Behaviorism and Humanism
In reflecting on this section of learning theories, I am
reminded that there are many truths. Specifically, I see that each theory holds
a “piece to the puzzle” of how humans learn, and I could not imagine
discounting any one of them. However, of all of the learning theories presented
in this segment, I most connect to behaviorism and humanism and I think it is
because of the stage I am in within my own studies as a counseling student. I
have been a student of psychology for many years and yet only recently have I
accepted the notion of behaviorism into my worldview. I think that this
“school” of thought is often misunderstood due to the sometimes dry, and
technical language used to describe the theory.
Additionally, I think that many misunderstand behaviorists to disregard,
what is called “private events.” Private events are internal experiences that
cannot be studied because they are subjective and not able to be observed. It
is not that they don’t acknowledge these events, they just argue that it is
hard to get reliable information from these subjective experiences. I would
agree, though the humanist in me is very curious about a person’s subjective
experience – it might seem like a bit of a paradox, but I think both are true.
I don’t think that I am a pure behaviorist, nor am I a pure humanist. I do
think that we are conditioned by our environment and learn through reward and
reinforcements and I think that our
subjective experience can be helpful for one to explore and try and make
meaning of.
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| http://behaviourblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/keep-calm-heres-todays.html |
Now, an aspect of humanistic thought that I find myself
having difficulty with is the notion free
will. I am not sure I really understand or believe in this. Do I believe we
have choice – yes. But I don’t know that we really have free will. The
difficult thing for me about both behaviorism and humanism is that elements of
the theories can be difficult to grasp and seem a bit heady. In my search to try and find something fun
and engaging on free will, I failed. However, I did find this short and
enigmatic video of Skinner speaking to free will. What do you think about the
video? Did you find yourself having a difficult time following (like I did)?
Behaviorism, Humanism, and Free Will
ReplyDeleteBehaviorism and Humanism
I recognize value in of the learning theories. However, I see some of my life experiences my connected to behaviorism and humanism. As I think of behaviorism with my life experiences, I think of how my behavior changed after learning to drive. My behavior became serious while I was in the driver’s seat because then I understood that I was no longer the passenger. I learned this behavior by observing my mother. I also remember my sixth grade teacher rewarding me with a piece of wrapped candy when I did well on a test. I still remember hearing the sound of the wrapper in his hand as he was giving it to me. It is clearer to me now as to why he did that, and why I always did well in his class. Now as for humanism, the most profound statement to me was articulated by Rogers – an educated person is one “who has learned how to learn … how to adapt and change” and realizes “that no knowledge is secure, that only the process of seeking knowledge gives a basis for security” , (Merriam & Bierema, 2014). Learning how to learn. I understand more fully why I sometimes get irritated when I only get the “bits-and-piece” of a learning content. I am an observing and I like to put the puzzle together piece by piece. I can say that I had not recognized the strength of this until now.
Merriam, S., & Bierema, L. (2014). Adult Learning: Linking Theory and Practice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Free Will
I believe that we have a free will. I see it as an ability to choose. I made a choose today to get up out of my bed and I chose what I wanted to do next. I chose not to leave the house today, and I decided that I would study adult learning. No one made else was involved in these decisions. If I choose to stop going to work, I will have to decide how would sustain myself. I have a plethora of chooses to choose from.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1uBfCKLNrI
Lisa, I really appreciate your interpretation of free will. I like that - we have choice.
ReplyDeleteCarl Rogers is one of my heroes. Though he is known for being so compassionate and insightful, I see him as a radical in many ways, he challenged us to question our perceptions and be willing to bring our heart into the equation.