Week 2 discussion - Assignment Example

Week 2 Discussion Week 2 Discussion Behaviourism is a theory of learning that concentrates on observable behaviour rather than internal thinking. The theory of behaviourism operates on the principle of stimulus-response due to the belief that behaviour is caused by external stimuli. Ivan Pavlov demonstrated intellectual brilliance through his concept of classical conditioning. Pavlov offers the most compelling argument for the use of behaviourism when teaching a new subject to an adult or a child.

Ivan Pavlov could use systematic desensitization to teach an adult a new skill of avoiding hydrophobia. The behaviourist would train the patient to relax while exposing him or her to progressively more anxiety-provoking stimuli. Adults, depending on their age, learn at comparatively lower speeds because their cognitive abilities have reduced cognitive energies (Hoy & Margetts, 2012). The adult patient would realise there is no danger associated with large water bodies in addition to being cooperative, hence eliminating the fear of water (hydrophobia).

Pavlov would use a different approach to teach a child the skill of avoiding phobia. For a child patient, Pavlov would use flooding. The aim of flooding is to eliminate the unwanted conditioned response; flooding is a form of desensitization used for treating phobias and anxieties (Hoy & Margetts, 2012). Pavlov would repeatedly expose the child patient to a highly distressing stimulus. This would be done until the lack of reinforcement of the anxiety response causes the extinction of the behaviour.

Pavlov’s approach is the best for training people on how to avoid therapies because it is practical and takes less time than humanistic approaches. B.F Skinner’s operant conditioning would not be effective in this context because it contradict the law of effect. Additionally, critical observations from Skinner’s experiments show that operant behaviour can be established without reinforcement (Hoy & Margetts, 2012). The process of treating hydrophobia would not be possible without giving due attention to consciousness. J.B Watson’s view of behaviourism would not train patients on how to avoid phobia because he rejected the studying of consciousness.

Thus, Ivan Pavlov would be the most effective behaviourist for teaching an adult and a child how to avoid hydrophobia. ReferenceHoy, A. W., & Margetts, K. (2012). Educational psychology. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W: Pearson Australia.