A Glance Into Inner Workings of Behavioral

Psychology
Natalie Manda
Ms. Bobonick
English III
1/_/18
Manda 1
A Glance Into Inner Workings of Behavioral Psychology

Human behavior is a long disputed issue. Some say behavior is controlled by

environment, while others claim it’s your decisions that matter, still others claim we’re who we

are. For example the movie trading places is based on two men betting on human behavior.

People crave answers to this question, but the theory’s are full of opinions. Behavioral

psychology holds scientific answers based upon years of research and trial and error.

The Behavioral Approach

“Behavioral psychology, or behaviorism, is an approach in psychology which studies

observable behavior, emphasising the role that conditioning plays in influencing a person's

thoughts and actions” (Behavioral Psychology). Behavioral psychology has multiple types. The

most common types of behavioral psychology include Classical Behaviorism, Methodological

Behaviorism, and Radical Behaviorism. While the types of behavioral psychology are different

in some ways they are all important due to the insight they provide into behavior.

Classical Behaviorism

The psychological approach to which Behaviorism refers to emphasizes scientific and

objective methods of investigation. A type of associative learning, Classical condition, is where

two stimuli occur together. Classical conditioning originally focused only on reflexive

behavior for instance the salivation reflex of Pavlov’s dog.

This of course leads us to the story of Pavlov's dogs and the dinner bell. Pavlov was a

biologist studying the canine digestive system, when one day he noticed that the dog’s mouth

started to water when things associated with the meat powder were present such as the food dish.

Even the sound of the door or the sight of the person that feeds him stimulated the dog. He then
Natalie Manda
Ms. Bobonick
English III
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conducted experiments where the stimuli was limited to just the sound of a bell paired with meat

powder, the dog after some time began to salivate at just the sound of the bell.

Methodical Behaviorism

One of many branches of the psychological school of behaviorism is methodological

behaviorism. Like the other branches in this school, it places emphasis on observing the actions

of both animals and people in order to gain insight into human behavior. An original feature of

methodological behaviorism is that the concepts and terms are deployed in explanations and

psychological theories.

Radical Behaviorism

The psychiatric diagnosis of Schizophrenia is denoting a persistent, and often chronic,

mental illness variously affecting behaviour, thinking, and emotion. It is most commonly

characterised by both 'positive symptoms' and negative symptoms. The positive symptoms or

those additional to normal experience and behaviour are grouped under the umbrella term

‘psychosis and typically include delusions, hallucinations, and thought disorder’. The first to

make the distinction between called “dementia praecox” and other forms of madness was

Psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin. This classification had later been renamed schizophrenia by

psychiatrist the Eugene Bleuler when it became clear Kraepelin's name was not an adequate

description of the condition.

Natalie Manda
Ms. Bobonick
English III
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Manda 3

Freud

Sigmund Freud was influential in two distinct ways. He developed a theory of the human

mind and human behavior, and a clinical technique for helping neurotic people. Many claim that

they were influenced by him in some sense or another. He was a leading thinker in his field and

is regarded as the founding father of psychoanalysis.

Conclusion

In my opinion all things regarding behavior that is not rooted purely in fact is just human

speculation. The best thing for anyone one to do is to stop worrying about it, and pick the theory

that makes you the happiest. It’s better to enjoy life now than to have regrets later. We all have

different opinions, if you accept that and live life it can put you in a good mood.
Natalie Manda
Ms. Bobonick
English III
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Works Cited
andyaxe1976. “Behaviorism - 1.” YouTube, YouTube, 28 Oct. 2010,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Xe_nRCEPmk.
andyaxe1976. “Behaviorism - 2.” YouTube, YouTube, 28 Oct. 2010,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky4hUGAnIp8.
The behavioral approach explained: Introduction to the branches of behaviorism in
psychology, assumptions of the approach and an evaluation. “The Behavioral
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“Learn To Understand People With Behavioural Psychology.” Psychologist World,
www.psychologistworld.com/behavior/.
McLeod, Saul. “Saul McLeod.” Behaviorism | Simply Psychology, 1 Jan. 1970,
www.simplypsychology.org/behaviorism.html.
Moore, J. “Methodological Behaviorism from the Standpoint of a Radical Behaviorist.”
The Behavior Analyst, The Association for Behavior Analysis, Inc., 2013,
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5147434/.
“Schizophrenia.” Psychologist World, www.psychologistworld.com/issue/schizophrenia.
What is methodological behaviorism in psychology, and how does it differ from other
types of behaviorism? “Methodological Behaviorism And How It Differs To Other
Behaviorist Schools.” Psychologist World, 1 Jan. 2015,
www.psychologistworld.com/behavior/methodological-behaviorism.
Who was Sigmund Freud and how did his theories become so influential in psychology?
“Sigmund Freud: The Man Who Revolutionized Psychology With Psychoanalysis.”
Psychologist World, www.psychologistworld.com/psychologists/sigmund-freud.