Question

What aspects of behaviorism as a theory are useful in understanding human behavior? What are the limits of this theory

Answer 1

Behaviourism helps us understand how behaviour is learned over the course of our lives. This behaviour maybe learned intentionally or sometimes without awareness. The classical conditioning experiments by Ivan Pavlov have shown how a neutral stimulus could become a conditioned stimulus and could elicit its own response. This type of learned behaviours which are often neutral are seen in various aspects of our lives such as evoking behaviours of fear or joy. Operant conditioning is based on the principles of the law of effect, which says the the consequence of the behaviour determines if that behaviour will be repeated or not. This reinforcement are part of out everyday lives, such as at work, in school our behaviour with our family, friends etc.

Some of the limits to behaviourism are that it completely ignores the biological and genetic make up of an individual. Research has shown that genes pay a very important role in determining the temperament and personality of individual. Also, twin studies and family studies have shown the huge role genes play in determining various behaviours of individual. Another criticism of this theory is that it has a very mechanistic view of humans, and believes that everything is based on learning and conditioning, but humans are much more complex creatures than that. Humans are not helpless and play a part in their own lives, instead of being controlled by their environment. Some other criticisms of this theory are that many of these behaviouristic experiment were conducted on animals and not humans. Also the behaviouristic theory does not explain the innate process involved in the language development in humans.