Behaviourism

Behaviourism

Karma Wangmo

Edith Cowan University

Abstract

The paper is dedicated to the study of behaviourism, its origin, its main principles and contribution that it made into psychology. To get the necessary information, literature review was conducted with the results of the studies analyzed so as to meet the purpose of the study. First, definition of behaviorism is provided, followed by description of three main periods that existed in the history of behaviorism – Watson’s behaviourism, Skinner’s neobehaviourism and Mcdugall’s behaviourism. Then the main principles of behaviourism are deiscussed and conclusion is made as to the contribution of behaviourism into psychology. In particular, it is stated that it did not solve the task of building a truly scientific psychology. Based on the mechanistic materialism, behaviourism came to the denial of any objective meaning of mental processes and ignored their study, which in practice led to serious distortions in the application of psychology in different practical situations.

Keywords: behaviourism, neobehaviourism.

Historical Origins of Behaviorism, Its Principles and Contribution to Psychology

In the beginning of the 20th century behaviourism became one of the most powerful trends in science, in particular – in psychology. According to Watson, behaviourism is considered “mental life as traditionally conceived simply did not exist. Rather psychology should embrace behaviour as its subject matter as its method” cited in Moore (2011,p.451). Behaviourism was similar to psychoanalysis in that both directions of psychology were opposed to those aspects of associationism that are related to the concept of consciousness, but the basis of the opposition was different. Behaviourists believed that notions such as awareness, experience and others are subjective (Hergenhahn, 2009).

Behaviourist thought so, because all of the concepts are based on non-scientific method of investigation, only on people’s...