Psy/310 Perspectives Paper Essay

Each psychological perspective has pi st arrs who welcome done the investigate to not only present the perspective, but to also prove how in force(p) it is. John B. Watson is one of the great pioneers who created and popularized the manneral perspective. He had many followers who believed in what he said, including B.F. mule driver. Although Skinner was truly influenced by Watson, he had his give birth ideas and theories that he aft(prenominal)wardward proved to be extremely persuasive. With the domination of the behavioral perspective, there also came skepticism, including one skeptic by the name of Edward C. Tolman. Tolman later introduced cognitive psychological science, which is still a staple in newfangled sidereal day psychology. John B. Watson did not have the most ideal childhood. Perhaps this is wherefore he later went on to become the mouthpiece for the movement that came to be called behaviourism (Goodwin, 2008, p. 338). He was natural in 1878, just outsi de of Greenville, conspiracy Carolina. His father was a farmer with severe issues, much(prenominal) as alcoholism, adultery, and anger. His fix was an extremely religious woman who pushed a future in the doctrine onto Watson. Although Watson was a bright young man, entering Furman University at the age of 16, he was well known as a trouble obliger. Watson went on to crystalize his lords degree in 1900 before entering the University of Chicago. His intention was to withdraw philosophy and psychology but later stubborn to focus on functionalist psychology. Watson had a profound interest in animals and found himself extremely loose in studying their behaviors, lowlifeher than those of human subjects. Watsons doctoral dissertation, codirected by Henry Donaldson and James Angell, was a study of the relationship between cortical development and learning in young albumin rats (Goodwin, 2008, p. 338). White rats were image to be incapable of associative learning because their br ains contained real few medullated axons.Watsons studies later proved this to be wrong, in fact, proving that a white rats king to form associations improved in their stern week of life, as opposed to the first few weeks. Watson later make his results as Animal Education An Experimental Study of the Psychical maturation of the White Rat, Correlated with the Growth of Its Nervous System. This publication earned him his doctors degree and the opportunity to remain at the University of Chicago as an instructor. Burrhus Frederick Skinners upbringing was a little variant than that of John B. Watson. Skinner was born in 1904 in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. His father was a successful lawyer and his overprotect was a abodemaker, together they were a very image conscious wed couple who often worried about what others thought. Skinner was a very intelligent individual and an independent thinker. He questioned anything that was not supported with backbreaking evidence. His high school principle strongly recommended him to New Yorks Hamilton College, stating that Skinner was passionately fond of arguing with his t all(prenominal)ers. He is quite a lecturer and although I do not think he actually supposes himself wiser than his teachers, I have found him to give that impression (as cited in Goodwin, 2008, p. 383). After his initial unhappiness with Hamiltons atmosphere, Skinner realized that he had a passion for creative writing. Skinner decided to take a year off after his graduation to just write. He moved back home with his parents and later referred to this time as his dark year. Skinners parents were have-to doe with about what people thought of their son moving back home without a job, while Skinner was concerned with the pressure of his parents expecting him to be plenteous in this year. In this year, Skinner read a number of articles and became enchantd with behaviorism.This intrigue motivated him to pursue graduate studies in psychology at Harvard. As Skinner moved up the ladder, from a graduate student to a university fellow, his attitude toward authority never changed. non impressed by the cultivate of E.G. Boring, he referred to Borings perception product line as just painful and lamented that Boring spent three entire lectures explaining a wizard visual illusion (Goodwin, 2008, p. 384). Skinner published his first book in 1938, The Behavior of Organisms, which summarized his years of research at Harvard. He later returned to Harvard, in 1948, and remained active until his death in 1990. Edward C. Tolman was born in 1886 in a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts. Tolman came from a very stable and healthy family. His father was a successful business executive, while his mother provided a solid moralistic foundation for thefamily. Tolman was extremely intelligent and talented, graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1911 with a degree in electrochemistry. There were two designers why Tolman decid ed to stray from a career in the field of electrochemistry. The first reason was the competition that would ensue with his brother, Richard Tolman, who later contributed to the development of the atomic bomb during area War II (Goodwin, 2008, p. 364). The second reason lies in Tolmans baring of William James, often referred to as the father of American psychology. Following his graduation from MIT, Tolman enrolled in two summer courses at Harvard. The first was a philosophy course and the second was an introductory course in psychology. Robert Yerkes was the professor for this psychology course. Not only the professor, but also the reason Tolman was sold on psychology and decided to enter graduate school at Harvard. Tolman went on to earn his doctorate degree in 1915 from Harvard. Watsons publication, Behavior An Introduction to comparative degree Psychology, made Tolman see behaviorism as an attractive alternative to the traditionalistic introspective psychology he was encounter ing in Hugo Munsterbergs laboratory (Goodwin, 2008, p. 364).Edward Holt was a major influence on the Tolmans beliefs. Holt believed that Watsonian behaviorism was too reductionistic and argued that behavior should be defined more broadly as actions that serve most purpose (Goodwin, 2008). Great deals of Holts beliefs were adopted by Tolman and later became the core group of Tolmans theory of learning. Later on, Tolman would be launched down the behavioristic vend after being given the opportunity to develop a vernal course and remembering Yerks course and Watsons textbook. With such varied backgrounds ontogeny up, these three men definitely have similarities they share as well. Watson, Skinner, and Tolman each have their own connection to the behaviorist perspective in one way or another. Watson and Skinner each believe that an individuals behavior can be conditioned in certain ways. For example, Watson was a firm believer in classical conditioning, while Skinner positive ope rant conditioning. After panoptic research on animals, particularly rats, Watson performed an look into on Little Albert to test his theory or classical conditioning. out from the ethical issues of experimenting on an infant, Watson was successful in proving his theory correct. Little Albert was classically conditioned to fear, not only the white furry rat, but anything else that resembled the rat in any way. This fear was elicited by the loud dissonance that was associated with the presence of the furry rat. Skinners beliefs differed in the sense that he believed an individuals behavior is influenced primarily by the consequence pursuance that particular behavior. For example, if it is a negative effect the behavior is less credibly to occur again. If it is a positive consequence that follows that behavior, the receives of the behavior repeating are more likely. This is the premise of operant conditioning. Tolmans trademark was little different because he introduced the cogn itive theory to the world of psychology. Tolman too performed experiments on rats and their ability to run through complex mazes in order to gain a different type of understanding(a) on how their brains register and use the acquaintance they obtain.Repetition of the same routines everyday are overlooked. It is only when something is sought after in these routines that an individual or animal is able to recognize what they have previously learned. This is what Tolman believed to be a type of cognitive learning. Although primary behaviorism therapy is not popular today, behaviorism has been incorporated with cognitive therapy to develop cognitive behavioral therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of treatment that focuses on examining the relationships between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors (Duckworth, MD & Freedman, MD, 2012, p. 1). This is a very popular type of therapy today, peculiarly with treating schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and also different typ es of anxiety disorders. One of the greatest benefits of cognitive behavioral therapy is the ability to allow the patient to work with the clinician in exploitation the most useful treatment plan. It is almost like an active interpolation where the patient is a little more active in the cooking of treatment options. This can sometimes require the patient to do different types of homework on their own. Watson, Skinner, and Tolman have definitely opened up the psychology world to so many different perspectives and theories. Although each perspective whitethorn have its different flaws or drawbacks, together they contribute what each lacks when standing alone. Without Watsons initial research, Skinner may not have been influenced to theorize such perspectives as operant conditioning. In turn, Tolman may have not had the chance to develop what we now call cognitive behavioral therapy. Each stepping gem has added a little more history to the world ofpsychology to make it what it is t oday. These are just three of the men that can be attributed for the extensive time and research responsible for this said history.ReferencesGoodwin, C. J. (2008). A history of modern psychology (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ Wiley. Duckworth, MD, K., & Freedman, MD, J.L. (2012, July). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. National Alliance on Mental Illness, N/A (N/A), 1-2. Retrieved from http//www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=About_Treatments_and_Supports&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=141590