Control of Human Behavior - Essay Example

Control of Human Behavior The human mind is one very complex organ that has been a of study for very many years. Comprehending the working of the mind is vital in an effort to understand the various decisions that people make concerning different situations. Human behavior is influenced by the mind and thus the importance of reviewing the various characteristics comprising the behavior of people (Colvin, 2009). Different strides have been made with regard to the issue and consequently development of debates has never seized having one of 1956 as a major one. Reviewing the facts of the debate from a neutral perspective is important in that it assists in understanding the various concepts in the field. The historical context of the debate is with relation to the various behavioral modes that human beings have had over the years and especially a confusing court preceding that the Supreme Court dealt with in the year 1930. Skinner and Rogers were the two scientists involved in the debate and have set a rather distinct foundation on various theories used in psychology. The societal context of the debate is from the changes that were experienced around people in the era and also the two major types of reactions that people have when confronted. This was inspirational as it had the two seek for the best way to explain the behavioral aspects experienced. Discussing the aspects of the debate is very important to recognize which side to lean on with relation to these psychological issues. The two scientists agree on the fact that human beings have always had the urge to manipulate the manner in which their fellow human beings behave. This urge has always led them to carry out different experiments and on varying beings to prove a point. However, this has always flopped from the fact that criticism has always made its way in this research. Rogers states that control is important from the fact that positive outcomes may come from it. Many human characteristics, according to him, do not have scientific configuration. This thus has people understanding the fact that they have the ability to change their behaviors and act according to their wishes. According to Rogers, the psychological world should have the ability to alter the psychological state of someone else as long as various rubrics are put into place to avoid sloppy jobs. Rogers also states that the most important questions that should linger in a person’s mind is whether they want their behavior to get analyzed and also when this should happen. The debate occurred at a time when the differences between the various groups of people seeking to ratify a constitutional bill were in high gear. The debate further majored on the three elements of human behavior and each subject seeking to show popularity of their ideas. Rogers stated that one of the major flaws with skinner’s behavioral position is with regard to the problem of power. Rogers states that in his explanations, Skinner underestimates the influence that power has on human behavior. According to Skinner, scientists with the power to focus on human behavior and study the manners through which it can be altered may succeed by the use of history and other scientific data as a source of their work. However, Rogers states that these scientists have more power than this when given the chance and may abuse it by having human beings carry out activities that are not of their free will (Rogers & Skinner, 1956). Another flaw that Rogers pointed out is the goals that these experiments have with relation to the field of science. Rogers states that despite any positive effect being stated as the result of the scientific experiment, there has to be a prior motive that was put into it when drafting the proposal for carrying out the human behavior experiments. This, Rogers states, to be one of the most risky aspects of science. This is from the fact that the side motive of carrying out the experiment might not have been morally upright and may hurt other people in the process and thus the need to avoid all types of studies of the kind. Rogers also identifies Skinner’s aspects of values to be negative. This is from the fact that the number of outcomes that such experiments may have is not determined before the actual results. It is difficult to achieve a certain goal set because people have different types of reactions to induced scientific experiments on them (Rogers & Skinner, 1956). There are people that are generally of a negative character and thus it is expected that the scientific results would yield a lot of negativity from them. However, they may provide positive results and for those with a positive character, they may have a negative outcome. Rogers thus states that Value is not an upright predetermined result and this comes in as a flaw. Skinner responds to the various flaws pointed out in an effort to maintain his point of view. He states that the issue of power is resolved by understanding one’s freedom. Skinner states that if a person walks into the experiment room by free will, then the repercussions should not land on the scientists. Skinner also states that having a variety of values set prior to the experiment is one important point to take into consideration. This is from the fact that different goals have different values. Going through set goals and comparing with the various values is important to get a sense of the most possible outcomes. With this identification comes the elimination of the factors that do not appeal. Moreover, safety in human behavior is assured if fluid elements of the scientific processes are taken into consideration as opposed to static attributes. The two scientists have very important facts to take into account as one goes about understanding the issue of human behavior. This is from the fact that as per Rogers, human behavior and its control is a rather important science that should be handled with the amount of attention required due to its delicate nature. Skinner also has a very important point in that he states that alteration of human behavior is achievable. Viewing this from an optimistic point of view reveals the benefits that one can accrue from the process. It is thus important to understand both of these scientists and take their points seriously. References Rogers, C., & Skinner, F. (1956). Some Issues Concerning the Control of Human Behavior. Science. 124(8), 1057-1066. Colvin, S. (2009). Human Behavior and Psychology. New York: McGraw Hill Publishers. Read More