Question

mini debate transcript for this two students: Imagine this scenario: You are attending a local psychology conference and you find two graduate level psychology students entered in a hot debate, with a crowd of people around them. You are curious and come closer to see what everyone is interested in. You find that they are debating the work and personality of BF Skinner. One of the students, Rick Nilsen claims that Skinner was a cool headed scientist who based his opinions about the human being only on observable behavior. The other student, Blanca Alvarez, says that Skinner was not just as simple as he seemed. He believed in behaviorism, just like other people believed in Marxism or any other –ism. • What points would each one make?

Answer 1

The for and against arguements of B F Skinner's approach are:

For Arguements

• Skinner's behaviorism is most scientifically studied.The experiments of this behaviorism theory was carried out in laboratory under carefully controlled conditions,hence, the study is very reliable and valid.
• The studies of behaviorism is helpful in shaping skill performance. Positive feedback for positive behaviors increases the chances of repetition of that behavior. Also the unwanted behaviors can be lessened or removed by negative reinforcement. Thus, Skinner's theory is helpful in developing better performance skills in an individual.
• This theory of behavior helps us to understand how learning occurs in an individual in a certain way. It explains how new learning of behaviors occurs and existing behaviors are modified through negative and positive reinforcements.
• Skinner introduced the new term Operant conditioning into the Law of Effect - Reinforcement.He explained that behavior that is reinforced tend to be strengthened and those behaviors that are not reinforced are weakened and die out. Hence, Skinner is called the father of Operant conditioning.

Against arguements

• Though Skinner's behaviorist theory was exclusively based on scientific method under careful controlled conditions,but was solely based on animal.studies. There are limitations for using animal behavior to explain the human behavior because of the differential cognitive ability of humans from animals.
• Skinner ignored the Cognitive ability and genetic factors in the contribution of learning behaviors. He overlooked the process of insight that is crucial in learning,his theory was simply based on strenghtening and weakening of behaviors according to the reinforcement.
• Some behaviors of social context are learned automatically by the individual that does not require any positive or negative reinforcement ,are not explained by this theory of Operant conditioning.
• Behavior of an individual is not just a product of negative or positive operative reinforcements, but cognitive abilities as reasoning,insight: genetic inheritance and social environment all of these play an important role for shaping the behavior. Hence,this theory is an incomplete explanation of behaviors.