Behavioralism (review)

Founders:Watson (Little Albert)Skinner (Skinner box)

Behavioralsim- Focus on behaviors

(actions) - Alter behavior through

conditioning

For example, let’s say Billy is really

depressed.  The depression causes Billy

to stop sleeping and eating.  Billy is also

drinking tequila as his only liquids. 

Behavioralsim

How would each of the following treat Billy?

a. A psychoanalyst?b. A trait theorist?

c. A humanist?

A behavioralist would approach Billy’s problems very

differently.

Behavioralism

A behaviorist would only look at Billy's behaviors, not his depression itself. 

They would examine his lack of sleeping and eating and drinking of alcohol as Billy's true problems. 

Behavioralism

Then they would use conditioning/learning strategies to change Billy's behaviors. They may give

Billy $20 for every bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch he eats. 

They may put diarrhea medicine in Billy's tequila. 

Behavioralism

These techniques will stop Billy's behaviors around depression, but will they rid Billy of his depression? 

You may think not, but to a behaviorist, if the behaviors are no longer maladaptive, then where's the problem?

The Social-Cognitive Perspective

Of Personality

Albert Bandura Bobo Doll ExperimentBandura was a behavioralist who demonstrated that children will model the behaviors of others.

This may not seem like a big deal to you and me, but it was to the behavioralists.

Albert Bandura Behavioralists studied observable behaviors only, and said that it was unscientific to study thinking because it can’t be measured or quantified. However, if kids can learn by watching others being rewarded or punished, then thinking is necessary to explain the behaviors (something to the effect of, “I bet it would be fun to do that”). Thus, Bandura began the social-cognitive movement.

Social Cognitive Theory

Focus on how we INTERPRET and RESPOND TO external events. Cognitive therapy attempts to change the way to THINK about things.

Reciprocal Determinism: the interacting influences between personality and environmental factors.

Reciprocal Determinism The type of person

you were made you choose to come to JHS. Attending JHS has probably shaped your personality in some ways.

Anxious people are more attuned to threatening events. They will perceive the world as more threatening, which in turn, may make them more anxious.

Reciprocal Determinism

If you are easy-going, you make other people feel comfortable. This in turn, causes them to treat you nicely. This may affect how you view other people.

Think of an example of reciprocal determinism from your own life and share it with your partner.

If some of these examples sound like self-fulfilling prophecies, that’s because they are. Self-fulfilling prophecies are perfect examples of reciprocal determinism.

Social Learning Theory Developed in 1954 by Julian Rotter

Rotter states in his theory that , “the personality is affected by the environment, and is not merely internal to the individual” (Mearns, 2010.)

Individual personality is composed of two elements, life experience and stimuli.

“This is coupled with ways in which the individual seeks the positive while avoiding the negative (Young, 2009).”

Social Learning Theory Continued

A key element of Mr. Rotter’s social learning theory is that the individual personality is maintains stability in reacting to stimuli (Young, 2009).

In addition he states, that “the individual is always capable of change as a response to changing external factors” (Young, 2009).

Contradicts traditional theory of personality. States that capacity for change may reduce and

become fixed with age. However, there is not point at which capacity

disappears.

Social Learning Theory Continued

Rotter discovered that individuals performed differently on specific tasks based on their belief of luck or skill (Johnston, 2000).

Individuals believing that success was driven by skill worked harder.

Others suggesting that success is based on luck were less motivated to work.

Social Learning Theory Continued

Rotter explains that people’s belief regarding their control over rewards depend on the situation. Example: A child learns that saying please and thank you will win the

respect of others. On the other hand no matter what you did your teacher was

always out to get you(Johnston, 2000) In some cases, however, reward does not always depend

upon our own efforts. Example:

If you lose a game of poker it is not necessarily because you are a horrible player.

Someone might have had a better hand, other player may be better at bluffing.

Social Learning Theory Continued

Therefore individuals react differently, according to personal experience.

This leads individuals to believe that rewards are a result of or are not a result of their own efforts (Johnston, 2000)

Rotter referred to the above theory as locus of control.

Personal Control Our sense of controlling our

environment rather than the environment controlling us.

Locus of Control Original inception was by Julian Rotter

(1916- ) during the 1950s.

Modifications were made in the mid-1960s.

Derived from Rotter’s upbringing during the Great Depression.

Realized at that point that reward and punishment was determined by what you do.

Origins of Locus of Control

Original inception was by Julian Rotter (1916- ) during the 1950s.

Modifications were made in the mid-1960s.

Derived from Rotter’s upbringing during the Great Depression.

Realized at that point that reward and punishment was determined by what you do.

Origins of Locus of Control continued

Originally influenced by Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, and Wendell Johnson.

However, Rotter abandoned the philosophies of his predecessors due to disagreement regarding personality and behavior (Mearns, 2010).

Rotter combined behaviorism and the study of personality to form his Locus of Control theory.

Defining Locus of Control

What is Locus of Control? Essential element of personality (Neill, 2006). Source of control over our behavior (Gershaw, 1989). “Refers to the degree to which an individual believes the occurrence of

reinforcements is contingent on his or her own behavior” (Workhealth, 2011)

Example: “Do you believe that your destiny is controlled by yourself or by external forces (such as fate, god, or powerful others)?” (Neill, 2006)

Rotter believed behavior is induced by rewards and punishments.

Therefore leading an individual to prescribe to specific beliefs regarding behavior.

Defining Locus of Control Continued

As a result this determines the attitudes and behaviors in which individual adopt (Neill, 2006).

Locus of control tries to answer two questions. Are actions the product of what we do?

(Internal control) Are actions influenced by events outside of

our control? (External control) (Mindtools, 2011)

Illustrated by using a continuum of belief.

Internal- Locus of Control

“Individual believes that behavior is guided by personal decisions and efforts (Neill, 2006).”

Theory states that behavior is a product of “hard work, decisions, or physical, mental, social attributes (Mindtools, 2011).”

Most of the world’s successful people are categorized on this end of the spectrum.

Internal Control

Internal Locus of Control

The perception that one controls one’s own fate.

External- Locus of Control

“Individual believes that behavior is guided by fate, luck, or other external circumstances (Neill, 2006).”

Outcomes are not a product of hard work, etc. Individuals which fall on this end of the spectrum blame

success or failure on the world around them. Basic belief is that something was just “meant to be or

not.”

External Control

External Locus of Control

The perception that chance or outside forces beyond one’s personal control determine one’s fate.

Identify each statement below as being indicative of either an internal locus of

control (ILC) or an external locus of control (ELC):

I’ll never be a good writer. I have to practice so I can get better. I probably could have prevented that. It’s not my fault. It’s fate!Those with ILC tend to do better in school, act

more independently, enjoy better health, feel less depressed, and cope better with stress. Why?

Under what circumstances might an ILC be bad for mental health?

Learned HelplessnessMartin Seligman (father of

“positive psychology”) The hopelessness

and passive resignation an animal or human learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events.

Who can tell us about Seligman’s research?

Learned HelplessnessMartin Seligman (father of

“positive psychology”) Can you think of

examples of people who stop trying to help themselves? Battered wives Prisoners You when you get

really far behind in a class

Are these analogous to Seligman’s dogs?

Seligman did not anticipate how the dogs would respond and was saddened by it. After his initial experiments, he vowed never to do such studies on dogs again—he switched to rats!

Self-efficacyAccording to Bandura, the

belief that you are likely to be successful at

something is called self-efficacy, and it can be a powerful determinant of

success or failure.

If I believe I am likely to be successful in math, I may

choose to take more math classes, and

actually become a better math student.

Self-efficacy

Share with your partner:1) Something for which you

have high self-efficacy.2) Something for which you

have low self-efficacy.

Self-efficacy continued

Self-efficacy is a powerful determinant of future success, but…

…be wary of overconfidence. It can lead students to perform lower (“I

don’t need to study”) and may encourage unwise risks (“I can drive on ice.”)

Criticisms

Some believe that S-C perspective focuses TOO much on the SITUATION and not enough on inner traits.

Also, it is really hard to change people’s attitudes.