Theories Of Explaining Behavior Through Observation

Adolescent Psychology Term Paper Jamila Williams Tuskegee University Behavioral psychology is based on the concept of explaining behavior through observation. Behaviorists, psychologist that study behavior, believe a person can be understood through observing their behavior. This school of psychology assumes that we are born as a blank state and everyone is equal. However, environmental factors are what leads to us behaving differently from one another. American Psychologist and Founder of Behaviorism John B. Watson studied the ultimate goal to provide basis for prediction and control of human beings acquired through conditioning. Conditioning occurs through interaction with the environment. Scientist strongly believe that individuals respond to an environmental stimulus that shapes our actions. Russian Physiologist Ivan Pavlov and American Psychologist and Behaviorist B. F. Skinner broke down conditioning into two types: classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Classical conditioning is a behavioral intervention technique by means of two stimuli being paired together in a consistent pattern to result in the same behavioral response. Pavlov was looking at salivation in dogs in response to being fed. His notion was that dogs can be taught to do certain things, for example dogs salivating when they see food. Operant conditioning is a similar technique that aims on the association between voluntary behavior and consequences. Skinner believed that subjectsShow MoreRelatedBehaviorism And Social Learning Theory1531 Words   |  7 Pageslearning 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 behaviorRead MoreReasoning And Justification For Drug Abuse1542 Words   |  7 Pagespeers use reasoning and justification for drug abuse that sounds very similar to the reasoning exemplified by Russell Brand in the above quote from his book. Drug use is potentially explained by many different criminology theories, but the one that does the best job of explaining drug use is presented by Gresham M. Sykes and David Matza of Princeton and Temple Universities respectively, and is called: Techniques of Neutralization. According to the root article published in the American SociologicalRead MoreThe Humanness of Hume and Kants Moral Theories Essay1071 Words   |  5 PagesThe empirical nature of science has allowed for its success in solving great human problems and in understanding the world around us. Real life data and observations lead to such findings, which only then can be translated into theory. A theory without data is merely a hypothesis waiting to be shown true through observation. If you start with a theory and then try to prove it, you are taking a biased position and setting out to complete an impossible task. Nothing can be proven in science, only acceptedRead MoreCompare And Contrast Bergson And Davis Theories1743 Words   |  7 Pagestheir own theories of what makes a person laugh. Bergson and Davis’s theories have given people an indication of what that could be. Together these philosopher’s theories enlighten us to why people might laugh. Bergson and Davis’ s theories limit us in explaining to the fullest extent of the workings of comedy. Bergson’s theory has three elements that he believes constitute why we laugh and claims, â€Å"†¦the mechanical encrusted upon the living,† promotes laughter (Bergson 10). While Davis’s theory is concernedRead MoreThe Social Control Theory And Social Learning Theory1713 Words   |  7 Pagesperception has come from, many have created theories about the topic while others have combined theories to get a better insight. The reason behind this is to create a better understanding as to why people commit crimes. With all the theories that seem to be possible, two of them seem to be the most popular: social control theory and social learning theory. Although they have their similarities and differences, the social control theory and social learning theory bring a better understanding to the worldRead MoreArgument Essay : Withholding The Missing Portion 1690 Words   |  7 Pages writings is to influence the reader of the strength of his readings and the power of his theory through his clever use of rhetoric. In particular, Fish refers to the role of the unconscious in Freud s theory, arguing that it can be freely used by Freud in such a way that it can appear to account for any data acquired in practice. This attitude reflects the commonly-held view amongst modern scientists that Freud s theories are unscientific. In this essay, I aim to argue that while Fish makes a valid pointRead MoreFundamentals of Research Methodology1216 Words   |  5 Pagesas the science dealing with the mind, mental and emotional processes, and the science of human behavior. It defines science as systemized knowledge derived from observations and study. Scientific study is a way of understanding life and developing theories based on what is observed (Simonton, 2009). Psychologists develop theories and conduct psychological research to answer questions about behavior and mental processes that impact individuals and society. The scientific method, a meansRead MoreReflection Paper989 Words   |  4 Pagescounseling theory has certain qualities, such as clear operational definitions so that it can be tested further. To be most useful, a counseling theory should be parsimonious yet comprehensive enough to include known related empirical findings. It should stimulate new discoveries and predict events deductively within its purview and preview. A counseling theory also should serve an organizing and explaining function for observed events. Ones theory should help them to simplify observations and toRead MoreSocial Learning Theory Of Crime1278 Words   |  6 Pagessocial learning theory has been applied to the many different fields of social science to explain why certain individuals develop motivation to commit (or abstain from) crime and develop the skills to commit crime through the people they associate with. Social Learning Theory (SLT) is one of the most frequently looked at theories in the criminology field. This theory was introduced by Ronald L. Akers as a reformulation of Edwin H. Sutherland s (1947) differential association theory of crime meld withRead MoreCognitive Psychology863 Words   |  4 PagesPsy/360 April 11, 2013 Dr. Turner Cognitive Psychology Hermann Ebbinghaus said, â€Å"Psychology has a long past, yet its real history is short† (Goodwin, 2008, p. 28). He was referring to the belief that while the study of human thought, emotion, and behavior is firmly entrenched in philosophy, psychology as its own discipline has only been around a short time. During this short time, different branches of psychology have come out, one of them is cognitive psychology, which is only roughly 50 years old