This is a collection of four essay plans, for the following titles:
Behaviourism (vs Cognitive Psychology)
What influence did Darwin’s evolutionary theory have on the development of Psychology as an academic subject?
What were Freud’s (1856 – 1939) Ideas & How have they Influenced Modern Psy...
Prior to rise of behaviourism, psychology as science had stopped
progressing. Due to the failure of introspection due to subjectivity &
unreliability. Wanted to stop focusing on the consciousness.
Behaviourist movement began in 1913 when John Watson wrote article
referred to as ‘Behaviourist Manifesto’ – Psychology as the Behaviourist
views it. Psychology is purely objective experimental branch of natural
science. Theoretical goal of psychology is prediction & control of
behaviour.
Behaviourism emphasises role of environmental factors influencing
behaviour. A focus on learning. Link between stimulus & response.
Started as a call for psychology to be more scientific.
Look at how behaviourism started, it developed and why it ultimately
failed.
Origins
Pavlov (1849-1936): Indirectly found evidence for conditioned reflex
– studied salivary response. Introduced unconditioned response,
conditioned response, unconditioned stimulus & conditioned
stimulus. Explained how behaviour learnt.
Thorndike (1874 – 1949): Developed connectionism – interpreting
learning in terms of concrete connections between stimulus &
response. Theories based on using ‘puzzle box’ – animal placed in box
& had to learn to escape by pressing certain latch – food reward. Called
gradual association between stimulus & response through trial & error
instrumental conditioning. Unsuccessful behaviours stamped out,
successful stamped in – law of effect.
Watson (1878 – 1958): Drew on work to found behaviourism. Said
behaviour falls into 1 of 4 categories:
1. Explicit (overt) learned behaviour e.g. talking
2. Implicit (covert) learned behaviour e.g. increased heart rate from
feared stimulus.
3. Explicit unlearned behaviour e.g. sneezing
4. Implicit unlearned behaviour e.g. glandular secretions.
Little Albert – conditioned fear of white rabbit, extended to other white
furry objects.
2nd phase of Behaviourism - neobehaviourism
Hull (1884 – 1952): Developed drive reduction theory – includes
intervening organismic variables. Habit strength (higher =
learning), reaction potential (probability learned response occurs), drive
& negative reaction tendencies. Explains motivation. Result of
biological needs. Bio need creates drive & decrease of drive constitutes
reinforcement.
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