The document summarizes criticisms of behaviorism from several sources. Behaviorism is criticized for being too focused on conditioning and not accounting for internal mental states. While behaviorism was beneficial for research, Skinner's ideas contradicted some aspects of Darwinism, like the existence of free will. Skinner's theory also failed to explain language and memory acquisition in children. Additionally, behaviorism did not show that conditioning fully explained complex human behavior in the same way it explained animal behavior. Factors like mood, motivation, and individual differences are not accounted for.

1. Lauren Fowler-Carter
Reflective Paper: Issues and Criticism of Behaviorism
Behaviorism “is a theory of learning based upon the idea that all behaviors are acquired through
conditioning” (Cherry, n.d). Critics have stated that behaviorism “is a one-dimensional approach to
behavior and that behavioral theories do not account for free will and internal influences such as
moods, thoughts and feelings.” I would like to add that behaviorism has been very beneficial to
research, even though it may “not as dominant today” (Cherry, n.d). According to Naik (1998), Skinner
aligns his theory with Darwin’s, yet “some ideas in Darwinism contradict Skinner’s operant
conditioning.” One of the ideas that Skinner denies existence of is free-will, but Darwin “believes
humans are constantly improving themselves to gain better self-control.” This is a major contradiction
within Skinner’s theory.
Naik (1998) also states that Skinner’s ideas fail to explain language and memory. Driscoll (2005)
states that Skinner “proposed that the verbal behavior of children is shaped, with appropriate verbal
labels for objects and events being maintained through reinforcement as inappropriate ones are
extinguished (p. 64). There are a number of factors that could be considered to why and how children
verbally learn.
Another known criticism according for Naik (1998) is the “failure to show adequate
generalizability in human behavior. Meaning, it is evident that Pavlovian and operant conditioning exist
because of the research done on animals and their behavior, but human behavior is “much more
complex” (Naik, 1998). A question that can be asked, according to Driscoll (2005) is “why are some
consequences of behavior reinforcing when others are not?” (p. 65). The factors of mood and
motivation could probably also be considered toward this question.

2. Lauren Fowler-Carter
Works Cited
Cherry, K. (n.d). What is Behaviorism? Retrieved September 14, 2011, from About.com: Psychology:
http://psychology.about.com/od/behavioralpsychology/f/behaviorism.htm
Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of Learning for Instruction (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education,
Inc.
Naik, P. (1998). Behaviorism as a Theory of Personality: A Critical Look. Retrieved September 19, 2011,
from PersonalityResearch.org: http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/naik.html