Human Behaviour Essay Research Paper Throughout the

Human Behaviour Essay, Research Paper

Throughout the first half of the twentieth century, psychologists tended to believe that the explanations offered by classical and operant conditioning were fully adequate to understand human behaviour. Classical conditioning is a form of learning in which a conditioned and unconditioned stimulus become associated, such that the former comes to elicit a response previously elicited only by the latter. It is also known as the Pavlovian or respondent conditioning. Operant conditioning is a form of learning in which voluntary behaviour becomes more or less likely to be repeated depending on its consequences. It is also known as Skinnerian or instrumental conditioning. However, it is now believed that there are many other factors involved in human behaviour, such as cognitive factors, especially observational learning/modeling, and as most of these are based around experience, they are often grouped loosely together under the umbrella term of the social learning mechanisms. Dollard and Miller (1950) stated that, in humans, most learning is social and acquired through observing other people in social situations. Their Social Learning Theory, whilst having its roots in Skinnerian principles, aims to offer a more complex theory of learning in humans within a social context. Bandura (1977) states: “Learning would be extremely laborious, not to mention hazardous, if people had to rely solely on the effects of their own actions to inform them what to do.” According to Bandura, the major theorist in the social learning theory, learning occurs in two ways: Response consequences and modeling/observational learning. Response learning is not dissimilar to the approach adopted by Skinner, in that the behaviors, which occur as a result of such learning can either, be reinforcing or punishing. Modeling or observational learning, Bandura et al. (1961) argued, is a form of secondary learning, by which we observe and model our behavior on those around us. Bryan and Test (1967) also stated that behavior could be learned through learning. Imitation, as it is also termed, is a less time consuming alternative to operant conditioning, which has proved to be a long and tedious process. It also allows us to see quickly which actions are viewed of acceptable and those that are not, and also, those actions that are likely to have pleasant consequences. These reinforcements can be intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic means that the effect of the reinforcement will be immediate and will have direct consequences for us e.g. diving into a swimming pool has the immediate and direct consequence for you of getting wet. However, the effect and consequences of extrinsic reinforcements may take longer, such as attending classes, which may not give you instant reinforcement, but the result of getting a good mark at the end of those classes will. Hence, the theorists no longer perceive reinforcement as an intimate drive as there can be a lapse of time between the action taking place and the reinforcement that follows. The social learning theory differs to the behaviorist theories of Classical and Operant conditioning in that they see the mechanism by which we learn as that of vicarious learning, with the key to this being empathy; how we experience another person’s emotions though we are not in their body. According to the social learning theory, we are influenced by the reinforcement they receive, whether this is positive or negative. It is the emotion, the empathy that creates a link between what you are observing and the process of feeling the reinforcer yourself. It is possible to experience both vicarious reinforcement and vicarious punishment, even though at no point does the observers actually have to carry out the behavior themselves. There are other aspects to help explain the way in which we learn. One of these is the area of metacognition, an understanding of how our mind works. E.g. we learn how to go about learning something, we learn what we can and cannot do. There has been a significant amount of research studies carried out in this area which have shown that our metacognitive skills are important in determining how we interact with others, which will in turn affect the type of social reinforcement we receive. We also develop a theory of mind, which we use to interpret other people’s behavior, which is a fundamental aspect of human interaction. It is an important learning mechanism as we learn to adjust our behavior to the accepted norms and values of society. It also forms an important basis for the social mechanisms involved in conformity and obedience to social norms. In a series of studies throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s, Bandura et al, illustrated how influential observational learning can be in relation to the acquisition of social rules by children. The main focus of Bandura’s work was around a Bobo doll, a large inflatable rubber figure. Children would be split into two groups, one group would observe a model playing with such a doll in an aggressive manner and the other would observe the model playing with it in a placid manner with the doll. The children would then be allowed to play with a Bobo doll themselves. The children’s level of aggression towards the doll were recorded and it was found that children who had observed the model acting in an aggressive manner towards the doll would explicit this type of behaviour towards the doll more frequently than children