What contributions of behaviorism, or remnants of behaviorism and Watson’s schoo

Question

What contributions of behaviorism, or remnants of behaviorism and Watson’s school of thought, do you see in modern psychology? Explain how aspects of modern psychological science show roots in behaviorism. Note that this question is not about how you see behaviorism in modern life, but is about how the science of a century ago impacts the scientific field today.

How does behaviorism look different in 2018 compared to how it looked in Watson’s time? What aspects of behaviorism and Watson’s school of thought do you think have gone extinct (at least in their strictest forms) or had to be modified to be applicable in modern psychology? Why do you think that happened? What replaced them and why?

Explanation / Answer

Behaviourism look for very simple explanations for human behaviour from a scientific viewpoint. This science of 20th century is still important in modern world today, some important areas where principles of behaviourism are still undertaken are:

Behaviour Therapies:

These therapies are based on classical conditioning which suggests that a resonse is learned and repeated through immediate association. In Aversion Therapy stimulus such as alcohol ( desired by client) and behaviour is associated with unpleasant conditioned stimulus such as a foul smell, electric shock.

Systematic Desensitization is another behaviour therapy that involves principles of classical conditioning. This therapy is used to reduce/remove fear response of a phobia and replacing it with a relaxation response to the conditional stimulus by a gradual use of counter cnditioning.

In Education:

Issues of Class and student management are sorted by operant conditioning. Feedback, praises, compliments are provided by teachers to reinforce performoance and this praises and compliments gradually decreases and are given for only better performances and later only for exceptional performances.

Token Economy:

In this system targeted behaviour of client is reinforced with tokens ( secondary reinforcers) and later exchanged for rewards( primary reinforcers). For example tokens in form of smilies or stickers of starts etc. are pasted on notebook of small children by their teachers to reinforce better work-again an application in education area. Tokens are still used in treatments of psychiatric patients. Also in corporates, tokens are used to improve staff performance.

In his time Watson asserted that psychology should not focus on subjective and non measurable mental expereinces such as conciousness and suggested that psychology should be a study of objective behaviour. Behaviourism does not seem to meet the criteria of being a comprehensive theory. Some assumptions of Behaviourism are now considered outdated such as according to behavioursim psychology as a study of only obseravble behaviours now look too confined. Modern Behavioursm is relativisitic.Reason for extinct aspects of behavioursm lies in the fact that it was one dimentional approch which did not take in to account free will and internal stmulus such as mood and feelings.Also it does not take in to account the learning that take place without reinforcements.

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