Psychology as we know is the study of the mind and human behavior. Since earlier years, there has been research performed to find out how individuals think, feel, and act. There are many different perspectives that psychologists use as a means of studying human behavior and how individuals think and feel. One of those perspectives is known as the Behavioral Perspective. The main focus of this perspective is behaviors that are learned. The difference between behaviorism and other perspectives is that its emphasis is placed on behaviors that can be observed, not on internal states (Cherry, 2014).
There are many major thinkers that made contributions to the Behavioral Perspective, and their theories have been valuable, and serve as a basis for the schools of thought in modern psychology. In this paper, I will be comparing and contrasting the Behavioral Perspectives of John B. Watson and B. F. Skinner, with the perspectives of another major thinker known as Edward C. Tolman. The main focus of John B. Watson and of B. F. Skinner was behaviorism while Edward C. Tolman’s focus was Cognitive Behaviorism (Cherry, 2014). John B. Watson’s Perspectives
John B. Watson was a major thinker and also a psychologist who was later known as the father of behaviorism. During part of the 20th Century, he dominated with his perspective of behavior. Watson’s theory of psychology was that it was based on behaviors that one could observe. Watson came to be a strong supporter of behaviorism, and was known for his famous quote “Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-informed, and my specified world to bring them up in and I’ll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select—doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief, and yes, even beggarman and thief, regardless of his talents, pendants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors. I am going
References: Bradley, M. (2002). Psyography: John Broadus Watson. Retrieved from faculty.frostburg.edu/mbradley/psyography/johnbroaduswatson.html Cherry, K. (2014). B.F. Skinner Biography (1904-1990). Retrieved from psychology.about.com/od/profilesofmajorthinkers/p/bio_skinner.htm Cherry, K. (2014). Behavioral Psychology Basics. Retrieved from psychology.about.com/od/behavioralpsychology/tp/behavioral-psychology-basics.htm Cherry, K. (2014). Edward C. Tolman Biography (1886-1959). Retrieved from psychology.about.com/od/profilesmz/fl/Edward-C-Tolman-Biography.htm Cherry, K. (2014). John B. Watson (1878-1958). Retrieved from psychology.about.com/od/profilesofmajorthinkiers/p/watson.htm Cherry, K. (2014). The Rise of Behaviorism. Retrieved from psychology.about.com/od/historyofpsychology/a/psychistory_3.htm Graham, G. (2010). Behaviorism. Retrieved from plato.standord.edu/entries/behaviorism McLeod, S. (2013). Tolman - Latent Learning. Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/tolman.html McLeod, S. (2014). Classical Conditioning. Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/classical-donditioning.html