Behaviorism vs. Humanism
Heather Murphy
PSY331: Psychology of Learning
Instructor Corey Pruitt
September 1, 2014
Behaviorism vs. Humanism Behaviorism and humanism are two theories of learning. Both theories are very important, and have many good qualities, which makes it difficult to say that one is better than the other. When it comes to learning, behaviorism does not consider mental processes, rather it looks at our response to stimuli in our environment. Whereas, humanism sees learning as personal, and is dependent on each individual self. Even though the two theories seem completely opposite of each other, there are some similarities between them pertaining to learning. Behaviorism is explained as behavior
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Behaviorists prefer to study animals because they feel they can be in a more controlled environment. Humanists disagree with this approach because humans and animals are not the same, and they react differently. Humanists believe that humans, not animals, are capable of thought, reason, and language; therefore animals should not be used in studying human behavior and thought (McLeod, 2007). Also, when performing studies, behaviorism uses a scientific approach, whereas humanism does not. The reason humanism uses a non-scientific approach is because it is very difficult to study emotions, feelings, and our consciousness scientifically. Therefore, interviews and other qualitative (individual) methods are used to study behavior (McLeod, 2007). In conclusion, you can see that both theories are important to our behavior and how it relates to learning. Though humanism ad behaviorism are quite different, they do have some similarities between them as well. Both theories suggest that we focus more on learning activities, rather than teaching activities in order to be a more effective learner. More importantly, we should focus on learning activities that pertain to each learner involved. The two theories also compare, in that they each utilize a set of principles and procedures. Whether it 's external or internal, there are procedures that
In contrast, behaviourism looks at environment contingencies surrounding learning rather than mental processes as opposed to psychodynamics which looks at things happening in the mind
Behaviorism, cognitive and humanistic are all perspectives (or theories) of psychology. Behaviorism is a perspective that suggests that all behaviors are learned. What I mean by that is according to John B. Watson who founded the school of psychology, suggests the behaviors can be measured, trained, and changed. [ (Cherry, 2012) ] Based on article written by Kendra Cherry, behaviorism is a theory of learning based upon the idea that all behaviors are acquired through conditioning and there are two major types of conditioning which are Classical conditioning and Operant
Humanism and Behaviorism both promote learning and provide an explanation for behaviors in their own ways. Both theories have document success in the learning
Behaviorism is one of the most used theories in education. Due to it can fit in both a classroom setting and at home. Educators had sought out the reason why for many years. But due to each child learns a different way so should the educator. Behaviorism was study by many great Psychologists over the years. Just to name some that had done work and publish books on the subject are, John Watson, Ivan Pavlov, Clark Hull, and B.F. Skinner.
Behaviorism is one of seven schools of thought. Behaviorists focus on observable actions rather than the internal aspects of individuals, such as thoughts and emotions. Ultimately, behavior is a response to the surrounding environmental stimuli. Behaviorists have established many basic principles that are still critical to understanding human behavior today.
Behaviorism concerns primarily with observable behavior, rather than thinking or feeling. It focuses on external/observable behavior that can be measured objectively.
Behaviorism and social learning theory are examples of two mechanistic theories that focus on explaining children’s behavior. Social learning theory emphasizes observational learning and imitation. On the other hand, behaviorism is rooted in focusing on how the environment impacts development. The environment shapes the child’s development as the child strives to adapt to the environment. Both theories deal with explaining behavior and consist of similarities, but are composed of different elements of explaining behavior.
Behaviorism is the scientific approach to psychology that is distinguished by logical-theoretical emphasis as is seeks to develop reasons for behavior (Moore, 2013). The theory of Behaviorism was developed by John B. Watson and B. F. Skinner. Uniquely, this theory states that personality is plastic and can be shaped by the environment or situational influences. Another difference from previous thoughts is
This essay aims to compare and contrast Behaviourist and Humanistic psychology by considering the differing theories these perspectives use about human thought, experiencing and behaviour.
Humanists believe that people are influenced by their self-perceptions and personal meanings attached to their experiences. The humanist theory helps to develop critical thinking, judgment, and creativity. They encourage to empower and take control over their learning processes not be just concentrating on the reward at the end They encourage people to look into themselves for the answers to their questions. Behaviorists believe the exact opposite. They believe we are solely the product of our environment, and by controlling rewards and punishments you can shape the behavior of another person. Humanists also believe in stimulating people though asking question to help them draw on their past experiences to extract lessons (DeMar, 2007).
“Behaviorism is predominantly concerned with evident and measurable aspects of human behavior. In defining behaviour, behaviourist-learning theories emphasise changes in behavior that result from stimulus-response links made by the learner. Behaviour is directed by stimuli. An individual selects one response instead
a result of what has been learnt, which is to say that it is the
According to Eggen and Kauchak (2012) behaviorism is a theory that explains learning in terms of observable behaviors and how they’re influenced by stimuli from the environment. It defines learning as a relatively enduring change in observable behavior that occurs as a result of experience (Schunk,
Behaviorism has been credited with providing clear predictions that can be scientifically tested and yield explanations that can be supported by evidence. For instance, in the application of Applied Behavioral Analysis in improving clients’ behaviors, the functions of individuals problematic behaviors can be evaluated and modified using behavior change principles including reinforcement. Similarly, behaviorism emphasizes the objective measurement of behaviors through providing clear and conceptual definitions, and its therapy is applicable to real life situations as in the case of anxiety. Conversely, studies incorporated into behaviorism allow for appropriate comparisons between animals and humans as in the Case of Watson’s, Thorndike’s and Pavlov’s studies respectively.
Behaviorism is the point of view where learning and behavior are described and explained in terms