Behaviorism and Social Learning Theories

-doesn't include traits, unconscious conflicts, psychodynamic processes, conscious experiences or anything else that cannot be directly observed -generally based on b data

-value objectivity and tighter theoretical reasoning -theoritically opposed to humanists -focus on how a person's behavior is a direct result of the environment

-idea that all knowledge comes from experience -opposing view: rationalism -assumes tabula rasa at birth

-any two things become mentally associated as one if they are repeatedly experienced close together in time -often occurs as cause-and-effect relationship ex) thunder and lightening how babies learn-reaching out and getting what you want

-motivation=seek pleasure, avoid pain -leads to social philosophy of utilitarianism

-simplest way behavior changes as a result of experience -happens even in single-celled animals and neurons -variation can prevent habituation -consequences possibly dangerous >can occur after violent video games=more aggressive, less empathetic >or can occur after positive changes=habituated to winning $ and become used to having lots of $

-affects emotions, feelings and physiological responses -Pavlov -learned helplessness

-The Law of Effect: Edward Thorndike -animal learns to operate in its world in a way as to change it to their advantage; learning stems from experience -reinforcement: good outcome/result that occurs when animal or person performs a certain behavior makes behavior more likely -punishment: makes behavior less likely

-aversive consequence that follows an act in order to stop it and prevent its repetition 5impt imprinciples 1)availability of alternatives 2) behavioral and situational specificity 3) timing and cosistency 4) conditioning secondary punishing stimuli 5) avoiding mixed messages

-three theories in response to behaviorism's shortcomings >Dollard and Miller >Rotter >Bandura -acknowledged role of motivation, thought and cognition -more aware of aspects important to humans -sensitive to social dimension of learning -does not treat organism as passive

-habit hierarchy (behavior most likely to perform at top, least at bottom) -effect of rewards, punishments, and learning is to rearrange habit hierarchy -deviated from classic behaviorism -personality=individual's history of learning -motivations-led by drives (primary and secondary) >no behavioral change w/o reducing a drive

drive->need->behavior->satisfaction->reinforcement

-anger or frustration is natural or biological when person is blocked from a goal -more important the goal->greater the frustration->greater the aggressive impulse -preferred target is source of frustration but not always a good idea (shades of Freud's displacement idea)

Five key assumptions: 1. Increase in drive strength will increase tendency to approach or avoid a goal 2.

Where there are two competing responses, strong one will win out 3. Tendency to approach a positive goal increases the closer one gets to the goal 4. Tendency to avoid a negative goal increases the closer one gets to the goal 5. Tendency 4 stronger than tendency 3

-expectancy (for a behavior)-individual's belief (or subjective probability) about how likely a behavior will attain a goal >specific expectancy >generalized expectancy (locus of control) -expectancy value theory-behavioral decisions determined not just by presence or size of reinforcements but also by BELIEFS about likely results of behavior

-efficacy expectations: beliefs + interpretation of reality matters more than reality itself -perceived probability that you can do something is key -focus on self-efficacy (as opposed to Rotter's belief about reinforcement) >belief abou tth eself >belief in capability of doing >likely to affect our motivation and performance -research evidence: study regarding leg strength (told they were against an injured person resulted in higher self-efficacy and better performance than others who were told they were against an athlete)

-Bobo Doll Study (kids imitating actions of adult beating bobo doll) -implications: starts early

analysis of how people shape environments: -humans aren't passive-you can choose the environments that influence you -social situations because you are there -self-system develops that has its own effects on behavior, independent of environment

-objective research -draws attention to influence of environment on behavior -created useful talk and tech for behavioral change BUT underestimates individual differences