The case study of Tumi will be analysed in terms of the theory of Operant Conditioning of Behaviourism and the Socio-Cultural perspective. Namely, the theories of Matsumoto in terms of the Socio-Cultural perspective and Skinner’s theories of Operant Conditioning in terms of the Behaviourist perspective (Santrock, J; 2007). Tumi has recently experienced a few traumatic events: Her maternal aunt recently passed away, her belongings had been stolen from her flat after a break-in, she failed her mid-year exams and her relationship with her boyfriend has reached an unstable point. These events have triggered severe headaches, dizzy spells accompanied by fainting, visions and hearings of her deceased grandmother and thoughts about her mother and sister conspiring against her. This was explained following her complaint about “I feel as if I’m going crazy”. Most of Tumi’s youth was spent in rural Kwa-Zulu Natal where she grew up observing and following traditional Zulu Witchcraft practices by Sangoma’s and Inyanga’s – Spiritual Shamans who aid people through the wisdom of the ancestors and through the use of herbal remedies. Much of these practices involve achieving trance-like states to communicate with the ancestors. This Socio-Cultural background, specifically with reference to Thwasa – the name given to the process whereby one who is being called by the ancestors becomes sick and typically begins to suffer from severe headaches and psychosis – could be the main influence on
One states six steps in which the counselor and child work through the problem, collect data, and set goals. This method is which of the following
In this essay I will first of all explain the main principles and theories that underpin the behaviourist approach to psychology. I will subsequently outline how behaviourist theory can provide therapists with some insight into both the causes of maladaptive behaviour and how that behaviour might be sustained and maintained. Having discussed the main behaviourist principles and how they relate to maladaptive behaviour, I will then compare and contrast the behavioural approach with the psychoanalytic (Freudian)
The theories/approaches established by historical and contemporary pioneers provide valuable insight, underpinning the understanding of how children develop, allowing teachers to enhance the holistic development of every child. This essay will analyse the: behaviourist theory; cognitive-developmental theory; and socio-cultural theory.
Classical and operant conditioning are two important concepts central to behavioral psychology. While both result in learning, the processes are quite different. In order to understand how each of these behavior modification techniques can be used, it is also essential to understand how classical conditioning and operant conditioning differ from one another. Both classical and operant learning are psychological processes that lead to learning. Here learning refers to the process by which changes in behavior, including actions, emotions, thoughts, and the responses of muscles and glands,
Psychology is the scientific “study of the mind” (Gross, 2015) and behaviour, which includes the study of humans and animals. There are various approaches in modern psychology. A theoretical approach is a perspective which is someone’s view about human behaviour, there can be many different theories within an approach, however they all piece together the same assumptions. (McLeod, 2007). A theory is an attempt by theorists to try to explain behaviour. Theories are not facts but can be verified by testing. Theories can then be evaluated which I aim to achieve through this essay, where I will briefly explain the theoretical approaches in psychology and aim to focus on an analysis of each perspective which consists of the psychodynamic,
B.F. Skinner’s theory of Operant Conditioning has at its foundation a desire to demonstrate a “cause and
Psychology is the scientific “study of the mind” (Gross, 2015) and behavior, which includes the study of humans and animals. There are various approaches in modern psychology. A theoretical approach is a perspective (view) about human behavior, there may be several different theories within an approach, but they all share these common assumptions and principles. (McLeod, 2007). A theory is an attempt by theorists to try to explain behavior. Theories are not facts but can be verified by testing. Theories can then be evaluated which I aim to do through this essay, where I will briefly explain the theoretical approaches in psychology and aim to focus on an analysis for each perspective which consist of the psychodynamic, humanist, cognitive and behavioral approaches where I will analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each approach separately.
Behaviorism on learning and memory occupies an important position in the history of psychology. John B. Watson is the father of behaviorism while B.F. Skinner is the most famous behaviorist of the twentieth century. Watson’s methodological behaviorism means that it is only the behaviors of an individual that can be objectively observed. Skinner’s radical behaviorism emphasized that behaviors of human and animals are blindly influenced by environment. In this case, Watson and Skinner share similar views of behaviorism. For instance, they believe that the proper objectives of behavioral research include prediction and control (Staddon and Bueno, 1991). However, there are remarkable discrepancies in their views of human equality and freedom. Watson promoted the progressive process of human equality by maintaining concept of “tabula rasa”, whereas Skinner insisted that freedom is an illusion, so that he provided the adverse effect to the dictatorial institution. The fact is that the potential ambiguity produces a strong influence on people’s thinking and has a practical significance on society.
Skinner’s theory observes individuals from the point of view of the behavior that they demonstrate. The key weakness of this theory is its attempt to explain the behaviors of an individual solely through visible phenomena. Critics sometimes accuse behaviorists of denying that ideas and thoughts exist (Jensen & Burgess, 1997). The major opposition that behaviorists face is that behavior of a person cannot be understood without including the mental activity of the individual. Critics have accused behaviorists of focusing only on behavior and ignoring the role of physiology, neuroscience, and genetics (Weiss & Rosales-Ruiz, 2014). Sometimes the reactions that people demonstrate have are not related their experience and therefore they have another
This assignment will look at the Psychodynamic approach to psychology, it will look at how psychology is the understanding of what is going on in an individual’s conscious and unconscious mind and how it gives us insight into how people view relationships, behaviours and drives. It will also look at the Behaviourist approach to psychology and how there are three different types of conditioning involved in the behaviourist approach Classical conditioning, Operant conditioning and Social conditioning . It will give advantages and disadvantages to both the psychodynamic and behaviourist approach to psychology. It will also look at the psychosexual stages and how they take place in a series of fixed stages
Psychology is not just philosophical speculation and reasoning over the years it has evolved and it is now also recognised as a science, to understand what psychology is all about it is necessary to know it’s origins and the theorist who brought it out of obscurity, Sigmund Freud. He developed the Psychodynamic or Psychoanalytical perspective to enable better understanding of human behaviour these concepts will be discussed further later in this study. After Freud opened the gateway other perspectives and approaches have been developed, now with five main areas of psychology - Cognitive, Behaviourist, Biopsychology and Humanist approaches. For a comparison with the Psychodynamic theory, Behaviourist Theory will be discussed.
Parsimony is often regarded as one of the cornerstones in the evaluation of psychological constructs and theories. Importantly, the condition of parsimony in itself presents a risk, potentially placing an unnecessary limitation, when a more complex explanation may better reflect the overall complex nature of the fundamental underlying concept that is under scrutiny (Epstein, 1984). Albert Bandura 's social cognitive theory and B. F. Skinner 's theory of radical behaviourism have provided two of the most influential contributions to psychology, and when examining Skinner and Bandura 's theories, this notion of parsimony becomes highly prevalent, as it is the most significant way in which the two theories differ. This stark contrast in parsimony arises from the methodological differences between the two theories in their treatment of the role of cognition. Skinner 's theory asserts a situationalist perspective of personality which is underpinned by the idea that all behaviour is purely deterministic and solely caused by the environment, thus by consequence any learning of new behaviours or personality occurs independently of the learner (Murphy, Maltby and Cloninger, 2010; Skinner, 1950). By contrast, Bandura (Murphy, Maltby and Cloninger; 2010, Bandura, 2001, 2006) proposes a dynamic perspective of personality which underpins the notion of reciprocal determinism, encompassing a complex and dynamic interaction between personal factors (namely cognition), behaviour and the
Traditional behaviorism focused exclusively on the direct observation of objectively measurable events (Wolf, 1978). Due to declining popularity, behaviorists had to rethink their position to remain relevant (Wolf, 1978). They discovered that society typically wanted to learn about concepts and ideas that are more subjective in nature (Wolf, 1978). Behaviorists began to acknowledge the social validity, or the relevance to society, of their research (Wolf, 1978). The population now had a voice in the research of behaviorists which stimulated research into new areas, such as teaching people how best to “relate” to young people (Wolf, 1978, p. 207). Behaviorists emphasize the importance of incorporating the subjective into what had once been an objective sub-division of psychology.
According to Boeree, C, George (2006), B. F. Skinner’s “entire system is based on ‘operant conditioning’”. Behaviourism is determined by the environment and is “concerning with the effect of external events such as reward or punishment for behaviour” (Duschesne,
Skinner was a behaviorist who wanted to provide a method for understanding human behavior, thoughts, and emotions. Skinner believed that classical conditioning was to simplistic to be a complete explanation of the complex human behavior. Skinner believed the best way to understand any behavior is to look directly at the causes of an action and its consequences. He defined this approach as operant conditioning. Operant conditioning is defined as “ the idea that behavior is determined by its consequences, be they reinforcements or punishments, which make it more or less likely that the behavior will occur again” (B. F. Skinner, 2011). The behavioral model observes human behavior as a practical and useful response. This model acknowledges that every behavior has a purpose and has advanced from the earlier stages of a person's understanding. Skinner created a way to allow individuals the ability to avoid negative behaviors. His theory uses positive and negative reinforcements while covering affective punishments to make sure a student's bad behavior does not turn into a pattern. According to our textbook, “one defining characteristic of the behavioral model is that it views behavior from a functional perspective in terms that are both measurable and observable (Wheeler, 2014,p.17).”