1. 210-02 History of Psychology
Welcome to Seminar for Unit 7
With Professor Kimberly Maring

2. Today’s Focus Three stages of Behaviorism
Skinner and Bandura and their contributions to the field. 

3. 3 Stages of Behaviorism
There are three stages in the progression of the behaviorist school of thought:
Watson is foundational for the beginning of behaviorism.
Watson’s Behaviorism ( )
Burned all of his work before he died.

4. Edward Chace Tolman (1886–1959)
3 Stages of Behaviorism
Watson’s Behaviorism ( )
2. Neobehaviorism ( )
Tolman Hull Skinner
Edward Chace Tolman (1886–1959)
Clark Leonard Hull
(1884–1952)
B. F. Skinner
(1904–1990)

5. 3 Stages of Behaviorism Watson’s Behaviorism (1915-1930)
Neobehaviorism ( )
Tolman, Hull, Skinner
Neo-neobehaviorism or
sociobehaviorism ( )
Social Cognitive Psychology
Bandura, Rotter

6. Neobehaviorism with Tollman and Skinner
Stage 2 of Behaviorism
Neobehaviorism
with Tollman and Skinner

7. Operationism Percy W. Bridgeman (1882-1961) respected physicist
Nobel prize-winner from Harvard
Insisted on discarding “pseudo-problems” (anything which cannot be measured; the soul; the conscience; the unseen)
Finished the index to his 7-volume book
Shipped to publisher
Killed himself; an end to existence where there is nothing beyond that which is material

8. Operationism A major characteristic of neobehaviorism
Sought to rid psychology of pseudo-problems
Worked at making the language of neobehaviorism precise, mathematical, measurable.

9. Edward Chace Tolman (1886-1959)
Purposive Behaviorism: Tolman’s system combined the objective study of behavior with the consideration of purposiveness or goal orientation in behavior.
Tolman saw 5 variables which contributed to purposive behavior.

10. Purposive Behaviorism (Tolman)
Behavior is a function of 5 variables:
Environmental stimuli
Physiological drives
Heredity
Previous training
Age
Intervening Variables: Unobserved and inferred factors within the organism that are the actual determinants of behavior.

11. Skinner and Operant Conditioning
Skinner developed the Operant chamber, or the Skinner box,
to study operant conditioning.
Pavlov studied respondent behavior – responses to conditioning

12. Baby in a Box Air crib, also called Skinner’s Baby in a Box
Raised his second daughter in one
88F, 50% humidity
Canvas mattress
Air filter system
Picture window

13. Reinforcement: Any event that strengthens the behavior it follows.
Types of Reinforcers
Reinforcement: Any event that strengthens the behavior it follows.
Preview Question 7: What are the basic types of reinforcers?

14. Schedules of Reinforcement
Continuous reinforcement refers to reinforcement being administered to each instance of a response
Intermittent reinforcement lies between continuous reinforcement and extinction

15. An Example of Continuous Reinforcement
Each instance of a smile is reinforced
Continuous Reinforcement

16. Example of Fixed Ratio Reinforcement
Every fourth instance of a smile is reinforced
Fixed Ratio of 4

17. Example of Variable Ratio Reinforcement
Random instances of the behavior are reinforced
Variable Ratio of 4

18. Schedules of Reinforcement
Fixed-ratio schedules are those where a response is reinforced only after a specified number of responses. This schedule produces a high, steady rate of responding with only a brief pause after the delivery of the reinforcer.
Variable-ratio schedules occur when a response is reinforced after an unpredictable number of responses. This schedule creates a high steady rate of responding. Gambling and lottery games are good examples of a reward based on a variable ratio schedule.
Fixed-interval schedules are those where the first response is rewarded only after a specified amount of time has elapsed. This schedule causes high amounts of responding near the end of the interval, but much slower responding immediately after the delivery of the reinforcer. Example: Paychecks work on this schedule - every two weeks I got one.
Variable-interval schedules occur when a response is rewarded after an unpredictable amount of time has passed. This schedule produces a slow, steady rate of response. My account works on this system - at varying intervals I get new mail.
Unpredictable (or variable) schedule produces more consistent responding than a fixed schedule.

19. An aversive event that decreases the behavior it follows.
Punishment
An aversive event that decreases the behavior it follows.
Preview Question 9: How does punishment affect behavior?

20. Punishment
Although there may be some justification for occasional punishment (Larzelaere & Baumrind, 2002), it usually leads to negative effects.
Conveys no information to the organism; what not to do, rather than what to do.

21. Neo-neobehaviorism Social Cognitive Theory with Bandura and Rotter
Stage 3 of Behaviorism
Neo-neobehaviorism
Social Cognitive Theory
with Bandura and Rotter

22. QUESTION
What types of behaviors are acquired as a result of observational learning?
How is modeling used to change behavior?

23. Bandura's Experiments: Social Learning Theory
Bandura's Bobo doll study (1961) indicated that individuals (children) learn through imitating others who receive rewards and punishments.

24. Social Learning Theory
Bandura’s studies show that antisocial models (family, neighborhood or TV) may have antisocial effects.

25. Television and Observational Learning
Gentile et al., (2004) shows that children in elementary school who are exposed to violent television, videos, and video games express increased aggression.
What do you think?

26. Albert Bandura (1925 - ) Vicarious reinforcement
Self-Efficacy: One’s sense of self-esteem and competence in dealing with life’s problems.
To what degree do you feel you have some effect over what happens in your life?

27. Julian B Rotter
( )
Rotter sees personality, and therefore behavior, as always changeable. Change the way the person thinks, or change the environment the person is responding to, and behavior will change. He does not believe there is a critical period after which personality is set. But, the more life experience you have building up certain sets of beliefs, the more effort and intervention required for change to occur. Rotter conceives of people in an optimistic way. He sees them as being drawn forward by their goals, seeking to maximize their reinforcement, rather than just avoiding punishment.

28. Julian B. Rotter BP = f(E & RV) Behavior Potential is a function of
expectancy and reinforcement value.
The likelihood of a person exhibiting a specific behavior is a function of the probability that the behavior will lead to a given outcome and the desirability of that outcome.
Rotter chose the empirical law of effect as his motivating factor. The law of effect states that people are motivated to seek out positive stimulation, or reinforcement, and to avoid unpleasant stimulation. Rotter combined behaviorism and the study of personality, without relying on physiological instincts or drives as a motive force.

29. 4 Main Components of Rotter’s Social Learning Theory
Julian B. Rotter
4 Main Components of Rotter’s Social Learning Theory
Behavior potential
Expectancy
Reinforcement value
The psychological situation.
Rotter chose the empirical law of effect as his motivating factor. The law of effect states that people are motivated to seek out positive stimulation, or reinforcement, and to avoid unpleasant stimulation. Rotter combined behaviorism and the study of personality, without relying on physiological instincts or drives as a motive force.

30. Rotter’s Locus of Control
External Locus of Control
Individual believes that his/her behavior is guided by fate, luck, or other external circumstances
Internal Locus of Control
Individual believes that his/her behavior is guided by his/her personal decisions and efforts.

31. Gestalt Principles of Perceptual Organization
Max Wertheimer (1880–1943)
Phi Phenomenon
Wolfgang Köhler (1887–1967)
Restructuring the perceptual field
Kurt Lewin (1890–1947)
Life space: all events that influence a person’s behavior

32. Differences between Behaviorists and Gestalt Psychology
Behaviorism refused to acknowledge the existence of consciousness.
Gestalt Psychologists
Gestalt Psychology accepted the study of consciousness but criticized the attempt to analyze it into elements.

33. Behaviorist’s Response to Gestalt Psychology
Appreciated?
Nope!
“A prophet is not appreciated in his home town.”
Attacked
a lack of rigor in its definitions
Gestalt preoccupation with theory
Gestalt qualitative results and lack of statistical analysis

34. References
Littell, T. (2009). Power Point Presentation of Kaplan University.
Schultz, D. P. & Schultz, S. E. (2011). A history of modern psychology (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth- Cengage Learning.