Theoretical Comparison One: The Psychological Theories of Psychologists, John Broadus Watson (1878-1958), Albert Bandura (1925-present), and Burrhas Frederic Skinner (1904-1990).

Although the three psychologist studied behaviorism, each developed different methodologies of theories. Watson believed that all behavior is learned from the environment. Watson’s theory is called classical conditioning and believed that certain behavioral responses can be obtained through conditioning.  Classical conditioning theory consist of learning a new behavior through the process of association. There are three stages to classical conditioning. In each stage the motivations and reactions are given special scientific terms: Before conditioning, during conditioning and after conditioning. Classical conditioning can be used to create phobias.

Skinner’s theory is called operant conditioning and he believed behavior that is reinforced tends to be repeated (strengthened); behavior which is not reinforced tends to die out-or be extinguished (weakened). Skinner thought that the best way to understand behavior is to look at the causes of an action and its consequences. He identified three type of responses that can follow certain behaviors: neutral operants, reinforcers and punishers.  

In Bandura’s social learning theory, he believed a child’s behavior is learned from the environment through the process of observational learning. Individuals that are observed are called models. In society children are surrounded by many influential models, such as parents within the family, characters on children’s TV, friends within their peer group and teachers at school.  These models provide examples of masculine and feminine behavior to observe and imitate. They pay attention to some of these people and encode their behavior.  At a later time they may imitate the behavior they have observed.    

The three theories mentioned helps the learner understand how behaviors are formed. All theories described are learned behaviors through conditioning or observation and how we react. As clinicians, negative or undesirable consequences can be changed to positive consequences through aiding clients to achieve better lives.

Skinner, B. F. (1938). The Behavior of Organisms: An Experimental Analysis. New York: Appleton-Century. Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Watson, J. B. (1924). Behaviorism. New York: People's Institute Publishing Company. Ashford, J. B. (2013). Human Behavior in the Social Environment. A Multidimensional Perspective. Belmont: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning.