Behaviorism

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Chapter 12 Behaviorism
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1829-1905
1. Reflexes of the Brain (1863) 2. Inhibition
3. Methods of physiology to study psychology 4.
Scientifically verifiable facts (positivism, p.
355)
Ivan M. Sechenov
1849-1936
Ivan Petrivitch Pavlov
1857-1927
Vladimir Bechterev
1878-1958
John B. Watson
1871-1938
William McDougall
1900
1875
1850
1825
1800
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• Make the case that prior to Watsons
  formulations, behaviorism was very much in the
  air in the United States. (352, 1st col)
• Summarize Sechenovs argument that thoughts
  cannot cause behavior. (last sentence, 353)
• What was the significance of the concept of
  inhibition in Sechenovs explanation of behavior?
  (354, 1st col)
• How, according to Sechenov, should psychological
  phenomena be studied? (354, 2nd col)
• What were the circumstances under which Pavlov
  discovered the conditioned reflex, and why did he
  initially resist studying it? (357 1st col)
• What did Pavlov mean by a cortical mosaic, and
  how was that mosaic thought to be causally
  related to behavior? (359, col 1)
• What observations led Pavlov to conclude that
  extinction is caused by inhibition? (359, col 1)
• How did Pavlov create experimental neurosis in
  his research animals, and how did he explain
  differential susceptibility to experimental
  neurosis? (359, col 2)
• Distinguish between the first- and second-signal
  systems, and then explain how those systems
  facilitate adaptation to the environment. (360,
  col 1)
• How did Pavlov view the relationship between his
  work and philosophical associationism? (360 last
  lines)
• Summarize Bechterevs reflexology. Why did
  Bechterev believe that he was the first
  behaviorist? (362)
• How did Bechterevs method of studying
  conditioned reflexes differ from Pavlovs?
  According to Bechterev, what advantages did his
  method have over Pavlovs? (363, col 2)
• Describe the major experiences that steered
  Watson toward Behaviorism. (365)
• According to Watson, what was the goal of
  psychology? How did this differ from
  psychologys traditional goal? (370)

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• Summarize Watsons explanation of thinking. (370)
• What was Watsons final position on the role of
  instinct in human behavior? (371)
• Employing the notion of structure, explain why
  Watson believed that inheritance could influence
  personality. (372)
• Summarize Watsons views on emotion. What
  emotions did Watson think were innate? How do
  emotions become associated with various stimuli
  or events? What research did Watson perform to
  validate his views? (372)
• Describe the procedure that Watson and Mary Cover
  Jones used to extinguish Peters fear of rabbits.
  (374)
• Summarize the advice that Watson and Watson gave
  on child rearing. (374)
• How did Watson explain learning? (376)
• What was Watsons final position on the mind-body
  problem? (376)
• Distinguish between radical and methodological
  behaviorism. (377)
• Summarize McDougalls hormic psychology. Why can
  his approach to psychology be called
  behavioristic? What type of behavior did he
  study, and what did he assume to be the cause of
  that behavior? (379)
• For McDougall, what were the characteristics of
  purposive behavior? (379)
• For McDougall, what were the three components of
  an instinct? (379)
• What according to McDougall, is a sentiment?
  (380)
• In their famous debate, what were the important
  points of disagreement between Watson and
  McDougall? If the debate were held today, for
  whom would you vote? Why? (380-82)

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End