El Conductismo - Watson, Skinner y el Condicionamiento - ¿La mente nace o se hace?

Summary

This video explores the history of psychology, from its formal establishment in 1879 by Wilhelm Wundt to the rise of psychoanalysis by Freud and the subsequent development of behaviorism by John Watson. It discusses Watson's famous experiment with Little Albert and the influence of Pavlov's classical conditioning. The script also covers Skinner's radical behaviorism, critiques from the Gestalt school and Chomsky, and the application of behaviorism in advertising and consumer psychology.

Takeaways

• 📚 Psychology as a science is formally considered to have been founded in 1879 when Wilhelm Wundt established the first psychology laboratory at the University of Leipzig, transitioning from being a part of philosophy to a scientific study of the mind.
• 🌟 The first major school of psychological thought that has influenced modern psychology is psychoanalysis, founded by Sigmund Freud. Freud's introspective method of studying the mind was criticized for its lack of scientific rigor.
• 🔍 At the beginning of the 20th century, behaviorism emerged as a reaction against Freud and psychoanalysis, aiming to make psychology a more natural science. John Watson, the father of behaviorism, rejected introspective methods and focused on observable and measurable behavior.
• 🐶 Ivan Pavlov's experiments with dogs led to the discovery of classical conditioning, where a natural stimulus (food) is paired with a conditioned stimulus (bell sound) to elicit a conditioned response (salivating), laying the foundation for understanding learning processes.
• 🧠 Watson believed that all human behavior is learned and that understanding the process of learning is crucial to understanding human behavior. He applied Pavlov's findings to human behavior, emphasizing the role of stimulus-response relationships and reinforcement.
• 👶 Watson's most famous experiment involved conditioning a baby, known as Little Albert, to fear a white rat by associating the rat with loud, frightening noises. This experiment demonstrated the power of classical conditioning in humans.
• 🔬 B.F. Skinner further developed behaviorism, focusing on operant conditioning and the role of reinforcement in shaping behavior. Skinner's work included the invention of the Skinner Box, which he used to study the behavior of rats in controlled environments.
• 📚 Skinner's radical behaviorism rejected any mentalistic explanations and focused solely on observable behavior and environmental factors. He believed that language and other complex human behaviors could also be explained through stimulus-response associations and reinforcement.
• 📈 Skinner's ideas extended beyond academic psychology, influencing fields like marketing. He applied behaviorist principles to advertising, aiming to create conditioned emotional responses in consumers that would drive them to purchase products.
• 🤔 While behaviorism has been criticized for its limitations in explaining all aspects of learning, behavior, and language development, it has made significant contributions to understanding conditioning and reinforcement, and its principles have been used in behavioral therapies and educational practices.

Q & A

When is psychology considered to be formally founded as a science?

Psychology is considered to be formally founded as a science in 1879 when Wilhelm Wundt established the first psychology laboratory at the University of Leipzig.

What was the primary focus of psychology before it became a separate scientific discipline?

Before becoming a separate scientific discipline, psychology was primarily a part of philosophy, focusing on the study of the vital breath or the soul.

Who founded the first major school of psychology that influenced psychology until today?

Sigmund Freud founded the first major school of psychology, psychoanalysis, which focused on introspective methods to study the mind.

What was the main criticism of Freud's psychoanalytic method?

Freud's psychoanalytic method was criticized for its lack of scientific rigor, making it difficult to determine the truthfulness of the subject's accounts and to measure and compare experiences.

Who is considered the father of behaviorism, and what was his main goal in psychology?

John Watson is considered the father of behaviorism. His main goal was to have a completely scientific approach to psychology, rejecting introspective methods and focusing on observable and measurable behaviors.

What is the significance of Ivan Pavlov's experiments on dogs in the context of behaviorism?

Ivan Pavlov's experiments on dogs demonstrated classical conditioning, where dogs were taught to associate the sound of a bell with food, leading to salivation even in the absence of food. This laid the foundation for the concept of stimulus-response relationships in behaviorism.

What was the main objective of John Watson's famous experiment with Little Albert?

John Watson's experiment with Little Albert aimed to demonstrate that human behavior could be conditioned through the association of stimuli, in this case, associating a white rat with loud noises to induce fear.

What is the difference between classical conditioning and operant conditioning as defined by B.F. Skinner?

Classical conditioning, as demonstrated by Pavlov, involves involuntary responses to stimuli, while operant conditioning, as defined by Skinner, involves conscious actions by the subject that are reinforced or punished to shape behavior.

How did B.F. Skinner's radical behaviorism differ from Edward Lee Thorndike's approach to learning?

While Thorndike focused on trial-and-error learning and the role of satisfaction in reinforcing behavior, Skinner's radical behaviorism eliminated any reference to mental processes, focusing solely on observable behavior and environmental stimuli.

What is the significance of the Gestalt school of psychology in contrast to behaviorism?

The Gestalt school, founded by Wolfgang Köhler, opposed the behaviorist approach by emphasizing the importance of the mind's ability to discern and solve problems, rejecting the idea that learning is solely based on trial and error.

How did behaviorism influence the field of marketing, as exemplified by John Watson's work?

John Watson applied behaviorist principles to advertising, aiming to guide consumer behavior by creating conditioned emotional responses that would drive purchases, demonstrating the practical application of behaviorism beyond academic research.