Cognitive Versus Behaviorism Approaches - Essay Example

Cognitive versus behaviorism approaches Cognitive vs. Behaviorism Approaches Introduction Cognitive and behavioral approaches are two psychological movements that have made significant implications for viewing education and learning. The study of behavior with the aim of determining that behavior’s determinants is the behaviorism aspect. It employs mechanism as an essential metaphor that makes the assumption that a limited set of physical rules is what that governs a behavior. Cognitive approach is a reaction to behaviorism. It is the mental processes’ study with the use of abstractions and the scientific method from behavior. Cognitive approach incorporates information and mechanism processing as the basic metaphors for finding interpretations. The behavioral and cognitive approaches have differed and also interrelated in a number of ways in their approaches towards understanding the human behavior as discussed in this document (Neenan & Dryden, 2002). Discussion Both the approaches focus on different aspects that govern the human’s mode of operations. The approaches start differing from this aspect. The cognitive approach focuses on the mode in which human beings process information. It incorporates observing how people treat that comes into them and how their treatment leads to the responses. In other words, the approach has interest on variables that arbitrate between input or stimulus and output or response. The cognitive approach studies the internal processes including attention, language, thinking, memory and perception (Zayfert & Becker, 2006). On the other hand, the behaviorism approach relates primarily on observable behavior, as opposed to the cognitive approach that incorporates internal events only such as emotion and thinking. The behaviorism approach makes an argument that the internal events like thinking have their explanation through behavioral terms. The argument, however, is contrary to the cognitive approach’s argument that states that human behavior perceived by the way an individual receives and responds to the information (Glassman & Hadad, 2009). The two approaches also differ on the way they perceive the memory. Typically, behaviorism approach does not address the memory concept. However, acquisition habits got discussed and limited attention became perceived on how these habits become stored as well as recalled. In the cognitive approach, however, the memory is given a prominent role. It is because learning results after information get stored in memory in a meaningful and organized way (Shefrin, 2008). The two approaches also differ in the knowledge concept. In the behaviorism approach knowledge is the repertoire of behaviors while in the cognitive approach knowledge is the relationship of world’s mental models and the abstract representations like scripts or schemas. In the cognitive approach knowledge is something acquirable. Similarly, it is something related to the participation of legitimate peripheral. It is, therefore, clear that, in the cognitive approach, knowledge is an acquisition process because learning in other words is an act of acquiring knowledge. The approach put more efforts on the mind of an individual and what takes place in it. The acknowledgement of the existence of both the memory and mind in the cognitive approach further provides a basis for this perspective (Glassman & Hadad, 2009). The education technology is another field that the cognitive and behavioral approaches have manifested. When education becomes perceived through any of the two perspectives one can pinpoint differences in the application of education technology, in both cognitive and behaviorist perspectives. The cognitive approach could make use of media like computers in the construction of cognitive tutors. It would be with the help principles such as communication goal structures, production rules, maximizing working memory, problem solving and provision of intermediate feedback on errors. The main focus of the use of media in cognitive movement is for allowing students in assimilating knowledge through a representation creation so as to acquire and internalize knowledge via feedback provision (Zayfert & Becker, 2006). The teaching machines usage was advocated as well in the support of learning to make use of behaviorism approach. The argument of the use of media in this approach could have it used for managing sheer numbers of reinforcement contingencies used in shaping and strengthening observable behaviors created via stimuli. The principles that represent behaviorism learning concepts presented with the use of computer based media are good examples of the mode of usage of computers. It is in the development of a skillful program that could move forward the series of approximations that are progressive for a final complicated behavior. The emphasis put on shaping or successive approximations towards achieving desired behaviors was the main focus of the media use that contrasted from the cognitive approach’s use of media in providing thoughtful practice, clear information as well as informative feedback in the attempts of learning support (Shefrin, 2008). The two approaches also differ particularly on the way they view behavior of human beings. Behaviorism whose most of its research subjects were animals has its view on behavior as an irreducible environmental stimuli’s consequence. Cognitive approach, on the other hand, has human beings as its research subjects. It views human behavior as a point at which mental processes get abstracted behind the behavior (Glassman & Hadad, 2009). The approaches also differ on the way they define learning. The behaviorism approach learning as a change in the behavior that is observable. If there are notable changes in an individual’s behavior that a person according to the behaviorism approach is perceived to have learned. On the other hand, cognitive approach views learning as a change in the mental structures of individuals. The change in mental structures in return creates a capacity of demonstrating various behaviors. The change in the internal process might or might not result into an immediate behavioral change (Shefrin, 2008). The approaches also differ in the way they view the punishers and the rein forcers. The behaviorism approach views the law rein forcers as punishers as the direct causes of the human behavior. The approach perceives that the punishment that individual faces shape the human behavior. The cognitive approach, on the other hand, views the punisher and rein forcers to only cause expectations in the life of a human being. The cognitive approach makes an argument that if an individual studies hard and does well on the test given to him or her, he or she will expect to study in a similar way so as to pass the next test. Similarly, when an individual witnesses someone else under punishment the same person expects a punishment for a similar behavior (Zayfert & Becker, 2006). The behaviorism approach and cognitive approach also differ in their description of the interactions among the environments, personal factors and behavior. The behaviorism approach suggests only one way relationship between the behaviors and the environment. The approach argues that the human behavior receives many emphases from the environmental conditions. The behaviorism approach states that the environment directly causes the human behavior. On the other hand, the cognitive theory is very complex on this issue. The approach perceives that the environment, behavior and personal factors such as expectations and beliefs all have an influence to each other. The approach argues that the environment plays a role facilitating learning (Neenan & Dryden, 2002). Despite the available differences between behaviorism and cognitive approaches, the approaches tend to be similar in a number of significant ways. Both approaches make use of the mechanism as their basic assumption. Cognitive, however, goes ahead than behaviorism and extends the mechanical assumptions to the human mind and not just behavior. However, both the approaches view mental and human actions as determined by the physical rules (Zayfert & Becker, 2006). The social learning is one field that has received much influence from both the cognitive and behavioral approaches. The two approaches have expressed their influence the perspectives that are related. The social learning has indicated that on top of external reinforcements of behaviorism people learn by observing and imitating people’s behavior around them. It, therefore, forms a clear indication that both approaches play a similar role in defining behavior. For example, the parents who offer their children an allowance for discharging their chores make use of behavior modification process an outline of behaviorism. Similarly, some parents choose not to smoke in the presence of their children. It is about the social learning theory tenants. The main reason behind this act is because they do not want their children to observe them while involving themselves in an unhealthy habit since their children may opt to imitate what they observed (Shefrin, 2008). The two approaches also hold a contradiction in common. They both make use of subjective metaphors as their base for objective science. The behaviorism approach uses the response and stimulus metaphor in interpreting exhibited behavior in the world as well as setting its inquiry in accordance to the metaphor’s affordances. Similarly, the cognitive approach makes use of information processing as a means of explaining how human beings remember, perceive and understand the environment around them. Since the cognitive approach’s science has its inquiry on the basis of information processing metaphor, the conclusions concerning the mental processes are only objective for the metaphor’s subjective level (Neenan & Dryden, 2002). Both the cognitive and behaviorism approaches possess a similarity in that they agree that the experience is a vital cause of learning. They agree that learning takes place through the encounter of various experiences in life. The approaches also acknowledge the punishment and reinforcement concepts in explaining the human behavior. The behaviorism approach argues that these concepts are the basic tools that define the behavior of an individual. The cognitive approach argues that these concepts create expectation in an individual in that when that person acts in a certain way he will face a particular punishment. The two approaches, therefore, are in an agreement the punishment and reinforcement concepts play a role in defining the behavior of a person (Zayfert & Becker, 2006).  Both approaches are similar in that they perceive that the feedback is crucial in promoting learning. Behaviorism defines learning as the attainment of notable change in the behavior of an individual. The aspect simply means feedback represented by a change in behavior is important in enhancing learning. Similarly, the cognitive approach learning is a mental process determined by the way one receives information and the response got from that particular person. The response in this aspect takes the place of feedback. It is, therefore, clear that both the approaches make use of feedback as one of the vital tools of learning (Shefrin, 2008).  The cognitive skills have a close relationship with the behavioral models. These include the aspects of self statements, self esteem and self definition. The latter also utilizes socialization and family factors as essential explanatory concepts as well as the similarities between the sociological driven association and the psychological driven theories. In other words, the self esteem of a person, the way a person defines himself and his or her self statements are as a result of the influence of both behavioral and cognitive aspects. Behavior of a person determines the self esteem of a person as well as his or her self-definition and statement. A person also needs the cognitive aspect in having mind perception on his or her definition statement, definition, as well as self esteem. The influence imparted in these aspects forms another similarity since the two approaches tend to make interrelated impacts (Neenan & Dryden, 2002).  Both the cognitive and behavioral approaches focus upon a person’s decision making processes. They also have an impact on the habitual thinking patterns of a person. The behavioral thinking patterns are under the influence of mind’s perception of that person or in other words the cognitive aspect. Similarly, behavioral thinking patterns are greatly influenced by the behaviorism approach. The two approaches, therefore, gains another similarity in that they both have great influence in the behavioral thinking patterns of an individual. The aspects also put into account the basic social conditions that usually affect the development of an individual (Glassman & Hadad, 2009).  Conclusion It very clear from the discussion, that the cognitive and behaviorism approaches, in their attempts of defining the human behavior, reveal some similarities as well as differences. However, both the approaches play a significant role towards providing an understanding of the human behavior. When the two approached get incorporated diversity in human behaviors is achieved. It is because one approach deals with the unseen perspective as the other one deal with the observable aspect of a human being. Each approach, therefore, has its advantages and also a role towards defining the human behavior. References Glassman, W. E., & Hadad, M. (2009). Approaches to psychology. London: McGraw-Hill. Neenan, M., & Dryden, W. (2002). Life coaching: A cognitive-behavioural approach. East Sussex: Brunner-Routledge. Shefrin, H. (2008). A behavioral approach to asset pricing. Amsterdam: Academic Press/Elsevier. Zayfert, C., & Becker, C. (2006). Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for PTSD: A Case Formulation Approach. New York: Guilford Publications. Read More