what are the strengths and limitations of applying theories to explain behavior

The Evidence from Inquiry on Behavioral Theories

Pavlov'due south work on classical workout (Pavlov, 1927) and Skinner's concept of operant conditioning (Skinner, 1953) have provided the blueprints for show-based applications in behaviorism. Behaviorism has since proven effective, for example in the diagnosis of patients with mental disorders by operationalizing the conquering of new behavior (Barrett & Lindsley, 1962), improving item-recall for dementia patients (Dixon et al., 2011) or for workout students in war machine and technical didactics (Gökmenoğlu & Kiraz, 2010).

In combination with cognitive therapy, behavior modification helps autistic children with the conquering of life-skills (Virues-Ortega et al., 2013). Behaviorism has proven its efficacy in contexts that require the functioning of convergent and highly context-dependent tasks. (Photograph: B.F.Skinner/ rat in a Skinner Box.)

Strengths and Weaknesses

A central force of behaviorism is that results tin be reliably reproduced experimentally such as in a Skinner box or similar apparatus. This evident advantage translates into several distinct counter-arguments. Firstly, behaviorism does not admit agile human being bureau, this is conscious self-sensation (Chalmers, 1996) which is typically mediated via language. Fundamental properties of human agency are intentionality, forethought and self-reactiveness (Bandura, 2006, p. 164-165), all of which play no role in behaviorism.

Secondly, a behaviorist perspective can  not explain how people make procedural decisions or negotiate between various types of potential rewards and goals. Nearly of human beliefs is not based on conditioned, convergent reflexes on a single job, merely correlates to preceding mental processes that are divergent and collaborative in nature (Funke, 2014; Eseryel et al., 2013; Hung, 2013). As well, divergent thinking is related to developing interpersonal trust (Selaro et al., 2014). The Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen 1991, 2002) could be regarded every bit the anti-thesis to behaviorism since it postulates attitudes, norms, a person'southward perceived behavioral control and intentions every bit precursors to behavior, rather than specific ecology stimuli.

Since reflexes are strictly defined equally physiological interactions, behaviorism cannot explain individual differences in human learning, variations in learning- styles and the influence of personality on learning (Rosander, 2013; Kamarulzaman, 2014). The neurological functionality of reflexes is constrained to given encephalon organization (Goffaux et al., 2014) and neurotransmitter processes (Striepens et al., 2014) and excludes college brain functions invoking mental processes (Degen, 2014). Behavioral studies and therapies in clinical settings besides run into upstanding problems on how to obtain legal consent for behavior modification, such as for patients with mental disorders and neurological impairments (Digdon et al., 2014).

On the Validity of Beast Studies

One of the distinguishing differences betwixt humans and animals is the use of linguistic communication. Using an Data Theory arroyo, Reznikova (2006) concludes that animals produce no syntax and provide little testify for the learning and modification of signals (Reznikowa, 2006, p. 9), a notion shared past Seyfarth and Cheney (2009) who state that learned, flexible vocal production is relatively rare. A predictable, communicative organisation is absent in the animal world (Seyfarth & Cheney, 2009, p. 97-98) while signals are express to specific contexts such equally greetings, infant distress or predator alarm (Marler & Tenaza, 1977; Snowdon, 1986).

Human being language development, past contrast, is tied to the development of Theory of Mind (ToM) skills (Miller, 2006). Linguistic communication acquisition by reinforcement (Skinner, 1957) tin neither sufficiently account for the semantic and businesslike dimensions of coordinated human being speech, nor for the meta-contextual quality of its acts (Chomsky, 1983; Searle, 1969). By ignoring cognitive evolution (Skinner, 1950), behaviorism deprives itself of fully understanding the function of beliefs such every bit e.g., children'southward joint attention, engaging in imitation and play-behavior, not but as precursors to linguistic communication but for the parallel development of mental abilities (Charman et al., 2000).

Beast studies can exist compromised by animals being exposed to uncontrolled pain and stress variables (Rollin, 2006, p.293; see besides Watanabe, 2007). An anthropomorphized interpretation tin furthermore pb to biased reporting. For exampleMartin Seligman'southward behavioral domestic dog experiment (Seligman, 1975) follows such anthropomorphism. Seligman found that when animals were given electric shocks that they were not able to prevent (and later surrendered in apathy) they tended to react similarly inactive in situations where they could have avoided penalisation. Seligman concluded that the same was true for humans who endure from depression in the form of 'learned helplessness'. However, the experiment could likewise be interpreted that the animals were simply conditioned to accept new thresholds for enduring hurting, that they had been traumatized or both. Besides, drawing inferences from animal reactions for human being mind states and motivation seems far-fetched and incommunicable to prove. Some years laterSeligman distanced himself from his original inquiry findings (Abramson et al., 1978).

                                                                                        Conclusion

Behaviorism has valid, but express applications. In clinical psychology behaviorist theory is typically complemented with cognitive theory to produce more than efficient results (Feltham & Horton, 2006). In modern military instruction, issues such as professional ethics and mindfulness require cognitive skills and training (Major, 2014; Starr-Glass, 2013); the same applies to grooming in sports (Samson, 2014; Huntley & Kentzer, 2013). Behaviorism remains highly relevant in animal conditioning. It has however, with the advent of neurological imaging technology and the scientific measurement of cognitive processes (DeSouza et al., 2012; Kühn et al., 2014) ceased equally a leading theory of learning. Since the 1950s, it was superseded past cognitivism. Unlike behaviorism, cognitivism did not assume the brain to be a 'black-box' where just measurable input and output mattered. Cognitivism tried to discover out how the brain functioned and how it produced mental states.

Few people know that Pavlov not only experimented on dogs, but also on children and that Skinner envisioned operant workout on societal scale, approaches that have become unacceptable in contemporary scientific ideals. Behaviorism does have its applications, merely they must exist seen in the context of human agency.

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