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The Psyche As Behavior* La Psique Como Comportamiento a Psique Como Comportamento

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The Psyche As Behavior* La Psique Como Comportamiento a Psique Como Comportamento The Psyche as Behavior* La Psique como Comportamiento A Psique como Comportamento ARTURO CLAVIJO A. Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil Abstract Resumen Resumo Behaviorism has argued that behavior is the Según el conductismo, el comportamiento cons- Segundo o condutismo, o comportamento cons- Psyche and the subject matter of psychology. tituye la Psique y el tema de estudio de la psicolo- titui a Psique e o tema de estudo da psicologia. Although, some scientists had done empirical gía. Aunque algunos científicos habían realizado Embora alguns científicos tivessem realizado work with objective methods before 1913, the trabajos empíricos con métodos objetivos antes trabalhos empíricos com métodos objetivos an- year in which John B. Watson published his de 1913, año en el que John B. Watson publicó tes de 1913, ano em que John B. Watson publi- manifesto, he was the first one to attempt a sys- su manifiesto, este último fue el primero en in- cou seu manifesto, este último foi o primeiro em tematization of behavior as the Psyche, that is, as tentar la sistematización de la conducta como tentar a sistematização da conduta como equi- psychology’s subject matter. In this text, I out- equivalente a la Psique, esto es, como el objeto valente à Psique, isto é, como objeto de estudo line Watson’s notion of behavior to compare it de estudio de la psicología. El artículo discute da psicologia. Neste artigo, discute-se a noção with two other forms of behaviorism: Skinner’s la noción de comportamiento de Watson y la de comportamento de Watson ao compará-la radical behaviorism and molar behaviorism. The compara con otras dos formas de conductismo: com outras duas formas de condutismo: o con- purpose of the paper is to illustrate how the con- el conductismo radical de Skinner y el conduc- dutismo radical de Skinner e o condutismo mo- cept of behavior has been and is changing. tismo molar, con el fin de ilustrar la forma en que lar, com o objetivo de ilustrar a forma na qual o el concepto de comportamiento ha cambiado y conceito de comportamento mudou e continua sigue cambiando. mudando. Keywords: behaviorism, John B. Watson, behav- Palabras clave: conductismo, John B. Watson, Palavras-chave: condutismo, John B. Watson, ior, psyche. comportamiento, psique. comportamento, Psique. How to cite this article: Clavijo, A. (2013). The psyche as behavior. Revista Colombiana de Psicología, 22(2), 377-387. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Arturo Clavijo, e-mail: [email protected]. Department of Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Cr. 30 No. 45-03, Building 212, Bogotá, Colombia. THEORETICAL REFLECTION ARTICLE RECEIVED: 6 JUNE 2013 – ACCEPTED: 7 SEPTEMBER 2013 * This series of essays commemorates the 100 years of Watson´s behaviorist manifesto published in 1913. REVISTA COLOMBIANA DE PSICOLOGÍA VOL. 22 N.º 2 JULIO-DICIEMBRE 2013 ISSN 0121-5469 IMPRESO | 2344-8644 EN LÍNEA BOGOTÁ COLOMBIA PP. 377-387 378 ARTURO CLAVIJO A. The Psyche as Behavior: From Later, the Encyclopedia Britannica added, Watson to Modern Behaviorism A derivative form of classical behavior- There is no need for controversy about ism known as neobehaviorism evolved from 1930 what psychologists study. As the word implies, through the late 1940s. In this approach, psychol- they study the Psyche. However, there is room ogists attempted to translate the general meth- for controversy about what the Psyche is. For odology prescribed by Watson into a detailed, instance, some dictionaries, introductory texts, experimentally based theory of adaptive behav- and the American Psychological Association ior. This era was dominated by learning theo- (2013) define psychology as the “science of mind rists Clark L. Hull and B.F. Skinner; Skinner’s and behavior” (see for instance, the Merriam- thought was the direct descendant of Watson’s Webster Dictionary, 2013), which implies that intellectual heritage and became dominant in the Psyche is composed of both, mind and be- the field after the mid-1950s. Other important havior. Nevertheless, given that some authors behaviorists included Hull-influenced Kenneth define psychology as the study of mind (Gard- W. Spence; Neal Miller… Edward C. Tolman; ner, 1987; Rivière, 1998) whereas others define it and Edwin R. Guthrie (para. 2). as the study of behavior (Baum, 1994; Skinner, 1938, 1953; Watson, 1913, 1930), and that those Watson (1913, 1930), successful or not in his definitions are incompatible, to say that psychol- endeavor, was the first to openly argue for a psy- ogy is the science of mind or behavior would be chology in which behavior was the Psyche. Ac- more appropriate. Of course, many other enti- tually, Watson (1913, 1930) was not the founder ties, from the subconscious mind to social rep- of behaviorism. As Wozniak (1997) argued, by resentations, seem suitable candidates for the 1913, when Watson delivered his “manifesto”, Psyche, but most of them are just expressions of behaviorism was 40 years old. However, his in- mind or behavior. fluence in popularizing and making a case for Behaviorism is the movement that has behaviorism is undeniable. As his manifesto is argued for behavior as the Psyche, or subject a historical reference, I will use it as a departure matter of psychology. According to the Merri- point to examine how the notion of behavior am-Webster Dictionary (2013), behaviorism is has been changing since Watson introduced his “a school of psychology that takes the objective behaviorism. It is important to review Watson’s evidence of behavior (as measured responses to ideas because later authors distorted or misin- stimuli) as the only concern of its research and terpreted them, which also entails a distortion of the only basis of its theory without reference to behaviorism in general. For instance, contrary to conscious experience”, and according to the En- what the Encyclopedia Britannica (2013) asserts cyclopedia Britannica (2013): in the quote above, ideas and emotions were Behaviorism was a highly influential academic key aspects in Watson’s behaviorisms. Next, school of psychology that dominated psycho- I will outline some of Watson’s ideas and later logical theory between the two world wars. compare them to those of two other versions of Classical behaviorism, prevalent in the first behaviorism: Skinner’s behaviorism and molar third of the 20th century, was concerned ex- behaviorism. I must stress that my intention is clusively with measurable and observable data just to illustrate how the notion of behavior has and excluded ideas, emotions, and the consid- been changing. There are many others forms eration of inner mental experience and activity of behaviorism (see O’Donohue & Kitchener, in general (para. 1). 1999), and molar behaviorism is not necessarily DEPARTAMENTO DE PSICOLOGÍA FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS HUMANAS UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE COLOMBIA REVISTA COLOMBIANA DE PSICOLOGÍA VOL. 22 N.º 2 JULIO-DICIEMBRE 2013 ISSN 0121-5469 IMPRESO | 2344-8644 EN LÍNEA BOGOTÁ COLOMBIA - PP. 377-387 PSYCHE AS BEHAVIOR 379 going to replace the traditional forms of radical does not study an extra-natural thing and that behaviorism. It is also worth noting that this es- those who study it must use the same methods say is intended for general psychologists rather and logic of the other natural sciences. Hence, than for behavior analysts and people well-in- in Watson’s view, the Psyche, or subject mat- formed on behaviorism. ter of psychology, was a natural phenomenon. William James had argued more than a decade Behavior in Watson’s Behaviorism before that psychology was a natural science As Wozniak (1997) pointed out, by the time (Leahey, 1980). Nevertheless, in James’ view, Watson (1913) published his manifesto, several psychology’s subject matter was consciousness, researchers, such as Douglas Alexander Spald- and Watson believed that any conception of con- ing and Charles Darwin, had conducted studies sciousness, including that of James, was “neither with human and nonhuman animals employing a definable nor a usable concept” (Watson, 1930, objective methods. Nevertheless, nobody had p. 3). Watson’s behaviorism had strong roots in systematized a psychology in which behavior Darwinism and functionalism, so his version of was the subject matter, so Watson’s purpose, the Psyche was not exclusive to humans. Since he according to Wozniak (1997), was to supply a assumed continuity among species, he believed rationale to legitimate the behavioral methods that research with other animals would help in already in use and to justify them as an alterna- the understanding of the human Psyche, just as tive to the study of consciousness by the intro- research with humans would help in the under- spective methods in vogue in his time. A key standing of the other animals’ Psyche. His inter- issue in Watson’s systematization was his notion est in animal behavior was one of the reasons for of behavior, which he defined broadly as “what rejecting “mental states” and “consciousness” as the organism does or says” (Watson, 1930, p. 6). the subject matter of psychology; it would not Because the definition is very general, it does be possible to “introspect” the mental states of not shed much light on what he understood by an animal. behavior. However, that understanding emerges According to Watson (1913, 1930), an ob- from a closer look at some of his texts. Watson server could measure the behavior of another (1913) wrote, organism in physical terms, find the variables Psychology as the behaviorist views it is a purely that regulate its behavior in the environment, objective experimental branch of natural science. and describe its behavior in a stimulus-response Its theoretical goal is the prediction and control framework. In his view, the behavior of an or- of behavior. Introspection forms no essential part ganism was a physical phenomenon that con- of its methods, nor is the scientific value of its sisted of responses to the different forms of data dependent upon the readiness with which stimulation in its environment.
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