John B. Watson Study of Behaviorism and How He Influenced Psychology, Essay Example

Introduction

John B. Watson was born (1878-1958) near Greenville, South Carolina. He was a son of ne’er-do-well father, next to whom he harbored life-long bitterness, and a mother who was a devoutly religious. John B. Watson spent his early childhood in the relative segregation and poverty. At the age of sixteen, in 1894, he joins Furman University, whereby he graduated five years later with a fundamental introduction to psychology and thereafter an M.A degree. He was employed for one year as a principal of a private school and later he obtains an admission to the University of Chicago. (Watson, B. John, 1989)

Psychology as the behaviorist analysis is a merely intent experimental bough of innate science. Its major hypothetical purpose is to predict and be in charge of behavior. Behaviorism instigated with the work of John B. Watson who was an American psychologist. John B. Watson argued that psychology wasn’t disquieted with mind or with the consciousness of a human being. Instead, psychology was disquieted with the behavior. This means that, men could be learning objectively, similar to apes and rats. (Angell, J.R, 1907).

John B. Watson’s research was much based on the experiments that were been carried out by Ivan Pavlov, who had initially studied the response of animal to the conditioning. In one of the best-known Ivan Pavlov experiment, he used to ring a bell as he was feeding several dogs with various meals. When a bell was rang the dogs new that there must be a meal coming and they ought to embark on salivation. However, Ivan Pavlov rang the bell and he didn’t bring the food, but the dogs continued with salivation. They have been used of to salivate whenever the bell rings. Ivan Pavlov accepted as true, as John B. Watson who came later and emphasize that humans usually react to stimuli in a similar mode.

In the present day, behaviorism is linked with the name of B.F. Skinner, who made a research by testing various theories of Watson’s in the laboratory (William, 1989). On the other hand, Skinner’s came out with a different perspective which didn’t sail in the same boat with John B. Watson theories. Skinner said that people usually respond to their environment, he continued arguing that, they still also maneuver on the environment in order to produce a certain consequences.

Skinner came out with a theory of “operant conditioning,” it says that the thought that we normally behave are the we do, this is because of this type of behavior had a definite end results in the ancient times. For example, if perhaps your boyfriend gives you a kiss when you give him a rose flower, it’s definitely that you will be giving him a rose flower when you want a kiss. In this way, you will be usually acting in probability or expectation of certain remuneration. Akin to John B. Watson, but, Skinner argued that the feelings or the minds play whichever ingredient in behavior determining. As a replacement for, our behavior is been determined by our experience of reinforcements.

Nevertheless, according to McCain, B. (2002), behaviorism as we stated earlier, it originated from the field of psychology, however it has had a lot of huge influence. Its methods and concepts are currently been used in education, and according to the research that was been made by the researchers, it shows that a lot of education courses at colleges are most based on the similar suppositions about man as behaviorism. In addition, behaviorism has also gain access to sociology, in the outline of sociobiology, they usually credence that moral values are based in biology. A big question is what are the presumptions of the behaviorism?

Behaviorism is naturalistic. This simply means that the material world is the eventual reality, and anything can be elaborated in terms of innate laws. This means that man has neither mind nor soul, he/she has only a brain that usually act in response to external stimuli.

Behaviorism nourishes as that man is like a machine that act in response to conditioning. One of the researchers has recapitulated behaviorism in this manner: “The fundamental tenet of behaviorism is that feelings, intentions and thoughts, mental processes all doesn’t determine on what we are supposed to do. Our behavior is the one in charge of conditioning. We are totally biological machines, however we don’t deliberately act; instead we respond to stimuli.”

The suggestion that men are biological machines, whoever minds doesn’t have any influence on their accomplishments is differing to the biblical observations which say the man is God image; the images of planning, a creative, thinking God. In actual fact, Skinner continues further with his investigation and argues that the mind and mental processes are fictions and metaphors and conclude that the behavior is just portion of the biology of the living being. He also makes out that scrutiny strips man of his dignity and freedom, however be resolute that as a spiritual being, it has does not prolonged.

Over and over again, behaviorism usually trains as that we are not accountable for our actions. If we are said to be just a mere machine, without souls or minds, responding to stimuli and controlling on our environment in order to get certain ends, then everything we regularly do is to be anticipated. Sociobiology that is a type of behaviorism, it made a comparison betwixt a computer and a man: Garbage in, garbage out.

Also, these have a divergent with Christians worldwide. Our previous know-how and our environment do influence the manner we act, obviously, although these aspects cannot account for the whole things that we normally do. According to biblical studies, it tells that we are fundamentally covenantal creatures, but not biological creatures. Our bordering environment is said to be God himself, and we regularly respond to him. We usually respond in two ways, that’s either compliance to or insurgence against his world.

Behaviorism is manipulative. This means that it doesn’t seek just simply to comprehend the behavior of a human being, but to control and envisage it. According to Skinner theory, he came out with the idea of shaping. Through taking control of punishments and rewards, you are in a position of shaping the behavior of another person.

As a psychiatrist, one of the major goals of Skinner’s was to shape his patient’s behavior in order for them to respond in more communally up to standard ways. Moreover, it is clear that we can elude Skinner’s theories so that they can give guidance to behavior. In current days, we can observe the experimental analysis of the behavior by effective technology which has offers to us. Moreover, not only advanced technology that it has led but also applicability to psychotherapy, education and the blueprint of cultural practices in broad-spectrum, which might be more effectual when isn’t contending with carries out that have had the unjustifiable prop up of mentalistic theories. In short, the main aim of Skinner is, he wants behaviorism to be the starting point for manipulating student, patients and the whole society. (Yerkers, R.M. & Watson, J.B. 1911)

Some of the obvious questions, for sure, are who will drag the strings? Who will exploit the tools? Who will maneuver the technology? No misgiving, Skinner will definitely answer that, only those who are well skilled in behavioral theory and put into practice would be qualified to shape another person behavior. However, this is divergent to the biblical perspective, which says that we should love our neighbors as we love ourselves, not to manipulate them.

Conclusion

The ethical results of behaviorism are much enormous. Man is stripped of his freedom, responsibility, and dignity, and is trimmed down to a merely biological being, to be shaped by those who have qualified in behaviorism and are in a good position of exploiting the tools effectively. John B. Watson early childhood and the experience that he obtained from various schools is the one that led to the creation of his theories, moreover, his theories were streamlined by various scientists such as Skinner and came out with a meaningful theories. Their fruits can be currently being observed, such as technology and in education.  (McCain, B. 2002)       

Reference

Angell, J.R (1907). “The Territory of Functional Psychology”, New York: Macmillan Publishers.

McCain, B. (2002) “Behavior and Psychology”, Washington: Penguin publishers.

Watson, B. John, (1989) “A History of Psychology”, Worcester, MA: Clark University Press.

William, I. (1989) “Relationship Between Psychology and Behavior”, London: Longhorn Publishers.

Yerkers, R.M. & Watson, J.B. (1911) “Methods of Studying Animal Vision”, Boston: Holt, Behavior Monographs, No. 2