Currently, psychology includes a variety of theoretical orientations, comparable, in some ways, to political ideologies or religious beliefs, since they assume a code of conduct that guides professional practice in different ways (Torres, n.d.). Behavioral psychology, also known as behavioral psychology, is one of the most common orientations among psychologists, although today, according to Torres (n.d.), it is more commonly practiced in its cognitive-behavioral aspect.
What is Behaviorism?
Behaviorism is a current of psychology that has accompanied and profoundly shaped the history of psychology, science and Western social history of the twentieth century, which focuses on the study of the common laws that determine the behavior of humans and animals (France, 2020). In short, according to France (2020), behaviorism in psychology can be defined as a psychological trend that studies observable behavior in an experimental, objective and natural way.
In its origins, behaviorism ignores the intrapsychic to focus on observable behavior, i.e., it prioritizes the objective over the subjective (Torres, n.d.). This contradicts previous approaches such as psychodynamics and phenomenology. In fact, according to Torres (n.d.), what is generally understood as mind or mental life is only an abstraction of what psychology should study: the connection between stimulus and response in a given context.
In the same way, behaviorists tend to see living beings as blank slate, whose behavior is determined by reinforcement and punishment, rather than by internal tendencies (Torres, n.d.). That is, behavioral psychologists believe that, regardless of genetic background, personality traits, and internal thoughts, any person can be trained to perform any task, only that proper conditioning is required (Guerri, 2015). Therefore, according to Torres (n.d.), behavior does not depend primarily on internal phenomena, such as instinct or thoughts, but on the environment; therefore, behavior or learning cannot be separated from the environment in which it occurs.
History of Behaviorism
Behaviorism appeared for the first time in 1913 by the hand of John Watson, considered the father of behaviorism, thanks to his article "Psychology as seen by the behaviorist" (Guerri, 2015). For behaviorists, it is not necessary to imagine what people feel, what they think or why they think, since, behaviorism focuses on all the facts and behaviors that can be observed (Vera, 2013). According to Guerri (2015), any person, regardless of his or her background, can be trained to act in a certain way, with the help of behavioral conditioning.
From about 1920 to the mid-1950s, behaviorism became the main school of thought in psychology (Guerri, 2015). Some people believe that behavioral psychology is popular because of the desire to establish psychology as an objective and measurable science. According to Guerri (2015), researchers are interested in creating theories that can be clearly described and empirically measured, but they also hope to lay the groundwork for how to influence human behavior.
Behaviorism went into decline in the 1950s, which coincided with the rise of cognitive psychology (Torres, n.d.). Cognitivism is a theoretical model that emerged as a response to behaviorism's overemphasis on explicit behavior, leaving cognition aside. The gradual inclusion of intervention variables in the behaviorist model has promoted, to a large extent, this paradigm shift, which is called the cognitive revolution. Subsequently, according to Torres (n.d.), the contributions and principles of behaviorism and cognitivism will eventually come together in what is known as cognitive-behavioral therapy, which focuses on finding the most scientifically supported treatment options.
Finally, third generation therapies, developed in recent years, restore some of the principles of radical behaviorism, thus reducing the influence of cognitivism (Torres, n.d.). For example, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Behavioral Activation Therapy for depression or Dialectical Behavior Therapy for borderline personality disorder.
Strengths of Behaviorism
One of the greatest strengths of behavioral psychology is the ability to clearly observe and measure behavior (Cherry, 2021). Behaviorism is based on observable behavior, so sometimes, it is easier to quantify it when conducting research (Guerri, 2015). This method is often very useful to change maladaptive or disruptive behaviors, both in children and adults. Furthermore, according to Guerri (2015), there are many effective treatment techniques, such as intensive behavioral intervention, behavior analysis, or token economy.
Weaknesses of Behaviorism
Many critics claim that behaviorism is a one-dimensional approach to understanding human behavior (Guerri, 2015). They suggest that the behavioral theory fails to consider free will and internal influences, such as emotions, thoughts, and feelings (Guerri, 2015). Freud, for example, felt that behaviorism failed by ignoring unconscious thoughts, feelings, and desires that influence people's actions (Cherry, 2021). According to Cherry (2021), other thinkers such as Carl Rogers and the other humanistic psychologists believed that behaviorism was too rigid and limited, regardless of their personal capacity to act.
In the same vein, it does not explain how other types of learning can occur without the use of reinforcement and punishment (Guerri, 2015). Finally, in correspondence with Guerri (2015), humans and animals can adapt their behavior when new information is introduced, even if this behavior is established by reinforcement.
Authors of Behaviorism
According to France (2020), there is not a single monolithic behaviorism, but as many behaviorisms as its most authoritative representatives, who, in some way, are connected with this theoretical current.
First Generation
John Watson (1878-1958)
Ivan Pávlov (1849-1936)
Edward Thorndike (1874-1949)
Second Generation
Burrhus Skinner (1904-1990)
Edwin Guthrie (1886-1959)
Clark Hull (1884-1952)
Edward Tolman (1886-1959)
Third Generation
Albert Bandura (1925)
Arthur Staats (1924)
References
Cherry, K. (2021). Why Behaviorism Is One of Psychology's Most Fascinating Branches. Verywell Mind. Recuperado 21 March 2021, a partir de https://www.verywellmind.com/behavioral-psychology-4157183
Francia, G. (2020). ¿Qué es el CONDUCTISMO en la PSICOLOGÍA? - Definición, autores y teorías. psicologia-online.com. Recuperado 21 March 2021, a partir de https://www.psicologia-online.com/que-es-el-conductismo-en-la-psicologia-5238.html
Guerri, M. (2015). En qué consiste la Psicología Conductual. PsicoActiva.com: Psicología, test y ocio Inteligente. Recuperado 21 March 2021, a partir de https://www.psicoactiva.com/blog/consiste-la-psicologia-conductual/
Torres, A. Conductismo: historia, conceptos y autores principales. Psicologiaymente.com. Recuperado 21 March 2021, a partir de https://psicologiaymente.com/psicologia/conductismo
Vera, M. (2013). Historia del Conductismo. Psicología Hoy. Recuperado 23 March 2021, a partir de https://www.psicologiahoy.com/historia-del-conductismo/
Vergara, C. (2018). ¿En qué consiste el enfoque conductual en psicología?. Actualidad en Psicología. Recuperado 21 March 2021, a partir de https://www.actualidadenpsicologia.com/enfoque-conductual-psicologia/
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