{"id":306,"date":"2023-03-01T15:05:47","date_gmt":"2023-03-01T15:05:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/chapter\/reading-behaviorism\/"},"modified":"2025-11-11T17:47:59","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T17:47:59","slug":"reading-behaviorism","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/chapter\/reading-behaviorism\/","title":{"raw":"The History of Psychology: Learn It 1\u2014Behaviorism","rendered":"The History of Psychology: Learn It 1\u2014Behaviorism"},"content":{"raw":"<section class=\"textbox learningGoals\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Explain behaviorism<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Describe humanism<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Describe cognitive psychology<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Describe multicultural and feminist psychology<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<p data-start=\"233\" data-end=\"580\">The earliest approaches\u2014structuralism, functionalism, psychoanalysis, and Gestalt psychology\u2014all focused on <strong data-start=\"341\" data-end=\"361\">inner experience<\/strong>. But some psychologists argued that inner thoughts were too subjective to study scientifically. This concern gave rise to new schools of thought, including <strong data-start=\"518\" data-end=\"533\">behaviorism<\/strong>, <strong data-start=\"535\" data-end=\"547\">humanism<\/strong>, and <strong data-start=\"553\" data-end=\"577\">cognitive psychology<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n<h2>Behavioral Psychology (Behaviorism)<\/h2>\r\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\" aria-label=\"Key Takeaway\">\r\n<h3>behaviorism<\/h3>\r\n<p data-start=\"628\" data-end=\"838\"><strong data-start=\"628\" data-end=\"643\">Behaviorism<\/strong> is the school of psychology that focuses on <strong data-start=\"688\" data-end=\"711\">observable behavior<\/strong> rather than internal mental processes. Its goal is to understand how behavior can be <strong data-start=\"797\" data-end=\"835\">observed, measured, and controlled<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n<p>Type your <em>Key Takeaway<\/em> text here<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<h3 data-start=\"840\" data-end=\"884\">Ivan Pavlov and Classical Conditioning<\/h3>\r\n<p data-start=\"885\" data-end=\"1048\">Russian physiologist <strong data-start=\"906\" data-end=\"933\">Ivan Pavlov (1849\u20131936)<\/strong> discovered <strong data-start=\"945\" data-end=\"971\">classical conditioning<\/strong>, a form of learning where a reflex becomes associated with a new stimulus.<br \/>\r\n<br \/>\r\nYou might be familiar with his most famous work\u2014Pavlov's dogs reflexively responded to food by salivating, but when the food became paired with the sound of a ringing bell, the dogs learned to salivate to the ringing bell, even without the food. Pavlov\u2019s \u201cclassical conditioning\u201d is only one form of learning behavior studied by behaviorists.<\/p>\r\n<p data-start=\"1197\" data-end=\"1267\">This showed that behaviors could be <strong data-start=\"1233\" data-end=\"1264\">learned through association<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n<h3 data-start=\"1269\" data-end=\"1289\">John B. Watson<\/h3>\r\n<p data-start=\"1290\" data-end=\"1615\"><strong data-start=\"1290\" data-end=\"1320\">John B. Watson (1878\u20131958)<\/strong> rejected the study of consciousness, arguing it was too subjective. He believed psychology should only study <strong data-start=\"1430\" data-end=\"1454\">observable behaviors<\/strong> that could be measured and predicted. Watson helped establish <strong data-start=\"1517\" data-end=\"1532\">behaviorism<\/strong> as a dominant approach, often relying on animal studies to investigate learning.<\/p>\r\n<h3 data-start=\"1617\" data-end=\"1661\">B. F. Skinner and Operant Conditioning<\/h3>\r\n<p data-start=\"1662\" data-end=\"1821\"><strong data-start=\"1662\" data-end=\"1691\">B. F. Skinner (1904\u20131990)<\/strong> expanded behaviorism by studying how consequences shape behavior. He introduced <strong data-start=\"1776\" data-end=\"1800\">operant conditioning<\/strong>, which emphasized:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li data-start=\"1824\" data-end=\"1902\">Reinforcement: increases the likelihood of behavior (e.g., food reward).<\/li>\r\n\t<li data-start=\"1905\" data-end=\"1981\">Punishment: decreases the likelihood of behavior (e.g., a loud noise).<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p data-start=\"1983\" data-end=\"2185\">Skinner created the <strong data-start=\"2003\" data-end=\"2035\">operant conditioning chamber<\/strong> (<em data-start=\"2037\" data-end=\"2050\">Skinner box<\/em>) to test these principles. In this controlled setting, animals could press a lever or button to receive reinforcement or punishment.<\/p>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"649\"]<img src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/902\/2015\/02\/23224432\/CNX_Psych_01_02_Skinner.jpg\" alt=\"Photograph A shows B.F. Skinner. Illustration B shows a rat in a Skinner box: a chamber with a speaker, lights, a lever, and a food dispenser.\" width=\"649\" height=\"255\" \/> <strong>Figure 2<\/strong>. (a) B. F. Skinner is famous for his research on operant conditioning. (b) Modified versions of the operant conditioning chamber, or Skinner box, are still widely used in research settings today. (credit a: modification of work by \"Silly rabbit\"\/Wikimedia Commons). The Skinner box is a chamber that isolates the subject from the external environment and has a behavior indicator such as a lever or a button. When the animal pushes the button or lever, the box is able to deliver a positive reinforcement of the behavior (such as food) or a punishment (such as a noise) or a token conditioner (such as a light) that is correlated with either the positive reinforcement or punishment.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<p data-start=\"2386\" data-end=\"2685\">Behaviorism shaped psychology for decades by emphasizing scientific rigor, learning, and environmental influences. While its dominance declined with the rise of cognitive psychology, behaviorist principles remain important in areas such as education, behavior therapy, and animal training.<\/p>\r\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\">[ohm2_question height=\"600\"]3860[\/ohm2_question]<br \/>\r\n[ohm2_question height=\"300\"]3861[\/ohm2_question]<\/section>","rendered":"<section class=\"textbox learningGoals\">\n<ul>\n<li>Explain behaviorism<\/li>\n<li>Describe humanism<\/li>\n<li>Describe cognitive psychology<\/li>\n<li>Describe multicultural and feminist psychology<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<p data-start=\"233\" data-end=\"580\">The earliest approaches\u2014structuralism, functionalism, psychoanalysis, and Gestalt psychology\u2014all focused on <strong data-start=\"341\" data-end=\"361\">inner experience<\/strong>. But some psychologists argued that inner thoughts were too subjective to study scientifically. This concern gave rise to new schools of thought, including <strong data-start=\"518\" data-end=\"533\">behaviorism<\/strong>, <strong data-start=\"535\" data-end=\"547\">humanism<\/strong>, and <strong data-start=\"553\" data-end=\"577\">cognitive psychology<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Behavioral Psychology (Behaviorism)<\/h2>\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\" aria-label=\"Key Takeaway\">\n<h3>behaviorism<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"628\" data-end=\"838\"><strong data-start=\"628\" data-end=\"643\">Behaviorism<\/strong> is the school of psychology that focuses on <strong data-start=\"688\" data-end=\"711\">observable behavior<\/strong> rather than internal mental processes. Its goal is to understand how behavior can be <strong data-start=\"797\" data-end=\"835\">observed, measured, and controlled<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Type your <em>Key Takeaway<\/em> text here<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<h3 data-start=\"840\" data-end=\"884\">Ivan Pavlov and Classical Conditioning<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"885\" data-end=\"1048\">Russian physiologist <strong data-start=\"906\" data-end=\"933\">Ivan Pavlov (1849\u20131936)<\/strong> discovered <strong data-start=\"945\" data-end=\"971\">classical conditioning<\/strong>, a form of learning where a reflex becomes associated with a new stimulus.<\/p>\n<p>You might be familiar with his most famous work\u2014Pavlov&#8217;s dogs reflexively responded to food by salivating, but when the food became paired with the sound of a ringing bell, the dogs learned to salivate to the ringing bell, even without the food. Pavlov\u2019s \u201cclassical conditioning\u201d is only one form of learning behavior studied by behaviorists.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1197\" data-end=\"1267\">This showed that behaviors could be <strong data-start=\"1233\" data-end=\"1264\">learned through association<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"1269\" data-end=\"1289\">John B. Watson<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"1290\" data-end=\"1615\"><strong data-start=\"1290\" data-end=\"1320\">John B. Watson (1878\u20131958)<\/strong> rejected the study of consciousness, arguing it was too subjective. He believed psychology should only study <strong data-start=\"1430\" data-end=\"1454\">observable behaviors<\/strong> that could be measured and predicted. Watson helped establish <strong data-start=\"1517\" data-end=\"1532\">behaviorism<\/strong> as a dominant approach, often relying on animal studies to investigate learning.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"1617\" data-end=\"1661\">B. F. Skinner and Operant Conditioning<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"1662\" data-end=\"1821\"><strong data-start=\"1662\" data-end=\"1691\">B. F. Skinner (1904\u20131990)<\/strong> expanded behaviorism by studying how consequences shape behavior. He introduced <strong data-start=\"1776\" data-end=\"1800\">operant conditioning<\/strong>, which emphasized:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-start=\"1824\" data-end=\"1902\">Reinforcement: increases the likelihood of behavior (e.g., food reward).<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1905\" data-end=\"1981\">Punishment: decreases the likelihood of behavior (e.g., a loud noise).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"1983\" data-end=\"2185\">Skinner created the <strong data-start=\"2003\" data-end=\"2035\">operant conditioning chamber<\/strong> (<em data-start=\"2037\" data-end=\"2050\">Skinner box<\/em>) to test these principles. In this controlled setting, animals could press a lever or button to receive reinforcement or punishment.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 649px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/902\/2015\/02\/23224432\/CNX_Psych_01_02_Skinner.jpg\" alt=\"Photograph A shows B.F. Skinner. Illustration B shows a rat in a Skinner box: a chamber with a speaker, lights, a lever, and a food dispenser.\" width=\"649\" height=\"255\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 2<\/strong>. (a) B. F. Skinner is famous for his research on operant conditioning. (b) Modified versions of the operant conditioning chamber, or Skinner box, are still widely used in research settings today. (credit a: modification of work by &#8220;Silly rabbit&#8221;\/Wikimedia Commons). The Skinner box is a chamber that isolates the subject from the external environment and has a behavior indicator such as a lever or a button. When the animal pushes the button or lever, the box is able to deliver a positive reinforcement of the behavior (such as food) or a punishment (such as a noise) or a token conditioner (such as a light) that is correlated with either the positive reinforcement or punishment.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-start=\"2386\" data-end=\"2685\">Behaviorism shaped psychology for decades by emphasizing scientific rigor, learning, and environmental influences. While its dominance declined with the rise of cognitive psychology, behaviorist principles remain important in areas such as education, behavior therapy, and animal training.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"ohm3860\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/ohm.one.lumenlearning.com\/multiembedq.php?id=3860&theme=lumen&iframe_resize_id=ohm3860&source=tnh&show_question_numbers\" width=\"100%\" height=\"600\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"ohm3861\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/ohm.one.lumenlearning.com\/multiembedq.php?id=3861&theme=lumen&iframe_resize_id=ohm3861&source=tnh&show_question_numbers\" width=\"100%\" height=\"300\"><\/iframe><\/section>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"menu_order":12,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"History of Psychology\",\"author\":\"OpenStax College\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/1-2-history-of-psychology\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"Download for free at https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/1-introduction\"}]","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"part":335,"module-header":"learn_it","content_attributions":[{"type":"cc","description":"History of Psychology","author":"OpenStax College","organization":"","url":"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/1-2-history-of-psychology","project":"","license":"cc-by","license_terms":"Download for free at https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/1-introduction"}],"internal_book_links":[],"video_content":null,"cc_video_embed_content":{"cc_scripts":"","media_targets":[]},"try_it_collection":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/306"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/306\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7133,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/306\/revisions\/7133"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/335"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/306\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=306"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=306"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}