclusions were made.
B. F. Skinner
He was a respected American psychologist from Pennsylvania. He had a distinct way of understanding behavior and learning in organisms. The approach was called operant conditioning or conditioning. Skinner pioneered this method because he believed that behaviors were influenced by punishments and rewards. His theory did not include formal theories that were used to learn psychology. The theory purported that behaviors result from environmental conditions. Behavior that is exhibited leads to negative or positive effects. He concentrated on repeated behaviors that are dependent on positive or negative effects without considering the manner in which they are stimulated. Skinner believed that verbal behaviors constituted responses that were related to certain stimuli and the resultant responses were effects of operant conditioning.
Skinner developed the idea that sought to understand how behaviorism works in natural selection. His contribution to the present day psychology is that his beliefs were the foundations of behavioral analysis. He developed a chamber called a Skinner box where animals were kept and used in operant conditioning. The Skinner box had a regulated environment where animal behavior could be monitored easily. The box had a lever in it that if pressed, an animal could get punished or rewarded. The box accurately shows how conditioning can affect human or animal behavior.
Edward C. Tolman
He focused his study mainly on learning and motivation. He did comprehensive studies on mental processes in behaviorism. As a cognitive psychologist, he developed a behaviorism theory. According to this theory, people not only respond to environmental stimuli but also beliefs, changing conditions, attitude and try to achieve objectives. He found out that animals could learn a behavior, which they could later use in their life. Tolman’s main point of study was on concepts associated with knowledge such as planning, thinking, inference, purpose and intention. He developed a theory called Sign-Gestalt and expectancy theory, which concentrated on cognitive earning. The theory had 3 parts; an objective of the behavior, means-end relations and signal for action. Furthermore, behaviors were reinforced by establishing cognitive maps using sign-gestalts.
Tolman’s contribution to present day psychology was the creation of cognitive learning theory, which is now used to solve human mental problems. The concept of cognitive map is used widely in many psychological applications. Psychological practitioners use cognitive maps to help patients restrain from self-destructive behavior. The cognitive mapping process expounds on 3 variables that influence human behavior. From the map, a patient can get, code, store, decode or remember information.
Conclusion
Psychology and specifically behavioral psychology has developed greatly through the contribution of these three individuals. Each of them had their own beliefs and thoughts that contributed to modern psychology. All of them were behavioral psychologists with different opinions. Tolman asserted that behaviorism was a stimuli response unlike Skinner and Watson. Watson differed from Skinner because he believed that mental states did not require references. According to Watson, the environment influences organism responses directly. Skinner asserted that many things were related to behavior. Ideas from the three scholars have helped modify psychological theories and led to new ways of studying and treating behavior and mental problems.
References
Abrams, M., Ellis, A., & Abrams, L. (2008). Personality Theories: Critical Perspectives (illustrated ed.). New York: SAGE Publications.
O'Donohue, W., & Kitchener, R. (1998). Handbook of Behaviorism (illustrated ed.). New York: Academic Press.
Rathus, S. A. (2004). Psychology: Concepts and Connections (9 revised ed.). London: Cengage Learning.
