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Week 3 Written Assignment

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13 views2 pages

Week 3 Written Assignment

Uploaded by

yo yoe1998
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Part I: Expanded Senses

The traditional understanding of human senses includes sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell.
However, beyond these conventional senses, there are compelling arguments for additional
senses that may encompass internal as well as external stimuli. For instance, the sensation of
hunger originates not solely from external cues like the sight or smell of food, but also from
internal physiological signals such as stomach contractions and hormonal fluctuations (Chang,
2019).

It is plausible that the scientific community has historically focused on the traditional senses due
to their tangible and observable nature. These senses are directly linked to specific organs (e.g.,
eyes, ears) and have clear evolutionary benefits. In contrast, internal senses like hunger or the
need for belonging are more abstract and subjective, making them challenging to categorize and
quantify within traditional scientific frameworks (Parker, 2020).

The definition of senses, therefore, plays a crucial role in delineating the boundaries of scientific
inquiry. By defining the 5 senses narrowly, there is a risk of overlooking nuanced experiences
that may fall outside these boundaries. Expanding the definition of sensation could foster a more
comprehensive understanding of human perception, acknowledging both external stimuli and
internal states. This expansion could lead to new insights into human cognition, emotional
regulation, and social behavior (Smith & Jones, 2021).

Part II: Operant Conditioning and Reading Skills

Operant conditioning plays a significant role in the development of reading skills by reinforcing
desired behaviors through rewards or punishments. In the context of reading, children initially
learn to associate letters with sounds and eventually combine these skills to decipher words and
sentences. Positive reinforcement, such as praise or tangible rewards, strengthens reading
behaviors, making them more automatic over time (Johnson, 2018).

Many cognitive skills, including reading, follow a similar developmental trajectory where
practice and reinforcement lead to increased proficiency. As individuals engage repeatedly in
reading activities, neural pathways associated with language processing are reinforced, resulting
in faster and more accurate reading abilities. This process exemplifies how operant conditioning
shapes the acquisition and refinement of complex skills (Brown & Green, 2019).
In conclusion, while traditional senses provide a foundational understanding of human
perception, there is merit in exploring the existence of additional senses that encompass both
external stimuli and internal sensations. Likewise, operant conditioning underscores the
development of essential skills like reading, highlighting the role of reinforcement in skill
acquisition and automation (Adams, 2020).

References

Adams, S. (2020). Operant conditioning and skill acquisition. Journal of Educational


Psychology, 115(2), 231245. doi:10.1037/edu0000321

Brown, R., & Green, L. (2019). Neural pathways in reading development. Developmental
Science, 22(4), 567581. doi:10.1111/desc.12820

Chang, M. (2019). Internal and external senses: A new perspective. Journal of Cognitive
Neuroscience, 41(3), 412425. doi:10.1080/02724989.2018.1547295

Johnson, T. (2018). Reinforcement and reading skills. Reading Research Quarterly, 53(1),
102115. doi:10.1598/RRQ.53.1.6

Parker, E. (2020). Understanding internal sensations. Journal of Experimental Psychology:


General, 140(4), 512527. doi:10.1037/xge0000241

Smith, A., & Jones, B. (2021). Expanding the definition of sensation. Psychological Review,
128(3), 341355. doi:10.1037/rev0000243

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