Behaviorism

A secondary effect

Learning something by reinforcement or punishment. Behavior is weakened or strengthened based on the consequences that follow them. The probability of response

Things like treats where you want someone to adapt a behavior. Increases the frequency of behavior

Negative. Is often used when you do not want someone to do something. Decreases the frequency of behavior

The whole world is a Skinner box where the history of operations are known

Animals that Skinner did a lot of research on

Operant conditioning chamber, where the researcher can control the environment

Defining variables in precise, observable, and measurable terms to ensure that psychological research is objective, replicable, and scientifically valid. Focusing on observable behavior rather than abstract concepts

The past behavior

Conditioned reflexes (bell –> food)

First you decide to treat the object whose behaviour is to be predicted as a rational agent; then you figure out what beliefs that agent ought to have, given its place in the world and its purpose. Then you figure out what desires it ought to have, on the same considerations, and finally you predict that this rational agent will act to further its goals in the light of its beliefs. A little practical reasoning from the chosen set of beliefs and desires will in most instances yield a decision about what the agent ought to do; that is what you predict the agent will do.

Needs a reflex to work on. A neutral stimulus becomes associated with a naturally occurring stimulus, leading to the neutral stimulus eliciting a response. It involves the process of pairing two stimuli to create a learned association. Conditional reflexes

Focus on predicting and control

The external variables of which behavior is a function. Predicting and controlling behavior through independent and dependent variables. Understanding is prediction and control

Schedules of reinforcement ⇒ inner cause ⇒ frequency of behavior They do not look at inner cause

A onetime behavior that can be repeated. It is just a single one. The behavior controlled by the external agent

The property upon which reinforcement is contingent The general case (opposite to response)

Stimulus (external agent) ⇒ Response

Skinner acknowledges that it exists but he says that it does not matter

Change in an independent variable

Change in dependent variable

Stimulus

Skinner’s enemies - focus on the inner causes

The inner man (in the brain)