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Behaviorism

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8 views8 pages

Behaviorism

Uploaded by

Adv Muhammad Nabi
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Behaviorism

Behaviorism theory in linguistics focuses on observable behaviors,


particularly language use and acquisition. It suggests that
language learning is primarily influenced by external stimuli and
reinforcement, rather than internal mental processes. This theory
emphasizes the role of conditioning and habit formation in
language development, highlighting the importance of repetition
and reinforcement in acquiring linguistic skills.
Behaviorism in linguistics emerged in the early 20th century,
influenced by the broader behaviorist movement in psychology.
The key figures associated with this approach include B.F. Skinner,
who developed the theory of operant conditioning, and John B.
Watson, who pioneered classical behaviorism. In 1913, Watson
published an influential paper titled “Psychology as the
Behaviorist Views It,” where he outlined the basic tenets of
behaviorism.

Watson’s work laid the foundation for behaviorism by


emphasizing the importance of observable behaviors over internal
mental processes. He argued that psychology should focus solely
on studying behaviors that could be directly observed and
measured, rather than subjective experiences like thoughts and
emotions.

Operant Conditioning
B. F. Skinner expanded on Watson’s ideas and introduced the
concept of operant conditioning. He proposed that behavior is
shaped by its consequences, reinforcements and punishments.
Skinner is regarded as the father of Operant Conditioning, but his
work was based on Thorndike’s (1898) Law of Effect. According to
this principle, behavior that is followed by pleasant consequences
is likely to be repeated, and behavior followed by unpleasant
consequences is less likely to be repeated.
Skinner introduced a new term into the Law of Effect –
Reinforcement. Behavior that is reinforced tends to be repeated
(i.e., strengthened); behavior that is not reinforced tends to die
out or be extinguished (i.e., weakened).
Skinner identified three types of responses, or operant, that can
follow behavior.
Neutral operants: responses from the environment that neither
increase nor decrease the probability of a behavior being
repeated.
Reinforcers: Responses from the environment that increase the
probability of a behavior being repeated. Reinforcers can be either
positive or negative.
Punishers: Responses from the environment that decrease the
likelihood of a behavior being repeated. Punishment weakens
behavior.

Reinforcement
Skinner identified two types of reinforcement:
1. Positive reinforcement
2. Negative reinforcement

Positive Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement involves presenting a desirable stimulus
after a behavior, which increases the likelihood of that behavior
occurring again in the future.
Example: If your teacher gives you a chocolate each time you
complete your homework (a reward) you will be more likely to
repeat this behavior in the future, thus strengthening the behavior
of completing your homework.
Negative Reinforcement
Negative reinforcement involves removing an aversive stimulus
after a behavior, which also increases the likelihood of that
behavior occurring again in the future. Negative reinforcement
strengthens behavior because it stops or removes an unpleasant
experience.
Example: If you do not complete your homework, you give your
teacher an amount in regard of some financial payment. You will
complete your homework to avoid paying fine, thus strengthening
the behavior of completing your homework.

Punishment
Punishment is the opposite of reinforcement since it is designed
to weaken or eliminate a response rather than increase it. It is an
aversive event that decreases the behavior that it follows.
Punishment can work either by directly applying an unpleasant
stimulus or by removing a potentially rewarding stimulus.
Example: Deducting someone’s pocket money to punish
undesirable behavior.

There are many problems with using punishment, such as:


• Punished behavior isn’t forgotten; it’s just suppressed – it
comes back when punishment stops.
• Punishment can make someone more aggressive.
• It can make you scared.
• Punishment doesn’t really show you what to do; it just tells
you what not to do. Reinforcement is better at showing you
what to do.

Skinner Box Experiment


B.F. Skinner conducted a famous experiment known as the Skinner
Box, which involved using a specially designed apparatus to study
operant conditioning in animals, particularly rats.
Skinner showed how positive reinforcement worked by placing a
hungry rat in his Skinner box. The box contained a lever on the
side, and as the rat moved about the box, it would accidentally
knock the lever. Immediately it did so that a food pellet would
drop into a container next to the lever. The rats quickly learned to
go straight to the lever after being put in the box a few times. The
consequence of receiving food, if they pressed the lever, ensured
that they would repeat the action again and again.

Skinner showed how negative reinforcement worked by placing a


rat in his Skinner box and then subjecting it to an unpleasant
electric current which caused it some discomfort. As the rat
moved about the box it would accidentally knock the lever.
Immediately, it did so the electric current would be switched off.
The rats quickly learned to go straight to the lever after a few
times of being put in the box. The consequence of escaping the
electric current ensured that they would repeat the action again
and again.

In fact, Skinner even taught the rats to avoid the electric current
by turning on a light just before the electric current came on. The
rats soon learned to press the lever when the light came on
because they knew that this would stop the electric current from
being switched on.

Schedules Of Reinforcement
Imagine a rat in a “Skinner box.” In operant conditioning, if no
food pellet is delivered immediately after the lever is pressed then
after several attempts the rat stops pressing the lever (how long
would someone continue to go to work if their employer stopped
paying them?). The behavior has been extinguished.
Behaviorists discovered that different patterns (or schedules) of
reinforcement had different effects on the speed of learning and
extinction. Ferster and Skinner (1957) devised different ways of
delivering reinforcement and found that this had effects on
1. The Response Rate – The rate at which the rat pressed the
lever (i.e., how hard the rat worked).

2. The Extinction Rate – The rate at which lever pressing dies


out (i.e., how soon the rat gave up).

Skinner found that the type of reinforcement which produces the


slowest rate of extinction (i.e., people will go on repeating the
behavior for the longest time without reinforcement) is variable-
ratio reinforcement. The type of reinforcement which has the
quickest rate of extinction is continuous reinforcement.

Continuous Reinforcement
An animal/human is positively reinforced every time a specific
behavior occurs, e.g., every time a lever is pressed a pellet is
delivered, and then food delivery is shut off.
Response rate is SLOW
Extinction rate is FAST

Variable Ratio Reinforcement


Behavior is reinforced after an unpredictable number of times. For
examples gambling or fishing.
Response rate is FAST
Extinction rate is SLOW (very hard to extinguish because of
unpredictability)

Example: In a gambling scenario, a person plays a slot machine


where they win on average every 10th pull, but they don’t know
exactly when the win will occur. The variability in reinforcement
(wins) makes the behavior (playing the slot machine) more
resistant to extinction. This unpredictability keeps the person
engaged and persistently pulling the lever.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, behaviorism has profoundly shaped our
understanding of learning and behavior, emphasizing the power of
environmental influences and reinforcement. By focusing on
observable actions and the consequences that follow, behaviorism
provides valuable insights into how behaviors are developed,
maintained, and modified. While it has faced criticism for
neglecting mental processes, its practical applications in
education, therapy, and behavior modification have proven
immensely valuable.

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