Throughout the period of the psychology as a science, its subject were different processes and mechanisms.In this connection, it highlights the main areas of psychology: behaviorism, psychoanalysis and humanistic direction.The most interesting approach seems to behaviorism, involving externally observable behavior as a matter of psychology.Behaviorism - is the direction in psychology, do not consider the internal processes that are not available to an outside monitoring.Thus, psychology is becoming ever closer to the natural sciences, in which the object of study is available not only to its bearer.The whole essence of the human mind, all the causes of certain human actions researcher can deduce from the observed phenomena.Behaviorism in psychology denied the significance of any internal processes beyond the control of observation, such as consciousness, feelings, sensations, etc.
history of behavioral approach to psychology
Although we can not exactly be called the year of occurrence of behaviorism as the direction (this is not a one-time event), officially psychology as a science of behavior was born in 1913.The founding father of behavioral trends said John Watson, who rejected the importance of consciousness in psychology.Only externally observable patterns of behavior proclaimed significant in the study of the human psyche.Before Watson's speech at a meeting of the American Psychological Association behavioral idea, as they say, in the air.The researcher simply gave them publicity and presented his research on the issue.Behaviorism in psychology reflected the general revolutionary situation in society at the time.The general idea that the human mind is adaptive and reflex belong Rene Descartes, who in the 17th century, formulated the doctrine of reflex.In Russia, the representatives of behaviorism include Pavlov (with its study of conditioned and unconditioned reflexes in animals) and V. spondylitis (reflexology).
essence of the approach
of key terms of this approach are the "stimulus" and "response."Indeed, using them, and describes all human behavior.The classic pattern of behavior: the stimulus causes a reaction.If we know which stimuli cause one or the other person's reaction, we can, roughly speaking, to manage and direct the behavior of the person in the right direction.There are other key concepts, which operates behaviorism.The psychology of behavior are also used to "encourage" and "punishment" by which and guided behavior.And encouragement and punishment can be positive and negative.If we want to consolidate the desired behavior, use positive or negative incentives.If we wish to break the chain of "stimulus-response" using punishment.
Conclusion
Today behaviorism in psychology plays an important role, for example, in the construction of educational process or in the conduct of various types of short-term psychotherapy.Of course, there are limitations of this approach, some of the ethical problems.Irreducibility of the complex human psyche to any one process or mechanism makes scientists are increasingly turning to the combination of different methods and approaches.
