Behaviorism

Question 1

Epiphenomenon

Answer 1

A secondary effect

Question 2

Operant conditioning

Answer 2

Learning something by reinforcement or punishment. Behavior is weakened or strengthened based on the consequences that follow them.
The probability of response

Question 3

Reinforcement

Answer 3

Things like treats where you want someone to adapt a behavior. Increases the frequency of behavior

Question 4

Punishment

Answer 4

Negative. Is often used when you do not want someone to do something. Decreases the frequency of behavior

Question 5

Global Skinner box

Answer 5

The whole world is a Skinner box where the history of operations are known

Question 6

Pigeons

Answer 6

Animals that Skinner did a lot of research on

Question 7

Skinner box

Answer 7

Operant conditioning chamber, where the researcher can control the environment

Question 8

Operationalizing

Answer 8

Defining variables in precise, observable, and measurable terms to ensure that psychological research is objective, replicable, and scientifically valid. Focusing on observable behavior rather than abstract concepts

Question 9

History of operators

Answer 9

The past behavior

Question 10

Pavlov’s dogs

Answer 10

Conditioned reflexes (bell –> food)

Question 11

Dennett’s intentional stance

Answer 11

First you decide to treat the object whose behaviour is to be predicted as a rational agent; then you figure out what beliefs that agent ought to have, given its place in the world and its purpose. Then you figure out what desires it ought to have, on the same considerations, and finally you predict that this rational agent will act to further its goals in the light of its beliefs.
A little practical reasoning from the chosen set of beliefs and desires will in most instances yield a decision about what the agent ought to do; that is what you predict the agent will do.

Question 12

Classical conditioning

Answer 12

Needs a reflex to work on. A neutral stimulus becomes associated with a naturally occurring stimulus, leading to the neutral stimulus eliciting a response. It involves the process of pairing two stimuli to create a learned association.
Conditional reflexes

Question 13

Instrumentalist

Answer 13

Focus on predicting and control

Question 14

Functional analysis of behavior

Answer 14

The external variables of which behavior is a function. Predicting and controlling behavior through independent and dependent variables. Understanding is prediction and control

Question 15

Variables according to behaviorism

Answer 15

Schedules of reinforcement ⇒ inner cause ⇒ frequency of behavior
They do not look at inner cause

Question 16

Response

Answer 16

A onetime behavior that can be repeated. It is just a single one. The behavior controlled by the external agent

Question 17

Operant

Answer 17

The property upon which reinforcement is contingent
The general case (opposite to response)

Question 18

Reflexes

Answer 18

Stimulus (external agent) ⇒ Response

Question 19

Internal state

Answer 19

Skinner acknowledges that it exists but he says that it does not matter

Question 20

Cause

Answer 20

Change in an independent variable

Question 21

Effect

Answer 21

Change in dependent variable

Question 22

External agent

Answer 22

Stimulus

Question 23

Mentalism

Answer 23

Skinner’s enemies - focus on the inner causes

Question 24

Homonculus

Answer 24

The inner man (in the brain)

Question 25

Virtus dormitiva

Answer 25

Dormitive principle - A type of tautology in which an item is explained in terms of the item itself, only put in different (usually more abstract) words.

Question 26

Metacognition

Answer 26

An awareness of one’s thought processes and an understanding of the patterns behind them

Question 27

Introspection

Answer 27

The examination or observation of one’s own mental and emotional processes.

Question 28

Private mechanism

Answer 28

Cognitive control is contingent on the privileged access the subject has to their own cognitive state

Question 29

Public mechanisms

Answer 29

Adaptive cognitive control is based upon the use of publicly available information such as the perceivable difficulty of a problem or the subject’s reinforcement history with the particular stimuli

Question 30

Environmental cue association

Answer 30

Stimuli that are close together on a continuum are more difficult to discriminate than are those that are far apart

Question 31

Behavioral cue association

Answer 31

Similar to environmental but the discriminative stimuli are generated by the subject in a way that correlates with accuracy in the primary task

Question 32

Response competition

Answer 32

Simultaneous presentation of primary discrimination problem/memory test and the secondary metacognitive response option. The two behaviors are in direct competition

Question 33

Novel behavior

Answer 33

Behavior that the person would not have engaged in before while engaging in the targeted behavior.

Question 34

Positivist

Answer 34

Observations need to be intersubjective and external. Independent and dependent variables instead of cause and effect

Question 35

Independent variable (behaviorism)

Answer 35

Schedules of reinforcement

Question 36

Dependent variable (behaviorism)

Answer 36

Frequency of behavior

Question 37

Argument against intermediary variables

Answer 37

Premise 1: It is rarely possible to manipulate directly, e.g. “physiological or psychic thirst”. We can predict behaviour without it, i.e. by looking at the history of operations.
Thus: intermediary variables are not necessary for predicting and controlling behaviour

Premise 2: Suppose intermediary variables were easy to manipulate directly. That manipulation would have to be included in an explanation. That manipulation is just another external operation. Explaining in terms of intermediary variables would be explanatorily empty without explaining this external operation.
Thus: intermediary variables are not sufficient for predicting and controlling behaviour

Conclusion: Intermediary variables have no place in scientific psychology

Question 38

How to do psychology (according to behaviorism)

Answer 38

1) Observe a behaviour
2) Explain in terms of the history of operations
3) Perform further operations and predict outcomes
4) Perform those operations that lead to desired behaviour
5) Create a utopia with a technology of behaviour

Question 39

Generalizing the argument

Answer 39

Premiss 0: Intermediary variables are necessarily question-begging in psychological theories
Premiss 1: Question begging variables are not necessary to scientific psychology
Premiss 2: Question begging variables are not sufficient for scientific psychology
Premiss 3: Variables must be either necessary or sufficient to have a place in psychology
Conclusion: Intermediary variables have no place in scientific psychology

Question 40

Question-begging

Answer 40

Supporting a claim (a conclusion) with a premise that restates or presupposes the claim

Question 41

Dennett’s comparison

Answer 41

Behaviourists argument against psychology:
All theories employing mental terminology require a homunculus
The homunculus used can always have the property required by the theory
You can always come up with a mental explanation of any behaviour
Thus: Intermediary variables are necessarily question begging in psychological theories

Dennett’s argument against behaviourism:
Behaviourist theories require postulating a reinforcement schedule
The schedule can always have the property required by the behaviour
You can always come up with an external explanation of any behaviour
Thus: external variables are necessarily question-begging in any behaviourist theory

Question 42

Two chess computers

Answer 42

Behaviourist vs internalist
1) Watching a chess computer play a human
- History of operations vs. assuming rationality and intentionality
2) Two chess computers play each other
- They learn overnight by playing each other multiple times
- We do not see this and no record is kept.
3) We see them play the next morning
- Externalist: Must invoke a history of operations even though it is by definition lost
Internalist: Must invoke rationality and intentionality (being about something)

Question 43

Relevance of behaviorism today

Answer 43

Most animal studies use behaviourist methodologies to “instruct” their animals, i.e. they need to learn a task

Question 44

Metacognition

Answer 44

Knowing what you know and that you know