Chapter 6: Behaviorist and Learning Aspects This multimedia product and its contents are protected...

Chapter 6:

Behaviorist and Learning Aspects

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The Classical Conditioning of Personality

Unconditioned Stimulus (Food)

Unconditioned

Response (Salivation)

o Ivan Pavlov

o Studying dogs



Unconditioned Stimulus (Food)

Neutral Stimulus

(Bell) Unconditioned


®®



Conditioned Stimulus

(Bell)

Conditioned



Classical Conditioning

Generalization◦Conditioned responses can occur

in response to stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus

Discrimination◦Learning to tell the difference

between different stimuli, responding only to the conditioned stimulus and not to similar stimuli


Classical Conditioning

Extinction◦When the pairing of the

conditioned and unconditioned stimulus stops

◦Gradual decrease in the response to the conditioned stimulus


Classical ConditioningClassical conditioning can be

used to explain emotional aspects of personality◦neurotic behavior◦phobias◦superstitious behavior◦etc.


Origins of a Behaviorist Approach

John B. Watson

◦Founded behaviorism◦Applied conditioning principles to

humans◦Rejection of introspection◦Tabula rasa approach

John Locke


The Example of Baby Albert

Unconditioned Stimulus

(Loud Noise)

Unconditioned Response

(Cry)



Unconditioned Stimulus

(Loud Noise)

Neutral Stimulus

(Rat) Unconditioned

Response (Cry)

®®



Conditioned Stimulus

(Rat)

Conditioned

Response (Cry)


The Radical Behaviorism of B. F. Skinner

Personality IS a group of responses to the environment

Radical determinism◦All behavior is caused

Operant Conditioning◦Behavior is changed by its

consequences◦“Skinner box” (operant chamber)


Operant Conditioning

The status of a consequence as reinforcement or punishment is empirically determined◦ If the preceding response increases after the

consequence occurs, it is a reinforcement◦ If the preceding response decreases after the

consequence occurs, it is a punishmentReinforcement or punishment can occur

through adding or removing a stimulus◦ For rats: food, noise, electric shock◦ For humans: money, praise, hugs, candy, chores,

spanking, prison


Operant Conditioning

What happens after

the response occurs?

What

happens

to the

response?

Positive

Reinforcement

Negative

Reinforcement

Positive

Punishment

Negative

Punishment

Stimulus

is Added

Stimulus is

Removed

Response

Increases

Response

Decreases


Skinner’s Walden Two

Applied the principles of operant conditioning to design a society

Sets up a controlling environment by using positive reinforcement

Several communities were founded on behaviorist principles


Applying Behaviorism: An Example

Modifying Type A personality

◦By using operant conditioning people are able to learn to reduce their negative behaviors


Other Learning Approaches to Personality

Clark HullRole of drive alleviationHabits

◦Associations between a stimulus and a response

Emphasized both internal states and the environment◦Describes how distant goals can be

learnedCopyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Dollard and Miller

Combined psychoanalytic theory with behaviorism

Social Learning Theory

Habit hierarchy◦Personality is the probability that

particular responses will occur


Dollard and Miller

Secondary drives◦The drives that are learned by

association with the satisfaction of primary drives

Aggression◦Occurs as a result of blocking

efforts to attain a goal


Dollard and Miller

Mental illness explanations

Internal conflicts◦Approach-avoidance conflict◦Approach-approach conflict◦Avoidance-avoidance conflict


Modern Behaviorist Approaches to Personality

Behaviorism’s limitation to observable behavior is inconsistent with the focus of most personality approaches

Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory connects individual differences in the nervous system to the response to reward versus punishment◦ Reward works through Behavioral Activation

System (Behavioral Approach System)◦ Punishment works through Behavioral Inhibition

SystemAct Frequency Approach as a way to

connect observable actions to traits


Timeline:The Behaviorist and Learning Approach


Societal and Scientific Context

Philosophers and theologians view individual deviations as games of the gods or possession by the devil

Ancient times and Middle Ages

Humans are seen primarily in religious terms, as created by a divine presence

Individual is increasingly understood to be shaped by social class and by work (Locke’s tabula rasa)

1700s -1800s

Increasing emphasis on reason and rationality, philosophers search for the core of human nature





Pavlov studies classical conditioning; other studies of animal learning begin in earnest

1880s-1900s

Darwin’s evolutionary approach leads to experimental studies in animals in search of universals applicable to people

Watson founds behaviorism

1900-1920

Experimental psychology develops; increased industrialization of society





Skinner dramatically expands behaviorism; Hull develops broader learning theory

1920s-1940s

Experimental psychology is increasingly dominated by behaviorism; attempts to combine behaviorism and psychoanalysis

Influence of social psychology increases; child rearing practices are studied

1940s-1950s

In reaction to world war, studies of propaganda and attitude-formation increase





Existentialists challenge behaviorists; cognitive psychology grows; behaviorism declines

1950s-1960s

Economic boom with huge new middle class; new affluence removes old fears from workers

Learning approaches increasingly combined with cognitive and social approaches; personality seen as interacting with the demands of social situations

1970s-1980s

Societal problems of crime, delinquency lead to searches for more sophisticated models of teaching and learning





Ideas of conditioning and reinforcement integrated into other approaches to personality

1990s-2000s

Better understandings of the individual in specific work environments


The Behaviorist and Learning Approach

Analogy

◦Humans as intelligent rats learning life mazes



Advantages

◦Requires rigorous empirical study◦Looks for general laws that apply to

all organisms◦Forces attention to the

environmental influences on behavior



Limits◦Ignores insights and advances from

cognitive and social psychology◦May tend to dehumanize unique

human potentials◦Explains all differences between

individuals as a consequence of their reinforcement histories

◦Views humans as objects to be trained



View of free will

◦Behavior is determined by environmental contingencies



Common assessment technique

◦Experimental analysis of learning (often in non-human animals)



Implications for therapy

◦Since personality is conditioned and learned, therapy is based on teaching desirable habits and behaviors, and on extinguishing undesirable ones


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