SKINNER AND RADICAL BEHAVIORISM, PP.525-530 AND CHAPTER 15

Behaviorism is often referred to as STIMULUS-RESPONSE (SR) psychology. There is an emphasis on A) using environmental (stimulus) explanations of behavior, and B) studying observable behaviors (responses). Some behaviorists contend that if a psychologist knows a person’s past learning history (i.e., which responses of a person have been reinforced and punished in which situations) and the present stimulus situation, then it is possible to predict what the person will do in that situation. Behaviorists often use the “LAWS OF LEARNING” to understand personality and the causes of human behavior. A more thorough understanding of S-R psychology (and its varieties) utilizes the following sequence:

S^D -O-R-followed by either S⁺ or S^- Where

S^D= Discriminative Stimulus

O=Organism, the animal or person

R=Response

S⁺=A Positive Consequence (that is also a stimulus)

S^-=An Aversive Consequence (that is also a stimulus)

S^r+ = Positive Reinforcement

S^r- = Negative Reinforcement

In RADICAL BEHAVIORISM (such as the behaviorism of B.F. Skinner), the contents of the Organism are NOT important in explaining behavior.

In MODERATE BEHAVIORISM (of which there are many varieties), the contents of the Organism ARE important in explaining behavior. Moderate behaviorists (such as Social Learning Theorists and Cognitive Behaviorists) will use terms describing activities inside the Organism (ex., habits, motives, drive, expectancies, thoughts)

There are only 4 elements (variables) in Radical Behaviorism

1. Stimulus

2. Response

3. Reinforcement, and

4. An implied state of deprivation

Knowledge of these 4 can potentially lead to complete prediction (understanding) of behavior.

The organism is not empty in radical behaviorism, but its contents are trivial in explaining behavior. What is important is knowledge of the person’s past history of reinforcement and punishment, and the current stimulus situation.

CORE, ---- NO ELEMENTS

DEVELOPMENT

Classical conditioning, which is relatively unimportant compared to:

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT

NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT

POSITIVE PUNISHMENT

NEGATIVE PUNISHMENT

PERIPHERY--There is no theorizing, and no subtypes. The rate of responding is the only important measure.

SCHEDULES OF REINFORCEMENT are of importance in explaining complex human behavior.

CONTINUOUS reinforcement vs. A variety of schedules of

INTERMITTENT REINFORCEMENT

FIXED INTERVAL

VARIABLE INTERVAL

FIXED RATIO

VARIABLE RATIO

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