6. Behaviorism Flashcards
Q: Who was Wilhelm Wundt and what was his contribution to psychology?
A: Wilhelm Wundt was a pioneer in psychology who started using the scientific method and conducting experiments under controlled conditions. He relied on introspection to understand the human mind, marking a divergence from traditional philosophy.
Q: Why was introspection criticized in psychology?
A: Introspection was criticized because it was subjective and not objectively observable. Empiricists and logical positivists argued that only objectively observable phenomena could be scientifically evaluated.
Q: Who was John B. Watson and what was his contribution to behaviorism?
A: John B. Watson was a key figure in behaviorism who rejected introspection and proposed that psychology should focus on observable behavior. He suggested that organisms adjust to their environment through specific stimuli and responses.
Q: What was B.F. Skinner’s view on mentalistic explanations of behavior?
A: B.F. Skinner, inspired by Watson, rejected mentalistic explanations of behavior, arguing that events appealing to early mentalistic explanations remain beyond the reach of observation and lack physical dimensions.
Q: What is classical conditioning and who discovered it?
A: Classical conditioning is a learning process through association, discovered by Ivan Pavlov. It involves pairing a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response.
Q: Describe the basic process of Pavlov’s classical conditioning experiment with dogs.
A: In Pavlov’s experiment, a neutral stimulus (bell) was paired with an unconditioned stimulus (food), causing the dogs to salivate. Eventually, the bell alone (conditioned stimulus) elicited salivation (conditioned response).
Q: Why is classical conditioning not considered behaviorism?
A: Classical conditioning applies only to involuntary reflex behaviors, whereas behaviorism seeks to understand and predict voluntary behaviors influenced by environmental conditions.
Q: What is operant conditioning and who developed it?
A: Operant conditioning, developed by B.F. Skinner, focuses on learning through consequences. It examines how reinforcement and punishment shape voluntary behaviors.
Q: Define positive reinforcement in operant conditioning.
A: Positive reinforcement involves adding a pleasant stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior.
Q: Define positive punishment in operant conditioning.
A: Positive punishment involves adding an unpleasant stimulus to decrease the likelihood of a behavior.
Q: Define negative reinforcement in operant conditioning.
A: Negative reinforcement involves removing an unpleasant stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior.
Q: Define negative punishment in operant conditioning.
A: Negative punishment involves removing a pleasant stimulus to decrease the likelihood of a behavior.
Q: What is an operant in Skinner’s terminology?
A: A class of respones -> active behavior that operates upon the environment to generate consequences (pigeon repeteatly stretching its neck to generate the consequence of a positive reinforment (food).
Q: Describe Skinner’s pigeon experiment and its significance.
A: In Skinner’s pigeon experiment, pigeons were conditioned to perform specific behaviors for food reinforcement. This demonstrated how operant conditioning could shape complex behaviors through reinforcement.
Q: How did Skinner’s experiments challenge assumptions about human uniqueness?
A: Skinner’s experiments showed that animals could perform complex behaviors previously thought to be unique to humans, suggesting that these behaviors could be learned through conditioning rather than being inherent.
Q: What was Skinner’s argument against studying inner causes in psychology?
A: Skinner argued that psychology should focus on observable behavior and its environmental determinants, as mental states are not directly observable and cannot be scientifically validated.
Q: According to Daniel Dennett, what was a major flaw in Skinner’s approach?
A: Dennett argued that Skinner’s rejection of mentalistic explanations was flawed because even behaviorist explanations depend on interpretations that presuppose rationality and intelligence.
Q: How did Dennett critique Skinner’s use of terminology?
A: Dennett criticized Skinner for using terms like “want” and “believe” while rejecting mentalistic explanations, pointing out that these terms presuppose rationality, which Skinner aimed to avoid.
Q: What is the “question-begging” argument against intermediary variables in psychology?
A: Skinner argued that intermediary variables in psychological theories are necessarily question-begging, as they rely on presuppositions that support the claim without providing new explanatory power.
Q: How did Dennett challenge Skinner’s argument about intermediary variables?
A: Dennett argued that intermediary variables are essential in scientific practice, as seen in genetics, where concepts like genes provided useful explanations even without complete understanding.
Q: What is the significance of the chess-playing computer analogy in Dennett’s critique?
A: Dennett used the chess-playing computer analogy to illustrate that rationality and intentionality provide better explanations for behavior than purely mechanical or historical explanations, challenging Skinner’s behaviorism.
Q: What did Skinner mean by “explaining away” qualities like talent and intelligence?
A: Skinner argued that attributing qualities like talent and intelligence to behavior is question-begging, as it merely restates the observed behavior without identifying its actual causes.
Q: How did Skinner view the role of environmental control in behavior prediction?
A: Skinner believed that by controlling environmental conditions, psychologists could predict and control behavior, emphasizing the importance of environmental determinants over internal states.
Q: How did behaviorism influence the study of animal behavior?
A: Behaviorism led to rigorous empirical studies of animal behavior, demonstrating that complex behaviors could be learned through conditioning, which had implications for understanding human behavior as well.
Q: What was the main point of the paper “Are Monkeys Capable of Introspection?”
A: The paper argued that while there is evidence for metacognitive behaviors in nonhuman animals, these behaviors can often be explained without invoking introspection, emphasizing the need for precise experimental controls.
Q: How does behaviorism align with empiricism and logical positivism?
A: Behaviorism aligns with empiricism and logical positivism by focusing on observable and measurable phenomena, dismissing unobservable phenomena like thoughts and emotions as scientifically irrelevant.
Q: What was Skinner’s warning about inventing inner causes for behavior?
A: Skinner warned against inventing inner causes for behavior without justification, advocating for simpler explanations based on observable behavior and environmental conditions.
Q: What is the relevance of Skinner’s work in modern psychology and cognitive science?
A: While behaviorism is no longer the dominant paradigm, it provided valuable lessons about the importance of observable behavior and empirical validation, influencing contemporary research methodologies.
Q: How did behaviorism change the approach to studying learning and behavior?
A: Behaviorism shifted the focus to empirical research on how behavior is shaped by environmental factors, leading to the development of conditioning theories and practical applications in various fields.
Q: What did Skinner mean by behavior being “operations on the environment”?
A: Skinner meant that behavior is a result of interactions with the environment, and understanding these interactions allows psychologists to predict and control behavior by manipulating environmental variables.
