Something is missing

One of the Behaviorist assumptions is that, learning is manifested by a change in behavior. This is very practical. You encounter something new, you understand the situation, you adapted it, and you alter your behavior. That’s learning

Another is that, the environment shapes behavior. I can only think of how people (modelling), teaching materials, technology tools, learning resources, curriculum, training, instruction, and the learning space affects one’s learning.

Lastly, Guthrie’s contiguity theory specifies that “a combination of stimuli which has accompanied a movement will on its recurrence tend to be followed by that movement”. This assumption that all learning was a consequence of association between a particular stimulus and response makes me think of how advertisements greatly impact the individual behavior and society.

Behaviorism focuses on the observable behavior which they claim must be the subject of a scientific study. Although this type of study will yield measurable results, and can be applicable to a number of cases, such as in treatments for human disorders including autism, anxiety disorders and antisocial behavior, it fails to account for the learning process and how the mind and the affective domain interfere in the processing of information.

In the end, behaviorists convinced me of their theories, but there still a side of it that is missing. Behaviorism does not account for free will and internal influences such as moods, thoughts, and feelings. It doesn’t take into account important internal processes that take place in the mind. There are many instances of learning that occurs without the use of reinforcements or punishments. Behaviorists focus on the target, desirable behavior, that is the product. They fail to explain how humans learn, the process through which the learning takes place. I think these things are very crucial, and we need more explanation.