CHAPTER 13 THE BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL LEARNING APPROACH

CHAPTER 13 THE BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL LEARNING APPROACH Dr. Sumaya Batool Department of Psychology University of Sargodha

Behaviorism • In 1913 a young psychologist John B. Whatson published an article titled “ psychology as the Behaviorist Views It. ” • Whatson argued that if psychology were to be a science , psychologists must stop examining mental states.

• Only the observable was reasonable subject matter for a science. Because our subject inner feelings cannot be observed or measured in an agreed upon, accurate manner they have no place in an objective science. • Psychology abandons these topics Whatson maintained the sooner it can become a respectable member of the scientific community.

• Emotions, thoughts , expectancies, values, reasoning, insight, the unconscious and the like were of interest to behaviorists only if they could be defined in terms of observable behaviors. • At about the same time other researchers were beginning to study the basic processes of conditioning or learning.

• B. F. Skinner Watson’s legacy was extended by the career of another influential psychologist, B. F. Skinner identified his particular brand of behaviorism. Skinner did not deny the existence of thoughts and inner experiences.

• Skinner challenged the extent to which we are able to observe the inner causes of our own behavior. • Skinner’s theory and some of the implications derived from it are highly controversial. • Skinner described happiness as “ by product of operant reinforcement”. • According to skinner the things that bring happiness are the ones that reinforce us.

Basic principles of conditioning • Traditional behaviorists explain the causes of behavior in terms of learning experiences, or conditioning. They do not deny the influence of genetics but downplay its importance relative to the power of conditioning. • Behaviorists say that if we are to understand the processes that shape our personalities we must study basic conditioning principles.

Classical conditioning • Classical conditioning begins with an existing stimulus- response associations. • For example , some people cringe (response) whenever they see a spider (stimulus). • In classical demonstration of conditioning Pavlov used the S-R association of food and salivation.

Operant conditioning • Edward Thorndike gave the concept of operant conditioning. • Thorndike put some stray cats into puzzle boxes. To escape from the box and thereby obtain a piece of fish , hungry cats had to engage in a particular combination of actions. • Thorndike formulate the law of effect: that behaviors are more likely to be repeated if they lead to satisfying consequences.

• And less likely to be repeated if they lead to unsatisfying consequences. • Thorndike’s cats repeated the required behaviors because they led to the satisfying consequences of escape and food.

shaping • A behavior therapist working with the reluctant patient might use a technique known as shaping. • Shaping is the process in which successive approximations of the desired behavior are reinforced.

Social Learning Theory • One of the concepts introduced by social learning theorist on the notion of behavior environment behavior interactions. That is not only does the environment influence our behavior but that behavior then determines the kind of environment we find ourselves in which can then influence behavior and so on.

Social learning theory… • Social learning psychologist helped to bridge traditional behaviorism and cognitive approaches to personality by incorporating into their theories a number of concepts once deemed unscientific by John B. • Rotter argues that the causes of human behaviors are far more complex than those of lower animals.

• Rotter argues that the more often people are reinforced for a certain behavior the stronger their expectancy that the behavior will be reinforced in the future. • According to Rotter each of us can be placed along a continuum called locus of control. • At one of this dimension we find individuals with an extreme internal orientation those

Those who believe that most of what happens to them is the result of their own actions or attributes. • The second component in Rotter’s model is reinforcement value, the degree to which we prefer one reinforce over another. • Naturally the reinforcement value we assign a certain outcome can vary from situation to situation.

Social cognitive theory • The evolution from traditional behavioral views of personality to more cognitive approaches is probably best illustrated by the work of Albert Bandura. • Certainly individuals respond to environmental events and certainly they often learn characteristic behaviors as the result of rewards and punishments.

Social cognitive theory… • Bandura adds a new twist to the question of whether behavior is determined by internal or by external forces. • He argues that there are both internal and external determinants of behavior, but behavior is not determined exclusively either or by simple combination. • Bandura introduces the concept reciprocal determinism.

• External determinants of behavior are reward and punishment. • Internal determinants of behavior are belief thoughts and expectations.

Observational learning • Perhaps social cognitive theory’s most important contribution is the concept of vicarious or observational learning. • We can learn by observing or reading or just hearing about other people’s actions. • Behaviors learned through observation need not be performed. • We cannot learn something until we have actually engaged in that behavior.

Self efficacy • According to Bandura people are not likely to alter their behavior until they make a clear decision to expend the necessary effort. • Bandura draws a distinction between outcome expectations and efficacy expectations.

Outcome expectations An outcome expectation is the extent to which people believe their actions will lead to a certain outcomes. Efficacy expectations an efficacy expectation is the extent to which people believe they can bring about the particular outcome.

Direct observation • The most obvious way to find out how often the behavior occurs is to observe the person directly. • A therapist usually cannot watch a client all day long it is often possible to observe a representative sample of the client’s behavior.

• Direct observation provides a relatively accurate assessment of behavior frequency. • It is often too costly and time consuming to be useful.

Self monitoring • An alternative of direct observation is self monitoring. • In self monitoring clients observe themselves. • Clients frequently have a distorted idea about how often behavior occurs. • It is usually important to understand the circumstances surrounding the behavior.

Observation by others • Some clients are unwilling or simply unable to provide accurate information about themselves. • For example self monitoring is probably inappropriate with children or those with severe psychological disorders. • In these cases it may be possible to rely on other people to make the observations.