Behaviorist treatment - Coursework Example

Behaviorist Treatment College Behaviorist Treatment The video depicts how Watson has contributed to the study of psychology. According to Watson, behaviorism is a science of visible behavior. This includes behavior that can be seen, measured and recorded as the real values that assist to study animals and human beings. Watson’s reflection is influenced by other works done by several psychologists for instance, the infamous dogs by a Russian psychologist known as Ivan Pavlov. According to the experiment known as ‘Little Albert’, Watson asserts that behaviors are attained through conditioning.

The conditioning occurs when one interacts with the environment (Malone, 2009). The environment in which we stay plays a particularly crucial role in shaping our behaviors. In the experiment, the boy is exposed to various animals such as rabbits and rats, but he seem not afraid of any animal. Instead, the boy appears to be jovial and plays with the animals. However, when Watson pairs the animal with a loud sharp noise immediately the child touches it, the little boy starts to become afraid (‘Little Albert’, web).

This experiment condition the little boy to become afraid of animals. The condition affects the future of the child in the later years, there is that concept of fear displayed by the child. The work of Watson has influenced many cases of behaviorism. There are many examples of behaviorism in our society. For instance, drivers have been conditioned to obey traffic rules by education, public service announcement and issuance or cancellation of licenses. This makes drivers to be extra keen on the roads and become conscious about the consequences of breaking traffic rules.

Most drivers fear the negative consequences hence they try as much as possible to obey all the traffic rules (Shaffer, 2009). ReferencesMalone J. (2009). Psychology: Pythagoras to Present, Cambridge, MA: MIT PressShaffer, D. R. (2009). Social and personality development. Australia: Wadsworth Learning.Watson, J.‘Little Albert’ Accessed on 2 April 2013 retrieved from Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt0ucxOrPQE