behaviorism vs humanism
Behaviorism vs. Humanism
Heather Murphy
PSY331: Psychology of Learning
Instructor Corey Pruitt
September 1, 2014
Behaviorism vs. Humanism Behaviorism and humanism are two theories of learning. Both theories are very important, and have many good qualities, which makes it difficult to say that one is better than the other. When it comes to learning, behaviorism does not consider mental processes, rather it looks at our response to stimuli in our environment. Whereas, humanism sees learning as personal, and is dependent on each individual self. Even though the two theories seem completely opposite of each other, there are some similarities between them pertaining to learning. Behaviorism is explained as behavior that can be observed. Behaviorists believe that we should not be concerned with mental processes, as they are not observable. Behaviorists believe that we learn things by behaving. In other words, we learn things by changing our behavior (Lieberman, 2012). Changing our environmental conditions will change our behavior which leads us to learn something new. Humanism is described as a personalized theory relating to the person as a whole. According to the theory of humanism, our behavior stems from our self-concept and our inner feelings (McLeod, 2007). The way we feel and perceive ourselves says a lot about our behavior. This relates to how motivated we are to learn something. In humanism, learning behavior should be studied on a more personal level, focusing on each individual because we are all unique. Though each theory seems to be very different from one another, they are similar in some aspects. One thing that behaviorists and humanists agree on is that focusing on activities, like teaching, do not do much good. Instead, both theories suggest that we should move our focus to learning activities. Activities involving learning will allow us to have a better understanding of things. These activities will also
Heather Murphy
PSY331: Psychology of Learning
Instructor Corey Pruitt
September 1, 2014
Behaviorism vs. Humanism Behaviorism and humanism are two theories of learning. Both theories are very important, and have many good qualities, which makes it difficult to say that one is better than the other. When it comes to learning, behaviorism does not consider mental processes, rather it looks at our response to stimuli in our environment. Whereas, humanism sees learning as personal, and is dependent on each individual self. Even though the two theories seem completely opposite of each other, there are some similarities between them pertaining to learning. Behaviorism is explained as behavior that can be observed. Behaviorists believe that we should not be concerned with mental processes, as they are not observable. Behaviorists believe that we learn things by behaving. In other words, we learn things by changing our behavior (Lieberman, 2012). Changing our environmental conditions will change our behavior which leads us to learn something new. Humanism is described as a personalized theory relating to the person as a whole. According to the theory of humanism, our behavior stems from our self-concept and our inner feelings (McLeod, 2007). The way we feel and perceive ourselves says a lot about our behavior. This relates to how motivated we are to learn something. In humanism, learning behavior should be studied on a more personal level, focusing on each individual because we are all unique. Though each theory seems to be very different from one another, they are similar in some aspects. One thing that behaviorists and humanists agree on is that focusing on activities, like teaching, do not do much good. Instead, both theories suggest that we should move our focus to learning activities. Activities involving learning will allow us to have a better understanding of things. These activities will also
References: Lieberman, D.A. (2012). Psychology of Learning. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. McLeod, S.A. (2007). Humanism. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/humanistic.html Rostami, K. & Khadjooi, K. (2010). The implications of Behaviorism and Humanism theories in medical education. Gastroentology & Hepatology from Bed to Bench. Vol. 3(2), p65-70. Retrieved from EBSCO Host database in the Ashford University Library Stahl, R.J., Hunt, B.S., & Matiya, J.C. (1980). Humanism and Behaviorism: Is There Really a Difference? Educational Leadership. Vol. 38(3), p230-231. Retrieved from ERIC database in the Ashford University Library