PSYCHOLOGY AS THE OBSERVABLE BEHAVIOR IN THE LIGHT OF CLASSICAL CONDITIONING, OPERANT CONDITIONING AND HUMANISTIC THEORY
By Levinson
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Many people do not know that psychology is describe as
the study of observable behavior by some scholars in their theories. As
teachers, it is very imperative to discuss and understand this observable
behaviour if we are to effectively teach and faze away phobia, stubbornness,
and bad repercussion pupil have on teachers. The whole idea is to make them
perform well in their school academic, have respect for their teachers and a
considerable behaviour towards fellow pupils. observing the behavior of pupils
will enable us to understand why they behave in such a way and create a better
response to overcome that behaviour so that he or she can have a better
future or prepare a pupil for future
leadership.
Therefore in this paper I have defined what is
Psychology in general and concentrate my discussion on the definition, “
psychology is the study of observable behavior”, in line with the stages under classical conditioning,
operant conditioning and humanistic theory are explained whilst considering
theories imprecations, strengths and weaknesses in the context of our Zambian
culture.
1.1.
DEFINITION
The definition is joined by two words; Psyche which
means “mind” and logy which means
“study.”
The study further believed it was the study of mind,
spirit and the study of mental processes and behaviour.
Psychology was started by Wilhelm Wundt in German. It
is the combination of two words, “Philosophy and physiology.
Philosophy means speculation of ideas and physiology means-testing
of ideas or experimenting of ideas.
It is also defined as science developed through
research and of course through learning.
1.2.CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
Classic conditioning also known as pavloian or respondent
conditioning. This refers to the learning procedure in which biologically
potent stimulus (food) is paired with previously natural stimulus ( bell). It
also refers to the leaning process that results from this pairing, through
which the neural stimulus come to elicit a response ( salivation) that is
similar to the one elicited by the potent stimulus.
Classical conditioning is a type of leaning that at
first had a major influence in the school of thoughts in psychology known as
behaviorism. Discovered by Russian psychologist Ivan Pavlov.
Behaviorism is based on the assumption that:
Ø All
leaning occurs through interaction with the environment.
Ø The
environment shapes behavior and so on.
Pavlov said, the dogs were demonstrating classical
conditioning. He summed it up like this: there is a neutral stimulus (the
bell), which by itself will not produce a response, like salivation. There is
also a non neutral or unconditional neutral stimulus ( the food), which will
produce an conditional response ( salivation).
The theory of classical conditioning
(also called Pavlovian conditioning) is universally accepted and has remained
virtually unchanged since its conception through Pavlov's work. It is used to
explain and interpret a wide range of human behavior, including where phobias
come from, why people dislike certain foods, the source of students emotions. Classical
conditioning focuses on reflexive behavior: those behaviors that are not under
students voluntary control. Any reflex can be conditioned to occur to a previously
neutral stimulus. A person can be classically conditioned so that some one’s
left eye blinks when he or she hears a
doorbell, a person’s heart rate increases at the sight of a flashing blue light
and when you eat strawberries. The doorbell, blue light, and strawberries were
all neutral in relation to the conditioned responses until they somehow became
associated with unconditioned stimuli for eye blinking (i.e., a puff of air
into the eye) and heart rate increase (i.e., a sudden loudnoise).
In
1913 john Watson published the classic articles, “Psychology as the behaviorist
view it.” John Watson proposed that the process of classical conditioning (
based on Pavlov’s observations) was able to explain all aspects of human
psychology. Watson denied completely the exisistence the mind of consciousness.
He believed that all individual differences in behavior were due to different
experiences of leaning. He famously said, “give me a dozen healthy infants,
well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I will
guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of
specialist I might select doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant, chief, beggar and a
thief regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vacations
and race of his ancestors Watson ( 1924;
p. 104)
1.3 THE THREE CLASSICAL STAGES;
1.3.1 STAGE 1:
BEFORE CONDITIONING.
An organism or a person has produced a behavior/
response which is unlearned and this become a natural inactivity which is not controlled
or taught. For example a pupil who dislike mathematics also dislikes the
teacher for mathematics. The teacher cannot control it unless he or she has
learned that. in Zambia we have specialized counselors in schools called careers guidance who can advise and counsel a pupil
on how he or she can improve in that subject or behavior at large.
1.3.2
STAGE
TWO IS CALLED DURING CONDITIONING.
This is a stage were by un learned activity is
disclosed or learned and meat with the teaching activity by the teacher on
several occasions. In Zambia this is identified in those teachers who are well
taught and those that did counseling in their universities. This is like that
because teachers who did counseling in their colleges/ universities have skills
to identify and respond with an effective treatment.
1.3.3 STAGE THREE IS CALLED AFTER CONDITIONING.
In this stage an addressed problem or activity meets
with the un conditioned activity to create a new conditioned response. For
example in our schools in Zambia if a pupil is indiscipline to teachers or he
is found of with an offence of coming late to school a better punishment is
given to him or her in order to eliminate indiscipline.
1.3.4 STRENGTH
It is scientific
this is because it is used on observation or empirical evidence carried out by
controlled experience. For example if a pupil is not good in mathematics or he
is rude to the teachers, he will be identified by failing all the time. If he
or she is rude he or she will be identified by the way he or she responds to
teachers. Once that problem is identified a teacher with experience will find a
better treatment to control that problem.
1.3.5
WEAKNESS
Ø It
does not promote free will in individual. For example if a person does not want
to be learning mathematics, he or she can be forced because it is not an option
it is offered to every pupil in class. Therefore a pupil has no option but just
to do it.
Ø A
student who is stubborn to teachers will at school will develop fear and stop
going to school.
Ø Also
sometime a student who is always punished in class by the teacher will lose
interest in the subject and this will lead him or her failing that subject.
2.0 OPERANT CONDITIONING
It is a type of leaning were behavior is controlled by
consequences . the most important words in operant conditions are: positive
reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment and negative
punishment.
2.1 POSITIVE
REINFORCEMENT
This is giving something pleasant after a behavior.
This gives an assurance of a behavior to continue. Examples how it can be used
in class:
Ø Congratulating a student after having passed a
test, this increases his or her amount of performance.
Ø Complementing a student when he answers
correctly will increase his or her behavior.
2.1.1
NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT
This means taking away same thing not pleasing from a
student or a pupil. Because of the behavior that is not tolerated. This also
means to increase the behavior. For example how it can be used in class:
Ø When
a teacher exempt a pupil from writing a test if they always attend class. So
the teacher here is taking away bad behavior to make a student better in
character.
2.1.2 POSITIVE
PUNISHMENT
Positive punishment is used to decrease a behavior.
Presenting something not pleasing after a behavior. Example how it can be used
in class:
Ø When
a pupil misbehave in class, must be chased out of the class.
2.1.3 NEGATIVE
PUNISHMENT
It is also used to decrease a behavior and it is the
removing some pleasant after the behavior. For
example how it can be used in class:
Ø When
a pupil always plays with a phone in class, the teacher must confiscate and
keep for him. the teachers does that to reduce the habit or behavior of not
concentration in class.
Ø The
parents hides a ball which makes his or her son lose concentration.
Skinner looked at classical conditioning to be too
simplistic to be a complete explanation of complex human behavior.
He argued that the best way to understand behavior is
to look at the cause of an action and its consequences.
Operant conditioning deals with operant intentional
actions that have an effect on the surrounding environment. Skinner theory of
operant condition based on the work of
Skinner introduced the new term in the law of effect known
as reinforcement. He said behavior which is reinforced tends to be repeated(
this means strengthened) but behavior which is not reinforced tends to die out
or be extinguished(that is to say it can be weakened).
For example a pupil who has given a desired response
or who has performed well in class, must be strengthened motivated to do more.
Then it is a belief that if a pupil is not motivated or strengthened tends to
die or weakened.
3.0 THREE
RESPONSE STAGES THAT CAN FOLLOW
BEHAVIOR WITH MY OWN EXPLANATION AND
ILLUSTRATIONS
3.1 NATURAL OPERANT
on this stage
skinner identified that behavior can neither be increased nor decreased by the
response.
3.1.1
REINFORCES
here
he observed that the enforcer may enforce the behavior either negatively or
positively. Meaning that if a student have passed the test or exam, the teacher
can motivate him or her. Again if a student have failed because he or she
always play with a phone in class the teacher must confiscate that phone to
make her or him start concentrating.
According
to skinner he said, “ the only characteristic of reinforcing stimulus is that
it reinforces.” ( skinner 1953:72). This means that a teacher must provide to a
pupil activities that can make her or him interested and happy in their learning. For example our
mathematics teacher used to give us combined questions, the simple ones and
those that were a bit difficult not to make us fail complete. But to see us
knowing mathematics, see every one participating and not to see any one running
away from his subject. on top of that he used to give us extra free tuitions to
make us improve.
3.1.2
PUNISHER
on
the third stage skinner observed that to change the behavior that is being
repeated, punishment must be applied. The best example is my own illustration.
When I was in grade nine at Solwezi technical school my geography teacher one
day checked our notes books and he found that three of us never wrote notes for
the past one week. Mr. Chitanda whipped us 10 strokes each and after class he
gave as another punishment of digging a pit behind our dormitory. As we were
doing that he even assigned a captain to monitor us so that no one could doge
from that punishment.
From that very time we were the first to finish
writing the notes whenever he left the notes to be written by a class but that
made us start fearing him in class. This type of punishment were not only being
given to Zambian pupil but also to pupil in other different schools even
outside Zambia. These were allowed to be used by teachers in schools in order
to control bad behavior of pupil in school, many pupil stopped schools and
others developed hetradge with teachers which always resulted into poor
performance.
Today in our schools in Zambia very few teachers are
applying corporal punishment and those few are mainly in rural schools were Law
enforcers and the human rights workers rarely visits those areas
An example of punishments existing are such as
dismissing a pupil who drinks, smocks dagger and those who trouble teachers.
For those who are dull or those who are lazy to write notes and participate are
always shifted to the front desks for the teacher to closely supervise them all
the time. Some teachers also give tension to those who perform poorly in class
on order to discover what is really is affecting a pupil and by doing that many
have been helped.
4.0 HUMANISTIC THEORY
Humanistic theory is a psychological perspective that emphasizes
the study of the all person.
Humanistic psychology look at human behavior, not only
through the eyes of an observer, but through the eyes of the person doing the
behaving.
It is a believe that an individual’s behavior is
connected to his inner feelings and self image.
It centers on the view that each person is unique and
individual, and has the free will to change at any time in his or her lives.
Abraham rejected
the European emphasis on despair, anxiety and death. He was clearly the first
positive psychologist, because he suggested that existentialism might provide a
"push toward the establishment of another branch of psychology, the
psychology of the fully evolved and authentic self and its ways of being"
(Abraham Maslow 1961:56). This idea of rejecting European emphasis was good in
the sense that today we are able to talk about because people who led Abraham’s
rejection developed and organized their ideas and published humanistic theories
which talks about a person being responsible for his own happiness and well
being as a human. Humanistic is good theory because a pupil or student is not
restricted to what he or she cannot do but many students have dropped from
schools because they are not restricted to what they are suppose to do. Also I have witnessed may people giving
testimony about how their teachers used to punish them for not following school
rules and bad performance in class. By fearing to be punished they did what was
right and they are the way they are today because they did what was right to
their teachers.
The humanistic perspective suggest
that everyone is responsible for his or her own happiness and well being as
humans. We have the inborn capacity for making something real, which is our
unique desire to achieve our highest potential as people. Because of this
perspectives humanistic theory regards scientific method as inappropriate for
studying behavior. Carl R. Rogers is prominent figure among supporters of
‘Third Force’. To some in this group it is not rational to capture the essence
of man through pure objective or scientific way; for science can only reach the
‘obvious’ visible and measureable behavior which is only ‘trivial’ or
unimportant, thus leaving out his ‘uniqueness’, ‘complexity’, and
‘unpredictability’ which is the most important
one. My contribution to this is that
a student must balance or have both in order not to just have preconceived mind
and speculation but measure his or her ability and measure what could be the
root calls or the problem failure and find a solution to that. And continue
working on the weakness.
Kplowitz says, “ How learners feel about
themselves and the material to be learned is as important as what they think
about that material. Along with the cognitive psychologist, those following the
humanist path insist that material must have personal meaning or it will not be
learned.” Kaplowitz,( 2008: 26-49).
Frankl also
supports the idea by saying that, although our existence is influenced by
instincts, inherited disposition and environment, an area of freedom is always
available to us. “Everything can be taken from a man, but…the last of the human
freedoms to choose one’s attitude in any a given set of circumstances, to choose
one’s own way” (Frankl, 1963, p.104).
This is theory encourages free will to the students
and only pupil who are naturally bright can to well in class. This is because
when a teacher gives free will to a pupil who is not doing well in class, he or
she will remain lazy for the rest of his or her life. The teacher can be
waiting for that pupil to change on her own up to the time he or she will finish
school.
This theory in Zambia was brought in by the human
rights commission to replace punishment response to behavior of a pupil. Up to
now law enforcing officers and human rights officers are monitoring and ready
to arrest every teacher who will impose severe punishment on a pupil. As a
result of this more pupil have become lazy and others are not even completing
their education.
4.0
TO
IMPROVE ON THE OBSERVABLE BEHAVIOR THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME OF THE THEORIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY
BEING APPLIED IN ZAMBIAN SCHOOLS.
4.1
COLOUR
GROUPING: this is a theory copied from glass groups
where pupil used to be put in groups of numbers say; group 1, 2, 3 and 4. But
colour grouping is where pupil are divided into three or four groups and each
group is allowed to choose their own name of a fruit which the teacher will be
calling them. The secrete remains with the teacher to identify which group is
doing fine and it is named what. Which one is not doing fine and it is named
what. The idea behind this is for the teacher to easy identification of which
group is in need of more help and deliver help to them.
4.1.1
STUDENT
TEACHER RELATION: this is where a teacher builds
his or her examples from long method of a pupil to the correct one. Here the
teacher instead of putting a cross on a wrong answer he or she must call a
pupil when marking and just show an example whilst marking and allow a pupil do
the work again. The reason behind this is to avoid embracement.
Also
in this theory a teacher identifies a pupil who is dull and every time he wants
to ask a question he should call a dull pupil by his or her name. The all
reason that is to provoke the mind of that dull pupil to fill loved by that
teacher and starts participating or thinking hard.
4.1.2 PUPIL TO
PUPIL RELATIONSHIP: this is a theory says let
a pupil teach a pupil. After a teacher have identified a dull pupil in class
all what he need to do is to form class groups. It is in these same groups dull
people are placed in to be taught or learn from others. The idea is that a
pupil will develop interest and concentration as he or she will fear to be
imbalanced.
4.1.3HOMEWORK
POLICE: This is a police were home work must be
given to pupil every day which must be answered daily pupil. This police enable
a pupil gain experience on how to answer questions and do away with fear of
questions or class works. Even his or her thinking can improve because homework
will make a pupil start asking his or her friends who are better than him or
her.
4.1.4
TEACHER TO PARENT ASSOCIATION: the teacher must
advise parent to develop interest in checking their children’s books when they
are back from school and advise them to make corrections. Parents are advised
to not to write for children but just to guide them or simply give them
examples.
5.0 CONCLUSION
my
suggestions to the discussion of this paper is that, although classical does
not provide free will but because the teach has rights to observe and treat the
student with his or her experience, a Stubborn student or pupil can be helped
or controlled. Although this method can help at time it cannot be encouraged to
some teachers who keep granges and short tempered. To be the best teacher is to
use the operant condition such as, positive reinforcement, negative
reinforcement, and negative punishment. Humanistic theory is good to students
with self control but to those who don’t mind about their lives they need not
to be allowed by their teachers. Otherwise there are many people who have
dropped from school because their parents thought they were mature enough to
think for themselves when they were not. I was not advised but I completed
school but not everyone can do that. Teachers must be creative, innovative,
motivating and ready to help students and do more of this to the severe
punishment which may end up frustrating a student more and at the end stops
attending his or her lessons.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hull, C. L. (1943). Principles of
behavior: An introduction to behavior theory.
New York.
Watson, J. B. (1913: 20, 158-178 ). Psychology as the behaviorist views
it. Psychological
Review.
Watson, J. B., & Rayner, R. (1920: 3, 1, pp. 1–14 ). Conditioned emotional
reactions. Journal of Experimental Psychology,.
B.F. SKINNER (1936) The Behavior of Organisms and the concepts of operant conditioning
and shaping.
Frankl, (1963:104) existential Humanistic
theory
Dembo,
Myron H. (1988). Teaching for
Learning: Applying Educational Psychology in the Classroom.
Elliott, Stephen N., Thomas R. Kratochwill, Joan Littlefield Cook, and
John F. Travers.( 2000).
Educational
Psychology: Effective
Teaching, Effective Learning.
Kaplowitz,Joan.(2008). "The
Psychology of Learning: Connecting Theory to Practice." In Information Literacy Instruction Handbook, edited by Christopher N.
Cox and Elizabeth Blakesley Lindsay. Chicago.
Abraham
pavlov (1897) Experiment on conditioning on digestion in dogs.
.
No comments:
Post a Comment