Behaviorism Essay

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Behaviorism is a branch of psychology that has a theoretical approach that gives emphasis to the study of behavior in place of the subject of the mind or the physiological correlates of one's behavior. Behavior is the externally visible response to a stimulus of an animal or human (Weidman). B.F. Skinner is one of the most prominent psychologists of the study of behaviorism. Skinner was on the advance of behaviorism. B.F. Skinner created a group of theories that set out to prove that subjective impetus is not what behavior in humans and animals is so much based on but that behavior is more based on possible reward received and chastisement applied to the animal or human (Newsmakers). Skinner entered into the branch of behaviorism in the 1920s. Behaviorism was still a fairly new branch to psychology at this time. However, Skinner's experiments in his libratory were broadly consideration to be electrifying and ground-breaking, illuminating an knowledge of human behavior and logistics (Newsmakers). Skinner called such behavior based on possible reward received and chastisement that was followed by the repetition of that behavior operant.
Skinner clarified the principles that lay ground work to his psychology. First, Skinner argued that his discipline was completely based in observation. In Skinner's work, theories and hypotheses had a limited role (Weidman). Skinner's approach was drastically empiricist. Second, Skinner said that since psychology was thought to be limited to the level of behavioral observation, it had no need of being condensed to or clarified in terms of physiology (Weidman). Thirdly, for Skinner, processes of the mind or states of the mind were to be understand as behavior (Weidman). B.F. Skinner rejected re...

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...sciousness but he also thought that emotions and processes of the mind are just the consequence of the never ending sequence of stimulus and reaction which carry out no meaning (DISCovering Authors). Skinner also promoted the utilization of behavioral technology to improve society. He believed that the same method that effectively trained the animals he used in his laboratory study could be used to manage human's negative actions. He believe that in doing this, social troubles such as law-breaking, poverty, and warfare could be abolished (DISCovering Authors). Many of Skinners critics thought that his beliefs were a totalitarian hazard.
Although Skinner's belief were not accepted by all, the B.F. Skinner Foundation was established in May of 1988 (Newsmakers). The foundations supports the science founded by B.F. Skinner and new works that are a result of his work.

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