Hi Folks,
Let me clarify my previous post (included below) as there appears to be
some confusion.
Thanks to all who responded by letting me know that these are indeed
misunderstandings. However, that was not what I was asking although I was
apparently less than clear.
Let me try again: The web site maintains that these are common
misunderstandings presented by psychologists, psychology professors, and
texts. I guess this raises two questions for me.
1. Are these misunderstandings as common as implied on the web site?
2. (And my major question - as I have seen some of this information
presented in texts) If yes, then what do believe accounts for these
misunderstandings? Is it grounded in ignorance, differences in
philosophical approaches, differences in training, the diversity of
behavioral theories, etc.? Are there psychologists who perceive the
misunderstandings as accurate representations of behaviorism?
Hopefully, I have been a tad more coherent this time.
Warm regards,
linda
Painful Reminder of Reply Function Changes: Mailbox filled with duplicate
messages!
"Linda M. Woolf" wrote:
> Hi Folks,
>
> I'm using Walden Two in a class this summer and while surfing the web, I
> ran across a Walden Two community's web site (Los Horcones:
> http://www.loshorcones.org.mx/). On their web site (go to Brief
> Introduction and then to section on Misunderstandings about Behavior
> Analysis and Radical Behaviorism) is a discussion of what they identify
> as misunderstandings, They recommend that students direct their
> psychology instructors to this site.
>
> Anyway, it says the following. I would love to get your feedback on
> this.
>
> Behavior Analysis is misunderstood when:
>
> 1. It is said to be mechanistic, to consider human beings as machines,
> or robots without feelings,
> emotions or thoughts. See Behavior Analysis
>
> 2. It is said to be reductionistic, to consider psychological events as
> biological or physical.
>
> 3. It is said that it reduces human psychology to stimuli and responses.
> It is said to be based on
> Pavlov's ideas. It is said that human behavior is conditioned reflexes.
>
> 4. It is said to deny freedom and dignity, asserting that human behavior
> is predestined. It is said that
> human beings are slaves of circumstances and that nobody has dignity
> because nobody has merit.
>
> 5. It is said to be based on logical positivism, which means that we are
> able to study only that can be
> observed and verified by two people. It is said to deny the existence of
> feelings and thoughts because
> they can not be observed by others. It is said that human beings are
> black boxes.
>
> 6.It is said that it is not a science but Skinner's theory alone, that
> it is based on his very personal way
> of conceiving human behavior.
>
> 7. It is said that behavior scientists are interested in manipulating or
> controlling people.
>
> 8. It is said that it is a cold and dehumanizing science.
>
> 9. It is said that it denies the uniqueness of the individual, meaning
> that every person respond to the
> same stimulus in the same way. It is said that humans are machines.
>
> Thanks,
>
> linda
>
> --
> linda m. woolf, ph.d.
> associate professor - psychology
> webster university
>
> main webpage: http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/
> Holocaust and genocide studies pages:
> http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/holocaust.html
> womens' pages: http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/women.html
> gerontology pages: http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/gero.html
>
> mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
--
linda m. woolf, ph.d.
associate professor - psychology
webster university
main webpage: http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/
Holocaust and genocide studies pages:
http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/holocaust.html
womens' pages: http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/women.html
gerontology pages: http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/gero.html
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
