Critical Evaluation of Behaviourist Approach - Essay Example

Systematic and Critical Evaluation of Behaviourist Approach in Relation to Individual Differences and the Self 0 Introduction Systematic perspectives in psychology often characterise behaviourism as the appropriate subject for psychology considering that behaviour is at the core of psychological constructs in lieu of something intellectual and/or subjective experience (Moore, cited in Thyer, 1999). By its human nature, individuals differ and are accorded with their own uniqueness in a number of ways. Most individuals, however, perceive that behaviourism is more than just a theory and a set of methods for learning. Similarly, other individuals have assumed other conceptual matters in relation to the principles and nature of behaviourism, which can be attributed to Skinners theory of radical behaviourism (Thyer, 1999). For example, modern behaviourists who followed Skinner’s concept on behaviourism differentiated two types of behaviours, namely, respondent and operant behaviours (Ritzer, 2005). Respondent behaviours are intrinsic in nature which could be evoked by particular stimuli while operant behaviours reflect voluntary responses where environmental events and their outcomes are more influential rather than of a prior stimulus. Behaviourism, in this sense, is deemed as an approach in the scientific study of an individuals experiences, which are usually subjective and only belong to the individual self (Mead, 1984). This paper seeks to systematically and critically evaluate behaviourist approach, a major theoretical position in psychology, in relation to individual differences and the self. 2.0 Overview on Behaviourism Classical Conditioning Classical conditioning, or otherwise known as Pavlovian conditioning, pertains to the kind of learning response that takes place when it involves responses from a conditioned stimulus to an unconditioned stimulus (Coon & Mitterer, 2009; Coon, 2006). This behavioural approach in psychology proffers that in order to evoke response from an organism, there has to be a stimulus from the surrounding environment. A situation that can best illustrate this concept is when an individual’s emotional responses involve automatic reactions and classical conditioning which could occur even in the absence of conscious self-awareness. This behavioural situation is in relation to self since the idea of having a self allows individuals to elicit emotions in themselves through imaginary events that could likely affect them. These may include perceiving threats toward their self-worth, thinking about of significant people and other’s perceptions toward them, as well as contemplating on their emotional experiences (Leary, 2004). Similarly, other behaviourists have propounded the formation of attitudes in classical conditioning through a repetition of a potential conditioned stimuli paired with a positive or negative unconditioned stimuli (Olson & Fazio, 2001). Radical Behaviourism Radical behaviourism can be attributed to its proponent, B.F.Skinner, who presented the concept as a philosophy on the science of human behaviour with an experimental analysis (Millon & Lerner, 2003). According to Skinner (1969, cited in O’Donohue & Kitchener, 1999), the main issue concerning radical behaviourism is “the usefulness of mentalistic concepts.” This can be attributed to Skinner’s scientific studies on psychology which presumed radical behaviourism as a form of logical positivism, where he emphasised that the key function of any scientific activity is to develop a profound understanding and description of various experiences perceived by a person. An essential aspect on Skinner’s radical behaviourism, however, is the experimental analysis of his traditional view on the science of human and non-human behaviour (O’Donohue & Kitchener, 1999). In a radical behaviourist approach, behaviour is viewed much of a scientific behaviour. The resulting behaviour is accompanied by operational and social influences that lead to prediction and control, as well as with social reinforcers as products of scientific and distinctive stimuli (Moore, 1981). Operant Conditioning Operant conditioning refers to a form of learning which alters an individual’s behavior by its consequences, changes in form, strength, and frequency (Coon & Mitterer, 2010). In operant conditioning, responses are associated with their consequences, wherein reinforced acts are more likely to be repeated (Mazur, 2006 cited in Coon & Mitterer, 2010). The environment is largely influential to the learning process of an individual that mainly operates on the voluntary responses in learning. In addition, Skinner, from whose concept of operant conditioning, was introduced, theorised that the individual makes a choice in responding to its environmental conditions in certain ways (Pastorino & Portillo, 2013). In such case, the individual’s behaviour in operant conditioning operates on the basis of the environment to create a certain effect. This is in contrast to classical conditioning, wherein the responses produced are reflexive and involuntary while for operant conditioning produced voluntary responses in the learning process. As noted by Skinner (cited in Weiten, 2013), the underlying principle that governs operant conditioning illustrates that organisms have the inclination to repeat certain responses accompanied with favourable consequences. Such principle incorporates the concept of reinforcement, which takes place when a situation that follows a response strengthens an organism’s inclination to make a response directed toward rewarding consequences. 3.0 Behaviourist Approach to Individual Differences and the Self Behaviourism can be defined as the philosophy on the scientific study of human behaviour (Skinner, 1976). Some scholars believe that behaviourism is all about ignoring one’s state of mind, feelings, and consciousness, a set of responses to stimuli that represent something to a person, and do not assign any role giving sense to oneself. Particularly, behaviourists have acquired evidences that demonstrate a number of behavioural and mental processes that can proceed even if not intervened by choice and conscious deliberation (Bargh & Ferguson, 2000). From a behaviourist perspective, the willfulness of an individual resides in his/her consciousness, and an insufficient conscious involvement in a behavioural or mental process is an implication of something that is not governed by will. Much of the concepts related to individual differences involve the study of affect, cognition, behaviour, and motivation as they are influenced by environmental and biological causes and human factors such as differences in physical abilities (Premuzic, Stumm, & Furnham, 2011). Indeed, individuals apparently differ in their mental process, feelings, wants, and needs. Proponents of differential psychology have also probed into realising the scope of individual differences that are merely beyond theory and description by understanding the patterns that differentiate individuals in terms of abilities, temperament, and interests. In this regard, the behaviourist approach in relation to individual differences generally views behaviour as a result of prior learning in cognitive, emotional, and sensory motor areas which also constitute the personality of the individual self (Ballesteros, 2003). Significantly, differences in individual behaviour are the product of genetic history and of specified reinforcement and experiences, as well as of situational antecedents (Hergenhahn & Henley, 2013). On the other hand, a self may be defined as a set of behaviour that is deemed appropriate to any given situation (Skinner, 1971). The behaviourist approach in relation to the self asserts that self-knowledge is the key to unlocking one’s own behaviour and the possible circumstances associated to it. This is manifested through different situations by which an individual is able to recognise his self-identity that affects his behaviour toward his life, family, and friends. In addition, Skinner (1971) argued that different situations generate two or more selves such that a problem of identity is likely to arise when there is an interconnection of situations. Such situation is where a person is confined within his personal and social life at the same time. From a psychological approach, however, these two individual selves imply the concept of self-knowledge and self-control in a given situation. The controlling self represents the conscience but the controlled self may be implied as the outcome of genetic susceptibilities. In other words, the controlling self is a representation of others’ interests while the controlled self focuses on an individual’s interests. 4.0 Systematic and Critical Evaluation From a behavioural perspective, Skinner (1976) noted “a person is an organism, a member of the human species, which has acquired a repertoire of behaviour.” Accordingly, behaviourism, as a theoretical approach in psychology, integrates the elements of theory, philosophy, and methodology. To some extent, an individuals personality traits reflect a consistency of behaviours in different situations, which may either be influenced by genetic, temperamental, biological, or learned constructs for behaviour. Segerstrom (2012) observed that while the concept of human personality is not really the primary concern of behavioural theories, one’s personality is considered as something that is learned through experience, where individuals act in a manner that produces desirable consequences. This also accounts for the relation of personality dimensions to behavioural traits. As an opinion, a behaviourist approach, in relation to self, may change an individual’s personality as people react to different stimuli reinforced by favourable outcomes. Although personality traits do not influence how an individual acts or behaves in certain ways, the manifestation of one’s behaviour, however, would likely depend on the contingencies that also affect behaviour. With regard to individual differences, however, personality traits are only trivial as viewed in a behaviourist approach since its focal point is on the uniqueness of an individual. In addition, motivation, as a significant psychological construct, is customarily used to explain differences in behaviour resulting from individual needs and wants in the presence of a stimulus in a given situation. In this regard, an individual’s behaviour is mostly influenced by specific circumstances that characterise the individual differences of different persons (Mead, 1984). In totality, the behaviourist approach, in relation to individual differences and the self could be critically evaluated as something that is comprehensive in scope, has heuristic value and functional significance that could further stimulate interest within the context of psychology. 5.0 Conclusion To sum up briefly, this paper evaluated behaviourist approach as a major theoretical position in psychology in relation to individual differences and the self. The foundations of behaviourism can be attributed to a number of theories propounded by psychological scholars and behaviourists in particular, which include classical conditioning, radical behaviourism, and operant conditioning. However, behaviourism studies the human organism as a whole and tends to ignore the concept of self or person. Individual differences in behaviour are also governed by an individual’s personality traits and other factors that differentiate them with their own uniqueness. In particular, behaviourist approach to individual differences views behaviour as the product of genetic history, experiences, reinforcements, and different situations that influence behaviour. With regard to self, however, behaviour is manifested when an individual recognises his identity toward other individuals which is deemed appropriate in a given circumstance. Overall, behaviourism, as a theoretical position in psychology, is an integration of theoretical, philosophical, and methodological components. As such, individual differences and the self in the context of behaviourism also provides valuable insights to stimulate profound interest in some psychological issues which have heuristic value and functional significance. References Ballesteros, R. (2003). Encyclopedia of psychological assessment. 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