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In Discussion Forum 7, post your response to the following discussion prompt. Reply to at least two classmates’ responses by the date indicated in the Course Calendar. [MO 4.1, MO 4.2, MO 4.3] Who are the pioneers of behaviorism? In your opinion, which one has offered the most significant contributions to the field of psychology, and what are those contributions? Support your opinion with facts and evidence, including examples of how you have seen this person’s principles in your own life or the world around you. In your replies to your classmates, indicate whether you agree or disagree with their opinions. Provide new evidence or counterevidence to support your point of view. Here are the 2 Classmate responses that need replies: Classmate #1- Samantha “The psychologists who contributed to behaviorism include: Ivan Pavlov, Edward Thorndike, John B. Watson, and B.F. Skinner. I believe John B. Watson contributed the most significance to behaviorism. This is because he founded classical behaviorism that treated behavior as the science of behavior. He paved the way for other psychologists. His little Albert experiment was most interesting to me as well. It demonstrated how people get fears and learn complicated behaviors by controlling their environment. I have seen this personally in my life. As an ABA therapist his theory is still relevant. When my client shows good behavior he gets rewarded. Even with my own kids, i implement positive reinforcement. I can also notice the difference in my own children when they are in a home environment and a school environment. They are particularly different. Environment is a big influence on children and that is what Watson’s theory suggests.” Classmate#2-Hallie When the textbook talks about behaviorism, it starts off with speaking about a clever horse named Clever Hans (Schultz & Schultz, 2016). He was able to count things out by tapping his hooves and could spell out words by tapping (Schultz & Schultz, pg. 189). He would also be able to answer some questions by nodding his head (Schultz & Schultz, pg. 189) . Clever Hans was taught by a retired mathematics teacher named Wilhelm von Osten (Schultz & Schultz, pg. 189). Soon after, there was a revolution of sorts and this is when John B. Watson came into the picture. He rejected the idea of consciousness (Schultz & Schultz, pg. 191). He was able to organize and promote his ideas. Another particular leader was Edward Lee Thorndike, who dealt with animal psychology (Schultz & Schultz, pg. 198). There was also Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (Schultz & Schultz, pg. 200). These people were the pioneers of behaviorism and we were introduced to a lot of their ideas where some are still withstanding today. I feel that John B. Watson offered the most significant contributions because he believed that behavior could be more subjective, and the exterior mattered more than the interior, if that makes sense. We are shaped by our environment and this is a constant occurrence. Schultz, D. P., & Schultz, S. E. (2016). A history of modern psychology (11th ed.). Cengage Learning.
