Chapter 8 – Behaviorism

Question 1

82) John Watson?

Answer 1

• John Watson (1878–1958) was an influential American psychologist known as one of the founders of behaviorism. Watson conducted pioneering research on animal behavior and learning, particularly focusing on the relationship between learning and changes in nerve fibers in the rat cortex. He joined the faculty at the University of Chicago after obtaining his doctorate and later moved to Johns Hopkins University, where he delivered a seminal lecture in 1913 that marked the beginning of behaviorism as a major school of thought in psychology.
• Watson’s famous “Little Albert” experiment, demonstrated the principles of classical conditioning involving associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to trigger a conditioned response. This provided evidence for behaviorist theories of learning. Despite methodological criticisms, the study showed the power of conditioning in behavior control and became one of the most cited studies in psychology.

Question 1

81) Behaviourism?

Answer 1

• Behaviorism is a school of psychology that emerged in the early 20th century, spearheaded by psychologist John B. Watson. It advocates for a focus on observable behaviors rather than mental processes such as consciousness or introspection. Behaviorism emphasizes the study of how organisms learn and behave in response to environmental stimuli, with an emphasis on objective, measurable outcomes.
• Behaviorism advocated for a more rigorous, scientific approach to psychology by emphasizing observable behaviors and experimental methods. This shift towards empiricism helped psychology gain credibility as a scientific discipline. Although behaviorism eventually declined in popularity, its emphasis on observable behavior and empirical methods laid the groundwork for the emergence of cognitive psychology. Many concepts and methods from behaviorism were later integrated into cognitive psychology, leading to a more comprehensive understanding of human cognition and behavior.

Question 2

83) Little Albert?

Answer 2

• Little Albert was the pseudonym given to an infant named Douglas Merritte who was the subject of an experiment conducted by John Watson and Rosalie Rayner at Johns Hopkins University in 1919.
• Little Albert’s case became influential in the field of psychology because it demonstrated the principles of classical conditioning, specifically the acquisition of fear responses through the association of a neutral stimulus (a white rat) with a frightening loud noise. This experiment provided empirical evidence for behaviorist theories and highlighted the power of conditioning in shaping behavior and became one of the most cited studies in psychology.

Question 3

84) Comparative psychology?

Answer 3

• Comparative psychology is a subfield of psychology that studies nonhuman animal behavior to generalize findings to human behavior, emphasizing the similarities and differences across species.
• It was influential to the field of psychology because it contributed to the understanding of the evolutionary basis of behavior, provided insights into the fundamental processes underlying behavior across species, and paved the way for the development of behaviorism by emphasizing observable behavior over introspective methods.

Question 4

85) B. F. Skinner or operant conditioning &laquo_space;Either item could be used?

Answer 4

• B. F. Skinner,, was an American psychologist known for his development of radical behaviorism and the concept of operant conditioning, which focused on how behavior is shaped by its consequences.
• He was influential to the field of psychology because his work revolutionized the understanding of behavior by emphasizing the role of reinforcement and consequences in shaping behavior. Skinner’s invention of the Skinner box, a controlled environment for studying behavior in animals, allowed for rigorous experimental analysis and led to practical applications in various fields, such as education and therapy. Thgough his experiments he introduced the concept of operant conditioning, which posits that behaviors are strengthened or weakened by the consequences that follow them, thus providing a framework for understanding how behavior is learned and maintained.

Question 5

86) Classical conditioning?

Answer 5

• Classical conditioning is a type of learning in which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus and elicits a similar response. The idea of classical conditioning was introduced by Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist, in the late 19th century through his famous experiments with dogs.
• It was influential to the field of psychology because it provided a fundamental understanding of how organisms learn to associate stimuli with specific responses, laying the groundwork for behaviorist theories and experimental psychology. The conditioned response (CR), demonstrates how previously neutral stimuli can elicit responses similar to those produced by unconditioned stimuli, illustrating the process of learning through association and its applicability to various behavioral phenomena.

Question 6

87) Edward Tolman or Latent learning &laquo_space;Either item could be used?

Answer 6

• Edward Tolman was an American psychologist known for his work on purposive behavior and cognitive maps.
• Tolman was influential for his development of the concept of latent learning, which suggests that learning can occur without reinforcement being immediately evident in behavior. Latent learning challenges the behaviorist idea that learning only occurs when there is a visible change in behavior due to reinforcement. This concept highlighted the importance of cognitive processes in behavior and contributed to the shift towards cognitive psychology, emphasizing mental processes in understanding behavior.

Question 7

88) Edward Thorndike or Law of reinforcement &laquo_space;Either item could be used?

Answer 7

• Edward Thorndike was an American psychologist who conducted work in animal behavior and learning theory. He is best known for his research on trial-and-error learning and his formulation of the Law of Effect.
• Thorndike’s Law of Effect proposed that behaviors followed by favorable consequences would be more likely to recur, while those followed by unfavorable consequences would become less likely, laying the foundation for operant conditioning. This concept revolutionized the understanding of learning processes, providing a framework for behavior modification and influencing subsequent theories of behaviorism and operant conditioning, including the work of B.F. Skinner.

Question 8

89) Ivan Pavlov?

Answer 8

• Ivan Pavlov was a Russian physiologist and psychologist known for his research on classical conditioning demonstrated in dogs.
• He was influential to the field of psychology for his discovery of classical conditioning, where he showed how associative learning occurs through the pairing of stimuli, such as the famous example of dogs salivating at the sound of a bell. This concept changed our understanding of behavior and laid the foundation for further research into learning processes and behavior modification techniques.