Launch behaviourism Essay

Ivan P.Pavlov was the first initiator of demeanourism as he formed the basis and groundwork of behaviourism. Pavlov was a Russian scientist who was particularly interested in knowledgeable reflexes which led him to his disreputable experiment of cads and their salivary glands. In Pavlovs experiment he found that a dogs behaviour can be conditioned. Firstly when the dog was given food it would salivate, past the next time the dog received food a bell would be rung. This continued until the dog would salivate by the mere sound of a bell. This experiment provided the basis for Pavlovs idea that behaviour and responses could be conditioned (Tennant, 1997)John B. Watson drew from Pavlovs ideas and was the man to launch behaviourism. Watson was a psychologist from the United States. His infamous experiment was on a human baby code named Albert B. When Albert was exposed to a rat he showed no sign of fear only when then a loud banging when there was a presence of a rat, which made Alb ert cry. Therefore every time Albert saw a rat he would associate it with his past experience and immediately cry whether there was a banging or not (Tennant, 1997)B.F skinner was a major contributor to the school of behaviourism and believed that behaviour is maintained and produced by its consequences. skinner believed that rewards and positive reinforcers have a greater affect on behaviour. He demonstrated this through his far-famed Skinner Box where animals were placed inside a box and were given an option of levers which they could press, one gave them food, the different an electric shock or similar. The animals soon learned which lever not to press and this demonstrated Skinners theory of learned behaviour (Van Iersal and others, 2005)Behaviourism is not the stimulation in psychological attainment as it once was. Psychologists and much of the public prefer more cognitive explanations of human behaviour. Thus the practical application of behaviour analysis is sedate act ive and successful in fields such as fry development, education and drug abuse but is not reliable, as technology and scientific advances have turn out otherwise to the denial of internal processes. Behaviourism is very much about shelter when it comes to the nature vs. nurture debate as it focuses on external stimuli affecting behaviour. Where behaviourism applied behaviour can be controlled, as action and external operations are controllable. Behaviourism can only excuse a small part of human behaviour but it can no fully describe it. (Kazdin, 2000). To explain human behaviour an updated perspective is needed and not one convention is 100% right. The best cost is to take a little from each (McIerney 1998).Behaviourism was extremely influential in the early twentieth century as it was the most up to date information available. Since scientific advances in brain chemical science and thought processes behaviourism has become outdated. Pavlov, Watson and Skinner had major impacts on not only behaviourism but also to psychology. Their techniques can still be applied today. Although behaviourism can explain a arcsecond about behaviour it is far too narrow as it does not encompass or share mental working of a human and brain functions which is a very important role in behaviour. Even though it is outdated behaviourism is still an interesting convention of psychology and can still be useful in explaining behaviour and treating behaviour problems.BibliographyThe Behavioural Approach Class HandoutBehaviourism, Microsoft(r) Encarta(r) Online cyclopaedia 2005