Two Major Influences On Behavioural Psychology

Behaviourism is a theory of psychology that was dominant between 1920s and 1950s. It is a theory of learning that is concerned about behaviour that can be observed and measured scientifically rather than being shaped by innate mental states such as thinking, knowing, feeling and biological processes such as hormones. Two major influences on behavioural psychology today are B.F. Skinner and Albert Bandura.

Skinner's theory of learning was called "Operant Conditioning" or sometimes known as instrumental conditioning and it is basically a method of learning that uses rewards and punishments to shape or change behaviour by the use if positive or negative reinforcement. Every type of behaviour or action produces a consequence.

He identified
This involved studying the behaviour of children after watching an adult "model" acting aggressively or non-aggressively towards a Bobo doll. A number of children were divided into 2 groups in a room with an adult, toys and a Bobo doll. One group was exposed to the adult (model) behaving aggressively towards the Bobo doll and the other group was exposed to an adult behaving non- aggressively towards the doll (ignoring it). The adult models were removed and the children were observed playing for 20 minutes. The results were recorded and identified that the children who had been exposed to the aggressive models imitated the behaviour they had observed without the adult being present and the children who had not been exposed to aggression were less likely to behave aggressively. However if the aggressive behaviour was punished then the children were less likely to copy the behaviour.
Parents and teachers are role models and less desirable role models of today are "celebrities" - children copy the way they dress, speak, and want to aspire to that lifestyle. (685)

There are similarities and differences between Skinner's theory of learning and Bandura's theory. They both used controlled experiments to demonstrate their theories. However Skinner used rats to demonstrate how we learn through reinforcements and punishments whereas Bandura conducted experimented involving humans to demonstrate how we learn through observation. Skinner's theories based on experiments on rats cannot entirely be applied to humans as we are more complex than animals

Both these theories relate and impact on learning and they are similar in as much as Skinner believed that people learn through rewards and punishments and Bandura believed that people learned through observation by watching someone being rewarded or punished.