Child Psychology and Behaviorism

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There are many branches of psychology in the world today. The reason for this is based on the fact that there are major advancements which have been made in the field of behavior analysis. It is worth noting that since psychology is a scientific field, it challenges the psychologists to be seeking new information with the aim of integrating what has been acquired with the emerging findings and discoveries. Such is the case with child psychology.

In essence, child psychology is a branch of psychology which is concerned with understanding the behavior of children. In this case, child psychology is considered to be an objective attempt to understand behavior. Its subject matter is the behavior or activities of human beings.

As a behaviorist approach, child psychology discards consciousness because it cannot provide the factual data demanded by natural science. The traits of this approach include the fact that it links up the behavior of human beings with that of lower organisms. It is objective in its methods, in that its conclusions and generalizations are open to verification by other interested parties. It aims to predict and control behavior. There are various theories which have been associated with this theory.

Behaviorism has several theories which are associated with it. Key among these theories is the social learning theory. This theory was developed by Albert Bandura. In this theory, it is assumed that behavior is learned and organized chiefly through central integrative mechanisms prior to motor execution (A. Bandura). By observing a model of the desired behavior, an individual and in this case a child forms an idea of how response components must be combined and temporarily sequenced to produce new behavioral configurations.

That is, patterned behavior is largely guided by symbolic representation rather than formed through reinforced performance. The social learning theory is more concerned with the process whereby representation of patterned activities serves a response guidance function than with the particular form in which response information is represented.

It is assumed that the basic matching process is the same regardless of whether the desired behavior is conveyed through words, pictures, or actions. In social learning theory, reinforcement is considered a facilitatory rather than a necessary condition because factors other than response consequences can also exercise selective control over attention (A. Bandura).

People will learn modeled events that command attention because of their striking physical properties, or because they have acquired distinctiveness and affective valence through prior experiences. One does not have to be reinforced to hear compelling auditory stimulus, to look at prominent visual displays, or to gaze at fetching belles.

Indeed, when attention is effectively channeled to modeling through physical means, the addition of positive incentives does not affect the level of observational learning. In the 1960s, Albert Bandura conducted the Bobo Doll experiment experiments on observational learning. It was known as the Bobo doll experiment because the experimental procedure utilized a blow up plastic Bobo doll which was a popular children’s toy.

In this experiment, children were allowed to watch a film in which a woman would beat up the Bobo doll (Bandura and Ross). After the children viewed the films, Bandura and his colleagues placed them in a room alone with the Bobo doll and observed their behavior without their knowledge. If the children imitated the characteristic behaviors of the model, then Bandura knew that learning had occurred. In one of the experiments, three groups of children watched three different films.

In the retard film condition, the model was rewarded after beating up the doll. In the punishment film condition, she was punished after beating up the doll. Thirdly, no consequence film condition, nothing happened to the model after she beat up on Bobo. After viewing one of these films, the children observed with Bobo, and their aggressive behaviors were recorded. Finally, Bandura offered an incentive to all the children if they could remember the actions of the model in the film.

With this incentive, all the three groups recalled the modeled aggression at about the same level. It seemed that all children had learned equally from the modeled aggression, but those who witnessed punishment of the model were less inclined to perform the aggressive sequences. The children who had seen the model rewarded for beating up the doll were most likely to beat up on him themselves.

However, children who had seen the no consequence film were equally likely to beat up the doll. The Bobo doll experiment brought up two things (Bandura and Ross), that is, you do not have to engage in a behavior or experience reinforcement for learning to occur. Secondly, learning can be latent. The children who viewed the punishment film had learned how to beat up Bobo, but they were reluctant to beat him up because they feared there would be negative consequences for them if they did.

In conclusion, children who watched intently modeled activities presented on a television screen in a room darkened to eliminate distractions later displayed the same amount of initiative learning regardless of whether they were informed in advance that correct imitations would be rewarded or were given no prior incentives to learn the modeled performances.

When individuals observe a single sequence of behavior followed by different outcomes they learn what they have seen regardless of whether the model’s actions are rewarded, punished or ignored.

Works Cited

Bandura, A., Ross, D and S.A. Ross. “Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models.” Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 63 (1961): 575-582.

Bandura, Albert. Psychological Modeling: Conflicting Theories. Illustrated, reprint. New Jersey: Transaction Publishers, 2006.

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Child Psychology and Behaviorism

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