Questions and Answers
What does the behavioral perspective claim about one's actions?
What is behaviorism primarily concerned with?
Observable behaviors
Who is Burrhus Frederic Skinner?
An American psychologist known for establishing the theory of operant conditioning.
How do behavioral personality theorists explain personality development?
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Skinner believed that human choices are influenced by internal will.
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What are response tendencies according to Skinner?
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How did Skinner define personality?
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What is Albert Bandura known for?
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What theory did Albert Bandura establish?
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Social Cognitive Theory initially described by Bandura was called social learning theory.
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How does Bandura believe personality is shaped?
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Study Notes
Behavioral Perspective
- Actions are determined by consequences; behaviors result from rewards or punishments.
Behaviorism
- Focuses on observable behaviors, proposing that scientific psychology should study only what can be seen.
- Initial emphasis on learning rather than personality; connections to personality arose in the 1950s.
B.F. Skinner
- Influential American psychologist (1904-1990) known for operant conditioning.
- Argued that behaviors are conditioned by consequences, disregarding unobservable constructs like Freud's id, ego, and superego.
Behavior and Personality
- Personality development is examined through observable behaviors.
- Skinner's concepts of conditioning explain the formation of personality traits.
Skinner’s Determinism
- Behavior is conditioned by the environment, with determinism suggesting actions result from external forces rather than internal motives.
Response Tendencies
- Consistent behavior patterns stem from response tendencies shaped by past experiences of rewards or punishments.
- These tendencies can evolve over a lifetime as life experiences change.
Personality Definition by Skinner
- Personality is viewed as a collection of response tendencies linked to specific stimuli, influenced by operant conditioning and varying in strength.
Life-Long Personality Development
- Personality evolves throughout life; new experiences continuously reshape response tendencies.
Example of Response Tendencies
- A boy increases his tendency to tell jokes when he receives positive feedback, demonstrating Skinner's idea of behavior reinforcement.
Example of Negative Response Tendencies
- A woman's spontaneity decreases when met with negative consequences, highlighting how discouragement shapes personality traits.
Albert Bandura
- A contemporary behaviorist and Stanford University professor who redefined behaviorism.
- Focused research on behavioral therapy and aggression, expanding theoretical frameworks.
Bandura's Contribution
- Integrated cognitive processes into behaviorism, arguing that thoughts and feelings influence behaviors, leading to social cognitive theory.
Social Cognitive Theory
- Recognizes the importance of both social influences and cognitive processes in understanding behavior.
- Initially developed as social learning theory, highlighting the role of mental processes in behavior conditioning.
Personality and Social Cognitive Theory
- Bandura posited that personality development is influenced by learning, with individual thoughts about environmental consequences playing a crucial role.
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Description
Explore the concepts of Behavioral Perspective and Behaviorism through these informative flashcards. Understand how actions are influenced by rewards and punishments, and learn about the focus on observable behaviors in psychological study.
