Behaviorism and Criminology Essay Sample
Behaviorism and Criminology Essay Sample

Behaviorism and Criminology Essay Sample

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  • Pages: 8 (2200 words)
  • Published: August 13, 2018
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Behaviorism was first introduced to the field of psychology in the United States by John B. Watson.

According to him, behavioral therapy is solely concerned with studying human behavior and not with the mind or consciousness. This allows for a purely objective study of human beings, similar to how rats and apes are studied. The foundations of behavioral therapy are rooted in two notable events.

In the early 1900s, the emergence of behavioral therapy was marked by J.B. Watson's criticism of the subjective and mentalistic approach in psychology. Watson advocated for behaviorism as a foundation for objective studies on behavior, emphasizing the significance of environmental events. He opposed covert aspects of individuals and argued that acquisition explains all behaviors. This became the established basis of behaviorism.

Other behavior healers have rejected Watson's stance, leading to the development of more refined versions of behaviorism by theo

...

rists like B.F. Skinner. Skinner's extremist behaviorism has had a massive impact not only on behavior therapy but also on psychology in general. Similar to Watson, Skinner believed that observable behavior is the only acceptable subject for scientific investigation. Additionally, experimental research on the psychology of learning was conducted in Russia.

During the turn of the 20th century, Ivan Pavlov laid down the groundwork for classical conditioning. The study of conditioning and learning principles, which was predominantly conducted in animal research laboratories, became a prominent aspect of experimental psychology in the United States after World War 2.

Within this country, workers adhering to Pavlov and Skinner's traditions focused on scientifically analyzing behavior through the study of rats and pigeons. Notably, two clinical interventions applied early conditioning principles. Behaviorist experiments identify conditioning as a universal learning proces

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with two distinct types.

The article discusses two types of conditioning that result in different behaviors. Authoritative conditioning is the first type, which involves a physiological response to a stimulus. Pavlov's study demonstrated this concept by illustrating that dogs salivate when they are presented with food or even just the sight of it. Essentially, humans and animals are instinctively wired to react in a specific manner to particular stimuli. The second form of conditioning is not explained within this text.

Behavioral conditioning is reinforced responses to stimuli, and operant conditioning is a feedback system where responses are likely to occur if they are followed by a reward or support. To illustrate, consider behavioristic B.

Skinner utilized reinforcement methods in order to teach pigeons how to dance and play a game of bowling in a miniature alley. Watson based his research on experiments conducted by Ivan Pavlov, who had examined how animals reacted to conditioning.

In Pavlov's most famous experiment, he studied why dogs begin to salivate before given food. He found that any stimulus would elicit the same response in salivation if the dog could frequently associate that stimulus with food. To test this, he used a bell as a Conditioned Stimulus and paired it with food to see if the dogs would eventually associate the two. He rang the bell and fed the dogs.

By repeatedly ringing a bell while providing food, Pavlov conditioned dogs to associate the sound of the bell with food and begin salivating at the sound. Eventually, he removed the food and simply rang the bell, and the dogs would still associate the two frequently enough for Pavlov to believe that the bell

had become linked with food in their minds.

Watson later emphasized that people respond to stimuli in a similar way. B.F. Skinner is now associated with behaviorism and was the person who experimented with Watson's theories in the laboratory.

After conducting his studies, Skinner rejected Watson's focus on physiological responses and conditioning, instead stating that individuals both react to and manipulate their surroundings in order to produce specific outcomes. This approach known as Behaviorism emerged in the field of psychology.

Although originally developed as a psychological concept, behaviorism has had a broad reach in various fields. Its principles and techniques are frequently employed in academic instruction, including many university courses that draw inspiration from the same principles as those of behaviorism. Additionally, behaviorism can offer valuable insights into the actions of individuals within spheres such as the justice system.

The pre-suppositions of behaviorism involve wrongdoers and the belief that the universe is the ultimate world. It is argued that behaviorism is realistic because natural laws can account for all explanations.

The text asserts that humans do not possess a soul, but rather only have a brain that responds to external stimuli. This is likened to machines which are conditioned to respond in certain ways. David Cohen's book "Behaviorism" states that the foundation of this school of thought is the idea...

Our emotions, intentions, and thought processes are conditioned and drive our actions towards the fulfillment of needs and goals, even if it may not be obvious in our behavior.

As biological machines, our actions are stimulated rather than chosen consciously. According to behaviorism, we are not accountable for these actions since we are simply machines.

According to behaviorism theory, we are beings

that operate based on environmental stimuli and goals, lacking individuality or consciousness. This means that every action performed by us is predetermined and cannot be avoided. Additionally, behaviorism is often criticized for being manipulative and not solely focused on understanding human behavior.

Skinner's theories allowed for not only predicting behavior, but also controlling it through the concept of "shaping". This involved utilizing rewards and punishments to influence the behavior of other individuals.

Hans J. Eysenck, another prominent figure in behavior therapy, presented a definition of behavior therapy in a 1959 paper submitted to his university. He described it as the utilization of contemporary learning theory to address emotional and behavioral disorders.

According to Eysneck, both Pavlov's rules and processes and those of learning theorists were important in behavior therapy, which he considered to be a testable and confirmable applied science. In 1963, Eysneck and Rachman established Behaviour Research and Therapy, the first journal dedicated to behavior therapy, which was a significant milestone. Additionally, Skinner's publications in 1953 were another driving force in the behavioral therapy movement.

The book, Science and Human Behaviour, was where he challenged psychodynamic concepts and redefined psychotherapeutics using a behavioral approach. Initially, operant conditioning was mainly applied in clinical settings with children. Even though Psychology and crime may not seem related, behaviorism can be applied in the criminal justice system.

The idea that conditioning is not true is false. Conditioning begins at a young age and behaviors are learned through rewards and punishments.

The use of wages and penalties will reinforce rewarded behavior, making it more frequent and maximizing the rewards received.

Both classical and operant conditioning involve promoting behavior that leads to positive outcomes and discouraging

behavior that results in punishment or negative consequences. Therefore, these two forms of learning share many similarities.

However, operant learning has negative associations as individuals may learn to avoid adverse consequences while still engaging in the initial behavior. For instance, if a child steals candy and faces negative outcomes, they may stop stealing. Nonetheless, the child may also change their approach towards stealing to evade such consequences.

When there is no one around, there is little chance of being caught. This teaches children that they can achieve desirable outcomes and avoid negative consequences by modifying their behavior, if the potential benefits are deemed worthwhile.

The theory that individuals seek to maximize rewards and minimize consequences can explain the potential continuation of unacceptable behavior, drawing on positive and negative experiences. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported a study on gambling behavior involving around 330 participants as another example of utilizing a biopsychosocial method.

According to statistics, around 140,000 individuals in Australia who are adults suffer from notable gambling issues. This accounts for approximately 2.3% of the adult population.

According to recent studies, a significant percentage of individuals who have pursued gambling as a career have contemplated committing suicide. Research in this field primarily concentrates on biological elements like familial background and mental factors such as impulsivity and positive/negative reinforcement.

According to recent research, problem gaming is affected by environmental and peer factors which interact with each other. Sharpe's work supports this idea and suggests that a biopsychosocial perspective should be taken due to the disorder's spontaneous nature. This should be considered when examining behavior therapy in the justice field.

Indications of conditioning are readily apparent, particularly in our prison system where inmates have

been conditioned through the concept of punishment. This falls under the realm of behaviorism and from a psychological viewpoint, it can be observed that prisoners have been removed from their mainstream society environment.

The prison system involves confining individuals in an environment aimed at both punishment and rehabilitation. This can be likened to Pavlov's experiment with Canis familiaris and the bell.

It can be argued that captives respond similarly to various stimuli. For example, in prisons, bells are rung at different times of the day to indicate different tasks that must be attended to. The behavior of prisoners is shaped by the authorities to conform to predetermined standards. When a lunch bell rings...

Both the lunchtime routine and the judicial system are connected with behavior therapy theories in detaining and rehabilitating offenders. Captives must eat in the lunchroom or their cell or risk losing their privilege of having lunch. This failure to respond teaches them that not reacting to the lunch bell stimulus results in a penalty. If an offender is sentenced to jail, they are subjected to the conditioning process of detention and rehabilitation through the legal system.

The system's first measure aims to rehabilitate wrongdoers by conditioning them upon entering their allocated prison. This marks the start of their removal from their environment and the conditioning process. The strict control and limited freedom serve as a sincere effort towards conditioning prisoners.

The prison guards who coexist with inmates in the facility are an emerging aspect of the prison system, which is not necessarily related to the inmates themselves.

Despite wearing distinct uniforms, both guards undergo the same training to oversee inmates. Their contrasting conduct while in uniform demonstrates how

they are conditioned to behave differently within their workplace. Once they don their uniform, they take on the responsibility of molding prisoner behavior. This illustrates further how behaviorism, punishment, and rewards impact the prison system.

Should a tribunal mandate that an offender serve six years in prison, with a four-year non-parole period, the offender may be discharged after just four years based heavily on their behavior while incarcerated. If the detainee demonstrates good conduct and is granted parole during their hearing, it indicates to the system that they have adhered to its regulations and are deserving of acknowledgment for their positive actions.

The justice system uses the concept of reward and penalty, as seen in Judges giving good behavior bonds which serve as a reward for first-time offenders' good conduct. This bond is essentially a final warning before any punishment is imposed, conditioning individuals to behave accordingly, aligning with the Behaviourism theory.

Behaviorism is pervasive in the entire justice system, manifesting in the policing, tribunals, and prison system. The practice of behaviorism is widely recognized and utilized in the Justice community on a daily basis, and it serves as a cornerstone of the effectiveness of our justice system, even if some may hold differing opinions.

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Chapter 10.2 titled "Learning Structures" was published in the year 2001.

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Chapter 7 entitled "Behavior therapy" discusses current psychotherapies and is found on page D.

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The text within the states that the source is the second edition of "E Student. Units 1 & A; 2" by Jacaranda Press, published in Melbourne in 1996, and authored by Burish.The third edition of "Behavior Therapy: Techniques and Empirical Findings" by Harcourt Brace U explores various techniques and empirical findings.

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M. Selected Papers. Chapter 9. Dulwich Centre Publications.

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Here is the URL for an essay on BESC-1190 hosted at users.net2000.com.au/~bosco.

On 29-02-05, a web page with the hypertext transfer protocol link http://www.precursor.com/forerunner/X0497_DeMar_-_Behaviorism provided information about the basics of Behaviorism by G. DeMar.

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Definition of Behaviourism can be found at hypertext transfer protocol: //www.funderstanding.com/behaviorism.cfm. Understanding this concept is crucial. Website was accessed on 23-02-1005.

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