lecture 2 Flashcards
Why is the psychology of learning important?
The psychology of learning is important because it helps us understand how people acquire knowledge, develop skills, and change their behavior.
What is the significance of Pavlov’s discovery in the development of behaviourism?
Pavlov’s discovery of conditioned responding led to the development of the theories of classical and operant conditioning, which are fundamental concepts in behaviourism.
What is the difference between structuralism and functionalism in psychology?
Structuralism focused on analyzing the structure of the mind through introspection, while functionalism emphasized the purpose or function of mental processes and behaviors.
Why did Thorndike and Pavlov’s work have importance in the field of behaviourism?
Thorndike and Pavlov’s work work accounted for behavior without reference to introspection or mental events, and it was based on scientific, experimental procedures.
How did Edward Thorndike contribute to the rise of behaviorism?
Edward Thorndike’s observations on animal behavior, specifically reinforcement and extinction, laid the foundation for behaviorism. He formulated the Law of Effect, which states that a rewarded response is more likely to be repeated in the future.
Define the focus of psychology according to Watson’s behaviourism.
Watson proposed that psychology should be restricted to observable events, with a focus on behavior.
Describe Watson’s view on the elements of consciousness studied by structuralists.
Watson believed that the elements of consciousness studied by structuralists were too subjective to be studied scientifically.
Describe the key argument of behaviourism according to Watson.
Behaviourism, according to Watson, argues that ‘true’ knowledge can only be obtained through objective observation.
Describe behaviourism according to the behaviourist perspective.
Behaviourism is viewed as a purely objective experimental branch of natural science, with the theoretical goal of predicting and controlling behavior. It does not rely on introspectionism or interpretation in terms of consciousness.
Define the theoretical goal of behaviourism according to the behaviourist perspective.
The theoretical goal of behaviourism is the prediction and control of behavior.
How does behaviourism differ from introspectionism in terms of methods and scientific value of data?
Behaviourism does not rely on introspectionism and the scientific value of its data is not dependent upon the readiness with which they lend themselves to interpretation in terms of consciousness.
John B. Watson’s on psychology
John B. Watson caused a revolution in psychology by discarding previous and schools of thought, and was appointed head of the American Psychological Association in 1915.
What is the focus of Watson’s behaviorism?
Watson’s behaviorism focuses on the direct observation of the relationships between environmental stimuli and the responses they evoke, leading to the development of stimulus-response behaviorism.
Describe Watson’s Methodological Behaviourism.
Watson’s Methodological Behaviourism focused on the objective, scientific study of behavior using methods of observation and experimentation, disregarding internal mental events and focusing on stimulus-response behaviors.
What was the famous Little Albert experiment associated with Watson’s Methodological Behaviourism?
The famous Little Albert experiment involved conditioning a fear response in a child, demonstrating the conditioning of stimulus and responses applicable in both humans and animals.
