Behaviourism - BF Skinner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Behaviourism - BF Skinner - Essay Example So as a subject-matter of psychology this theory presents not the subjective world of an individual, but objectively fixated characteristics of an individual' behavior, caused by some external impacts. The followers of behaviorism have stated that the analysis of behavior must be strictly objective and content itself with observation of reactions on the surface. All that is happening inside of an individual cannot be studied as an individual's thoughts and conscience cannot be properly measured or recorded. Therefore nothing but responses and outward actions of a human being, and those stimuli and situations, which determine these reactions, can be researched objectively. According to behaviorists the main task of psychology is to spot the probable stimulus by response, and prognosticate some certain response by stimulus. From the point of view of behaviorism, personality is neither more nor less than a summation of behavioral responses inherent to a given person. Any behavioral response is originated by definite stimulus or situation. The formula 'stimulus - response' has been principal in behaviorism. The law of effect described by Edward Thorndike3 specifies that the connection between S and R becomes stronger if there is some reinforcement.