The Behaviorist Approach

The Origins of Behaviorism

Behaviorism traces its roots to the early part of the 20th century, a time when many psychologists emphasized self-analysis of mental processes (introspection) or the psychoanalytic theory of Sigmund Freud. In contrast, researchers like Ivan Pavlov and John B. Watson began to develop a framework which emphasized observable processes (environmental stimuli and behavioral responses). The result was a new approach, behaviorism, which grew in popularity for some fifty years, becoming the dominant framework for experimental research. While its restrictions (including ignoring mental processes) ultimately led many psychologists to turn to other approaches, it is nonetheless still influential today.

Resources

http://snycorva.cortland.edu/~ANDERSMD/BEH/BEHAVIOR.HTML--A tutorial on basic behaviorist concepts, developed by students at Cortland College, State Univ.of NY.

http://www.yorku.ca/dept/psych/classics/topics.htm#behaviorism--Classic readings on Behaviorism from the Internet archive developed by Christopher D. Green, York University, Canada.

Classical Conditioning

Pavlov's classic experiment, in which a dog was trained to salivate at the ringing of a bell, is so well known that cartoonists have frequently used it in humor intended for general audiences. Yet classical conditioning is easily underestimated by those who haven't considered it closely. For example, classical conditioning plays a role in why our stomachs rumble when we skip lunch, and why familiar medicines can change in effectiveness with repeated usage. The following sources can help you gain a deeper understanding of this deceptively complex process.

Resources

History of Classical Conditioning
http://www.as.wvu.edu/~sbb/comm221/chapters/pavlov.htm--A brief introduction to classical conditioning, with examples, by Steve Booth-Butterfield, West Virginia University.

Identifying Aspects of Classical Conditioning
http://www.sfu.ca/~tbauslau/302/cc.html--Quiz on classical conditioning, based on identifying examples of the US, UR, CS, and CR.

Extinction in Classical Conditioning
http://www.science.wayne.edu/~wpoff/cor/mem/condxtin.html--Key ideas in the extinction process and color illustrations using Pavlov's dog and bell example.

Operant Conditioning

A classic cartoon shows two rats in a "Skinner box", a cage with a lever connected to a food dispenser. While a researcher looms overhead, clipboard in hand, one rat comments to the other, "Boy, have I got this guy trained: every time I press the lever, he gives me a piece of cheese!"

Of course, operant researchers would reject this description, and also the notion that mental processes have any role in understanding behavior. Instead, operant theory draws on the seemingly simple notion that we respond to the consequences of our actions, and that voluntary behavior can be understood in terms of its prior consequences (history of reinforcement). Like the basic principles of classical conditioning, this fundamental framework can be applied in a wide variety of situations, from a misbehaving child to the efficiency of workers in a shipping company. The following resources will help you to explore operant principles in more detail. (Something to think about as you browse: why do you surf the Web? Does what you encounter reinforce you to continue browsing?)

Resources

Operant Conditioning
http://www.dur.ac.uk/~dps1rwk/comp7.html--A set of lecture notes on basic concepts in operant conditioning, along with some illustrations. Developed by Dr. Bob Kentridge, Durham Univ., UK.

Positive Reinforcement: A Self-Instructional Exercise
http://server.bmod.athabascau.ca/html/prtut/reinpair.htm--An exercise in which the concept of positive reinforcement is defined and illustrated in six example/nonexample pairs. Developed by Dr. Lyle Grant at Athabasca University, Alberta. The examples stress that the same behavior (such as smiling) can serve as a positive reinforcer in some situations but not in others.

The Behaviorism of B.F. Skinner

Operant Conditioning in Skinner's Own Words--One-minute Real Audio clip, from 1986 APA address; from Society for Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

http://www.fni.com/cim/briefings/behave.txt--A summary and critique of the basic views of Skinner, with references. (from a Christian site, but not religious in tone)

Operant Principles in Animal Training
http://www.seaworld.org/animal_training/atlearn.html--Multi-page site describing how behaviorist principles are used to train sea mammals at Sea World

On-line Journals Related to Behaviorism

http://www.behaviorism.org/journal.htm#Journals--An annotated list of journals which publish behaviorism-related articles, including Web links. Part of a Portugese site devoted to Skinner's approach to behaviorism.

http://www.envmed.rochester.edu/wwwvgl/jaba_articles/jaba_articles.htm--On-line archive of selected articles from the Journal of Applied Behavioral Analysis, one of the major journals devoted to behaviorist research.