Understanding Behaviorism and Human Psychology
Behaviorism
Behaviorism is a psychological school focusing on observable behaviors, excluding emotions or thoughts. It posits that behaviors can be modified through techniques like behavior modification and rewards and punishments.
Classical Conditioning
Pavlov’s experiment demonstrated classical conditioning. A dog learned to salivate at the sound of a bell, associating it with food.
Watson’s Experiment
Watson used a boy named Hans to show how fear could be conditioned and deconditioned. Initially, Hans feared rabbits after associating them with a loud noise. Later, through relaxation techniques, Hans overcame his fear.
Skinner’s Contributions
Skinner argued that behavior is driven by rewards and punishments, illustrated by the ‘Skinner box’ experiment where a pigeon learned to press a lever for food.
Psychological Mechanisms
Protection mechanisms are ways humans cope with problems by diverting attention.
- Identification Mechanism: Identifying with others to feel part of a group (e.g., fan clubs).
- Sublimation Mechanism: Replacing desires with cultural activities.
- Compensation Mechanism: Excelling in one area to offset deficiencies in another.
- Projection Mechanism: Attributing one’s flaws to others.
- Substitution Mechanism: Replacing a problem with something else (common in love and hate).
Temperament, Character, and Personality
Temperament is genetically inherited (e.g., fleshy or phlegmatic).
Character can change due to external factors (e.g., outgoing or introvert).
Personality is shaped by life experiences, beliefs, and feelings.
Intelligence
Intelligence is the ability to solve problems. Binet developed intelligence tests with categories like gifted, normal, and understaffed.
Human Behavior
Lewin discussed motives in human behavior, including basic needs and social success. He identified dilemmas like attraction-attraction, reject-rejection, and attraction-rejection.
Empathy is understanding others’ feelings. Assertiveness is the ability to oppose or deny.
Feelings and Emotions
Emotions are intense and short-lived (e.g., laughter, tears). Feelings are lasting (e.g., love, joy). Goleman introduced emotional intelligence, emphasizing self-control.
Memory and Forgetting
Memory is essential, but forgetting is necessary to incorporate new information. Memory loss can occur due to trauma or diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Gender Differences
Men and women experience emotions differently. Men tend to be more aggressive due to testosterone.
Sexuality and Psychology
Sexual responses differ between men and women. Abnormalities include sadism, masochism, voyeurism, pedophilia, fetishism, nymphomania, bestiality, vaginismus, priapism, and anorgasmia.
Aggressiveness
Aggressiveness can be innate or triggered by fear or group dynamics.
Social Perception and Attribution
First impressions can be prejudiced but may change over time. Others’ perceptions can reveal aspects of our personality.
Social Anomia
Social anomia occurs when individuals disregard societal rules.
Social Psychology
Social psychology studies human relationships within society. It notes that familiarity can lead to critical views.
Clinical Psychology
Clinical psychology addresses abnormal behaviors. Bettelheim studied the therapeutic significance of children’s stories.
Learning
Significant learning involves understanding, while rote learning relies on memorization.
Maraus and Fromm
Maraus advocated for removing sexual repression in capitalist societies. Fromm emphasized individuality and creativity in mass societies.
Social Discrimination Experiment
An experiment showed that racist individuals focus on race when describing people, ignoring other details.
Peter Pan Syndrome
Peter Pan syndrome is the refusal to grow emotionally and intellectually.
Piaget’s Stages of Development
Piaget outlined stages of child development: sensory, preoperational, operational, and logical-formal.
Psychological Therapies
Therapies include talk therapy, group therapy, and psychodrama.
Mental Disorders
Disorders include bipolar behavior, paranoia, phobias, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress syndrome.