CH. 3- INTELLECTUAL BACKGROUND SKINNER’S PSYCHOLOGY NORMAL SCIENCEParadigms or theories are developedHypotheses based of paradigms are testedUseful for solving problems?Useful for explaining current data or phenomenon? New paradigms replace others as we learn more about a particular field SKINNER’S INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGYWundt- Subject: the elements of the mind Methodology: introspectionGallSubject: personalityMethodology: study relationships between shape of the skull and personality traits JamesSubject: stream of consciousnessMethodology: none FRANCIS BACONCriticized the practice of “appealing to authority” to prove ones argument Study nature, not what someone writes about nature Science and implications for solving problemsMethodology: systematic and controlled observationinduction BIAS DISCUSSED BY BACONIdols of the tribeSenses are limitedBelieve that there is more order and regularity in the worldConfirmation biasIdols of the cavePersonal lens Idols of the marketplaceLearn words and phrases in the vernacular- connotationsAccepting what others believeSame words-different meaningIdols of the theatreFlawed philosophy and methodology leads to a false picture, a fiction SKINNER AND BACONGain knowledge through direct observation and experimentationinstrumentsInduction as proper methodology- not testing of preconceived Production of technologies to help people“study the book of nature”Take precautions to avoid observer bias SKINNER AND MACHMach was both a physicist and a philosopherMach’s writing reinforced many of the same ideas of BaconInduction: observing many instances and generalizing to more universal claimsWords contain excess meaningScience should be practical- help people survive and prosperReduce biases of hypotheses ExtensionsFunctional relationships between variables MACH’S INFLUENCESearch for causal relationships in the form of functional relationships between variables Economical description of the facts- parsimony Philosophical and cognitive explanations problematic- go beyond the factsScience (not philosophy) provides the best way to gain knowledgeDarwinian biology- serve as a foundation for answering questions PAVLOVPavlovian conditioning or Classical conditioningNeutral stimulus- does no evoke the responseConditioned stimulus- requires learning to evoke the target behavior Unconditioned stimulus- evokes the target response without any learningUnconditioned response- the unlearned response to the unconditioned stimulusConditioned response- the learned response to the conditioned stimulusExtinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization, and discriminationhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NSeYRanbbU THORNDIKEFather of intelligence testingLaw of effectBehaviors that lead to satisfying situations are “stamped in”Behaviors that lead to unsatisfying situations are “stamped out” Weak law of effectBehaviors that lead to satisfying situations are “stamped in” ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE-PUZZLE BOXES .

1. CH. 3- INTELLECTUAL BACKGROUND
SKINNER’S PSYCHOLOGY
NORMAL SCIENCEParadigms or theories are
developedHypotheses based of paradigms are testedUseful for
solving problems?Useful for explaining current data or
phenomenon?
New paradigms replace others as we learn more about a
particular field
SKINNER’S INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGYWundt-
Subject: the elements of the mind Methodology:
introspectionGallSubject: personalityMethodology: study
relationships between shape of the skull and personality traits
JamesSubject: stream of consciousnessMethodology: none
FRANCIS BACONCriticized the practice of “appealing to
authority” to prove ones argument Study nature, not what
someone writes about nature
Science and implications for solving problemsMethodology:
systematic and controlled observationinduction

2. BIAS DISCUSSED BY BACONIdols of the tribeSenses are
limitedBelieve that there is more order and regularity in the
worldConfirmation biasIdols of the cavePersonal lens Idols of
the marketplaceLearn words and phrases in the vernacular-
connotationsAccepting what others believeSame words-different
meaningIdols of the theatreFlawed philosophy and methodology
leads to a false picture, a fiction
SKINNER AND BACONGain knowledge through direct
observation and experimentationinstrumentsInduction as proper
methodology- not testing of preconceived Production of
technologies to help people“study the book of nature”Take
precautions to avoid observer bias
SKINNER AND MACHMach was both a physicist and a
philosopherMach’s writing reinforced many of the same ideas of
BaconInduction: observing many instances and generalizing to
more universal claimsWords contain excess meaningScience
should be practical- help people survive and prosperReduce
biases of hypotheses ExtensionsFunctional relationships
between variables
MACH’S INFLUENCESearch for causal relationships in the
form of functional relationships between variables Economical
description of the facts- parsimony Philosophical and cognitive
explanations problematic- go beyond the factsScience (not
philosophy) provides the best way to gain knowledgeDarwinian
biology- serve as a foundation for answering questions

3. PAVLOVPavlovian conditioning or Classical
conditioningNeutral stimulus- does no evoke the
responseConditioned stimulus- requires learning to evoke the
target behavior Unconditioned stimulus- evokes the target
response without any learningUnconditioned response- the
unlearned response to the unconditioned stimulusConditioned
response- the learned response to the conditioned
stimulusExtinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization, and
discriminationhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NSeYRanbb
U
THORNDIKEFather of intelligence testingLaw of
effectBehaviors that lead to satisfying situations are “stamped
in”Behaviors that lead to unsatisfying situations are “stamped
out”
Weak law of effectBehaviors that lead to satisfying situations
are “stamped in”
ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE-PUZZLE BOXES
*
THORNDIKEProblems with Thorndike’s analysisAppeal to
internal , emotional states as an explanationPunishers do not
have to be painfulReinforcers do not have to be pleasurableDid
not believe Thorndike’s work had enough scientific rigor

4. Influenced Skinner’s work: set the groundwork for Operant
Conditioning
WATSONDemonstrated that human behavior could be
classically conditionedDemonstrated the feeling could be
classically conditionedDemonstrated both generalization across
stimuli and discrimination between stimuli in terms of classical
conditioning
DISAGREEMENTS WITH WATSONExaggerated the role of
learningExplain too much with few principlesEmphasized
stimulus-response psychologyHumans just animalsCognition
(i.e., feelings, thoughts, and beliefs)does not a legitimate role in
the science of psychology
AGREEMENT WITH WATSONUsed the term Behaviorism to
characterize his approach to psychologyRelevance of behavioral
concepts and conditioning to improve human life
INFLUENCE OF LEARNING RESEARCHERSBehavior is
worthy of studyAnimals are predictably influenced by
experienceGoal of science is prediction and control of
behaviorScientific control is necessary to determine critical
variables (use of scientific methods, reduce bias)Different types
of learningDifferent learning phenomenon (acquisition,
generalization, extinction)Principles of learning applied to all
mammals

5. INFLUENCE OF CHARLES DARWINSkinner considered
psychology as a branch of biologyEvolution- process of the
environmental selection of certain features in organismsMust be
some variabilityMust be a mechanism for retaining what is
selectedSomething must select (environment)
EXAMPLES OF EVOLUTIONPhenotypic characteristic of a
species based on differential survivalMoths with different
colorationChange in environmentChange in survival and thus
reproductionEvolution based on differential reproduction and
sensitivity to a particular reinforcerSexual act pleasurable or
notSurvival only without reproduction will not allow your genes
to go on to next generation
EXAMPLES OF EVOLUTIONExtinctionPart of the
processEnvironmental change that interferes with
reproductionInability to solve problem (not able to adapt to
environmental changes)Reflexes Reflex- automatic response to
stimuliEvolution of learning from consequencesLearn from
experience (learning is advantageous)Operant
conditioningHabituationClassical conditioning
EXAMPLES OF EVOLUTIONEvolution of societiesSocial
practices can have implication for survivalEvolutionary
selection: Advantageous not but not laterSlow processExample:
like high calorie foods

6. SUMMARY OF DARWIN'S INFLUENCEAll organisms are a
product of the evolutionary processAnswers to many questions
about organisms can be found in evolutionOperant conditioning
exists due to the survival benefits of learning from
experienceOperant conditioning mirrors natural selection-
environmental contingencies select behaviors from some initial
distribution of behaviors