Radical Behaviorist

Radical Behaviorist

Introduction

Radical behavioral theory was presented by B.F. Skinner and according to this theory the science of behavior is natural science and that environment has a major impact on the behavior of the people. This theory does not consider the biological and cognitive influences that may impact the human behavior. According to the radical behavior theory, the behavior of animals can be compared to that of the human beings. Skinner's operant conditioning is also an important and essential aspect of the radical behavioral theory. This paper will discuss how the radical behaviorist theory applies to human learning process.

Discussion

B.F. Skinner is known for his theory of conditioning. He believes that behavior is reinforced and that punishment is one thing that moulds the behavior of the people. By means of their experience, children are conditioned and they react accordingly (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). Operant conditioning is one concept that was developed by B.F. Skinner according to which pleasant and unpleasant consequences can be controlled by means of their behavior (karolyeatts.com). Negative and positive reinforcement was introduced by Skinner and according to him good behavior can be reinforced by rewards and negative behavior by punishment.

Operant conditioning, an approach to the human learning is modified by the changes that may take place in the behavior of the individual. According to operant conditioning, the human behavior is determined by its consequences and not influenced by different aspects such as biological and cognitive behavior. Punishment and rewards are the main aspects that drive the behavior of human beings and these are the only reasons why humans perform any type of action. It is important for the people to understand the concept of operant conditioning in order to accept or reject the theory presented by B.F. Skinner (www.nndb.com).

Criticism

Skinner's theory has been critiqued a lot and by many theorists. The next section will present critique with respect to a few theories. These theories emphasize the fact that cognition and biological aspects are essential for human learning and gaining new information.

Cognitive Information Processing Theory

Cognitive information processing theory is not a single theory, but an amalgamation of multiple theories. According to this theory, human learning occurs according to the networked memory structures. These occur in the human brain as all the information is stored in the brain and this helps the individual in solving problems. Problem solving depends on a couple of elements i.e. the capability of the individuals' brain to ...