Week 2, Post #2

Behaviorism was a grand theory, opposing psychoanalytic theory, and was developed in the time era of  John B. Watson. This behaviorist argued psychoanalytic (Freud's psychosexual, and Erikson's psychosocial) isn't accurate because one cannot measure and observe an individuals thoughts and hidden urges as a science. He believed he could train an individual to become any occupation chosen, if they were primed from infant age. This was the foundation of the learning theory because it states people learn and develop habits depending on responses to the environment. Ivan Pavlov linked stimulus to and response through animal digestive studies. He coined conditioning, when an individual relates stimuli to an action. A reoccurant response becomes associated with a sound, or stimulation of the senses. B.F. Skinner coined a similar way of learning called opperant conditioning (instrumental conditioning) is when something experiences a consequence, if the consequence is positive, the individual will repeat the action. Pleasant consequences are rewards and positive reinforcement for the individual to repeat the good behavior. On the other hand, reinforcement could have a fall back. Punishment could also be interpreted as an award. Punishment reinforcement when a bad behavior occurs can actually back fire, for if a attention-seeking child appreciates the negative attention, they will repeat the bad behavior because it's rewarding. Behaviorism and psychoanalytic theory are controversial and inspirational, rejected and accepted throughout the history of psychology. However, even prior to the develop of Freud and Pavlovs' theories, Louis Psteur developed the germ theory, which "invisible bacteria could make someone sick," which sparked a generation of sterilizing medical tools and hands. This saved millions of lives, however the theory went to an extreme when physicians proposed separating babies from their mothers to keep germs at bay. This lack of infant/caregiver bonding impacted unknowingly to the health field and public eye. Until psychologist Harry Harlow studied baby monkeys  in an experiment concluding monkey's sought clothed surrogate mother (meeting comfort and needs of protection), rather than food resource surrogate (meeting resource needs). The experiment concluded, basic feeding needs did not form a bond, physical contact did.