Although Most Psychologists Agree That Behavior Is a Result of Both Genetics and Environment
Although most psychologists agree that behavior is a result of both genetics and environment, there are some very convincing arguments to support each side of the nurture vs. nature debate. Provide two examples from the reading that support the biological model of behavior. Do you agree with the evidence? Why or why not? (The reading is from Applied Behavior Analysis 2nd edition, John O Cooper, Timothy E Heron, William L Heward from pg 47 to 101).
Behavioral Psychology is basically interested in how our behavior results from the stimuliboth in the environment and within ourselves. An often-demanding process, scientific research on behavior has helped us learn a great deal about our behaviors,the effect our environment has on us, how we learn new behaviors, and what motivates us to change or remain the same. Behaviorism traces its roots to the early part of the20th century, a time when many psychologists emphasized self-analysis of mentalprocesses (introspection) or the psychoanalytic theory of Sigmund Freud. In contrast, researchers like Ivan Pavlov and John B. Watson, and B.F Skinnerbegan to develop a framework that emphasized observable processes (environmental stimuli and behavioral responses). The result was a new approach, behaviorism, which grew in popularity for some fifty years, becoming the dominant framework for experimental research that is still used today.
The biological (medical) model emerged in the late nineteenth century with the discovery that brain damage could result in thought and mood disturbances and bizarre behavior. This idea of abnormal behavior as a disease was an improvement on earlier views, which attributed abnormal behavior to possession by demons or moral corruption. However, certain sectors of society still maintained the more primitive view and some do today, despite copious literature to the contrary.
Nevertheless, humans are subject to the same stimuli and innate reactions as any other animal. Hunger, thirst, asphyxiation, fear, and exhaustion are physical sensations that cause instinctive physical reactions. Most of these reactions are unpleasant, and people avoid the stimuli that cause them, or, if they're unavoidable, take actions to reduce them. Thus you eat when hungry, drink when thirsty, fight for air, run from dangerous situations, sleep. In any case, the reactions are good in that they tell you you're in a situation that could result in injury or death. These responses are instinctive, and we have no more control over them than we do over our eye color (Taflinger, 1996).
In the study of the behavioral model and biological model of human behavior, we see that reinforcers are classified as unconditioned (those that do not require a learning history to acquire reinforcing qualities) or conditioned (stimuli that were initially neutral but acquired reinforcing properties by being paired with other reinforcers). Reinforcers can be classified as edible, sensory, tangible, activity, or social. Two examples of positive reinforcement include the process of executing a turn during a skiing lesson, your instructor shouts out, and exclaims “Great job!" This may encourage you to continue performing at top ability. In addition, at work, you exceed this month's sales quota so your boss gives you a bonus. Again, this will lead to a stronger drive to continue doing well (Cherry, 2011).
I agree with the above examples mostly because I have experienced similar situations in my own life. When I receive positive feedback, I want to keep behaving in a way that continues the praise. I feel that most people would respond in a similar way.
References
Cherry, K. (2011) What Is PositiveReinforcement? Last accessed January 16, 2012.