Behaviourism Flashcards
What is the main thesis of behaviorism?
Behaviorism is the thesis that behavior is the most relevant element in explaining an individual’s cognitive or psychological life.
Q: How did Wilfrid Sellars define a behaviorist?
A: A behaviorist insists on confirming hypotheses or attributions of psychological events in terms of behavioral criteria.
Q: What type of evidence do behaviorists require to justify attributions about cognitive or psychological states?
A: Behavioral evidence that is externally observable.
Q: What is the main commitment of behaviorism regarding the science of psychology?
A: Psychology is the science of behavior, not the science of the inner mind as something separate from behavior.
Q: How does behaviorism view the relationship between the mind and behavior?
A: Behaviorism studies the mind through observable behavior, as behavior reflects mental processes.
Q: According to behaviorism, where are the sources of behavior?
A: The sources of behavior are external (in the environment), not internal (in the mind or head).
Q: How does behaviorism handle the use of cognitive or psychological terms in explaining behavior?
A:
Such terms should be eliminated and replaced by behavioral terms, or
They should be translated or paraphrased into behavioral concepts.
Q: On what grounds can we attribute cognitive processes or psychological states to artificial agents, according to behaviorism?
A: We are justified in attributing these states if and only if artificial agents exhibit or display behavior that corresponds to the identified cognitive process or psychological state.
Q: Is exhibiting the corresponding behavior sufficient for attributing cognitive or psychological states in behaviorism?
A: Yes, exhibiting or displaying the corresponding behavior is sufficient grounds to make the attribution.
