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07-21-2017, 05:59 AM
What Is Behavioral Analysis? (https://www.verywell.com/what-is-behavior-analysis-2794865)
Reinforcement schedules are important in operant conditioning. This process seems fairly straight forward—simply observe a behavior and then offer a reward or punishment. However, Skinner discovered that the timing of these rewards and punishments (https://www.verywell.com/what-is-a-schedule-of-reinforcement-2794864) has an important influence on how quickly a new behavior is acquired and the strength of the corresponding response.
Continuous reinforcement involves rewarding every single instance of a behavior. It is often utilized at the beginning of the operant conditioning process. But as the behavior is learned, the schedule might switch to one of a partial reinforcement. This involves offering a reward after a number of responses or after a period of time has elapsed. Sometimes, partial reinforcement occurs on a consistent or fixed schedule. In other instances, a variable and unpredictable number of responses or time must occur before the reinforcement is delivered.
Several thinkers influenced behavioral psychology. In addition to those already mentioned, there are a number of prominent theorists and psychologists who left an indelible mark on behavioral psychology. Among these are Edward Thorndike (https://www.verywell.com/edward-thorndike-biography-1874-1949-2795525), a pioneering psychologist who described the law of effect, and Clark Hull (https://www.verywell.com/clark-hull-biography-1884-1952-2795504), who proposed the drive theory of learning.
There are a number of therapeutic techniques rooted in behavioral psychology. Though behavioral psychology assumed more of a background position after 1950, its principles still remain important. Even today, behavior analysis (https://www.verywell.com/what-is-behavior-analysis-2794865) is often used as a therapeutic technique to help children with autism and developmental delays acquire new skills. It frequently involves processes such as shaping (rewarding closer approximations to the desired behavior) and chaining (breaking a task down into smaller parts and then teaching and chaining the subsequent steps together). Other behavioral therapy (https://www.verywell.com/what-is-behavioral-therapy-2795998) techniques include aversion therapy, systematic desensitization, token economies, modeling, and contingency management.
Behavioral psychology has some strengths. Behaviorism is based on observable behaviors, so it is sometimes easier to quantify and collect data when conducting research. Effective therapeutic techniques such as intensive behavioral intervention, behavior analysis, token economies, and discrete trial training are all rooted in behaviorism. These approaches are often very useful in changing maladaptive or harmful behaviors in both children and adults.
It also has some weaknesses. Many critics argue that behaviorism is a one-dimensional approach to understanding human behavior. They suggest that behavioral theories do not account for free will and internal influences such as moods, thoughts, and feelings. Also, it does not account for other types of learning that occurs without the use of reinforcement and punishment (https://www.verywell.com/classical-vs-operant-conditioning-2794861). Moreover, people and animals can adapt their behavior when new information is introduced even if that behavior was established through reinforcement.
Behavioral psychology differs from other perspectives. One of the major benefits of behaviorism is that it allowed researchers to investigate observable behavior in a scientific and systematic manner. However, many thinkers believed it fell short by neglecting some important influences on behavior. Freud (https://www.verywell.com/sigmund-freud-his-life-work-and-theories-2795860), for example, felt that behaviorism failed by not accounting for the unconscious mind's (https://www.verywell.com/the-conscious-and-unconscious-mind-2795946) thoughts, feelings, and desires that influence people's actions. Other thinkers, such as Carl Rogers (https://www.verywell.com/carl-rogers-biography-1902-1987-2795542) and the other humanistic psychologists (https://www.verywell.com/what-is-humanistic-psychology-2795242), believed that behaviorism was too rigid and limited, failing to take into consideration personal agency.
More recently, biological psychology (https://www.verywell.com/what-is-biopsychology-2794883) has emphasized the power the brain and genetics play in determining and influencing human actions. The cognitive approach to psychology (https://www.verywell.com/what-is-cognitive-psychology-2795011) focuses on mental processes such as thinking, decision-making, language, and problem-solving. In both cases, behaviorism neglects these processes and influences in favor of studying just observable behaviors.
Reinforcement schedules are important in operant conditioning. This process seems fairly straight forward—simply observe a behavior and then offer a reward or punishment. However, Skinner discovered that the timing of these rewards and punishments (https://www.verywell.com/what-is-a-schedule-of-reinforcement-2794864) has an important influence on how quickly a new behavior is acquired and the strength of the corresponding response.
Continuous reinforcement involves rewarding every single instance of a behavior. It is often utilized at the beginning of the operant conditioning process. But as the behavior is learned, the schedule might switch to one of a partial reinforcement. This involves offering a reward after a number of responses or after a period of time has elapsed. Sometimes, partial reinforcement occurs on a consistent or fixed schedule. In other instances, a variable and unpredictable number of responses or time must occur before the reinforcement is delivered.
Several thinkers influenced behavioral psychology. In addition to those already mentioned, there are a number of prominent theorists and psychologists who left an indelible mark on behavioral psychology. Among these are Edward Thorndike (https://www.verywell.com/edward-thorndike-biography-1874-1949-2795525), a pioneering psychologist who described the law of effect, and Clark Hull (https://www.verywell.com/clark-hull-biography-1884-1952-2795504), who proposed the drive theory of learning.
There are a number of therapeutic techniques rooted in behavioral psychology. Though behavioral psychology assumed more of a background position after 1950, its principles still remain important. Even today, behavior analysis (https://www.verywell.com/what-is-behavior-analysis-2794865) is often used as a therapeutic technique to help children with autism and developmental delays acquire new skills. It frequently involves processes such as shaping (rewarding closer approximations to the desired behavior) and chaining (breaking a task down into smaller parts and then teaching and chaining the subsequent steps together). Other behavioral therapy (https://www.verywell.com/what-is-behavioral-therapy-2795998) techniques include aversion therapy, systematic desensitization, token economies, modeling, and contingency management.
Behavioral psychology has some strengths. Behaviorism is based on observable behaviors, so it is sometimes easier to quantify and collect data when conducting research. Effective therapeutic techniques such as intensive behavioral intervention, behavior analysis, token economies, and discrete trial training are all rooted in behaviorism. These approaches are often very useful in changing maladaptive or harmful behaviors in both children and adults.
It also has some weaknesses. Many critics argue that behaviorism is a one-dimensional approach to understanding human behavior. They suggest that behavioral theories do not account for free will and internal influences such as moods, thoughts, and feelings. Also, it does not account for other types of learning that occurs without the use of reinforcement and punishment (https://www.verywell.com/classical-vs-operant-conditioning-2794861). Moreover, people and animals can adapt their behavior when new information is introduced even if that behavior was established through reinforcement.
Behavioral psychology differs from other perspectives. One of the major benefits of behaviorism is that it allowed researchers to investigate observable behavior in a scientific and systematic manner. However, many thinkers believed it fell short by neglecting some important influences on behavior. Freud (https://www.verywell.com/sigmund-freud-his-life-work-and-theories-2795860), for example, felt that behaviorism failed by not accounting for the unconscious mind's (https://www.verywell.com/the-conscious-and-unconscious-mind-2795946) thoughts, feelings, and desires that influence people's actions. Other thinkers, such as Carl Rogers (https://www.verywell.com/carl-rogers-biography-1902-1987-2795542) and the other humanistic psychologists (https://www.verywell.com/what-is-humanistic-psychology-2795242), believed that behaviorism was too rigid and limited, failing to take into consideration personal agency.
More recently, biological psychology (https://www.verywell.com/what-is-biopsychology-2794883) has emphasized the power the brain and genetics play in determining and influencing human actions. The cognitive approach to psychology (https://www.verywell.com/what-is-cognitive-psychology-2795011) focuses on mental processes such as thinking, decision-making, language, and problem-solving. In both cases, behaviorism neglects these processes and influences in favor of studying just observable behaviors.