Behaviorism takes a different approach to understanding the mind compared to older ideas, like functionalism or identity theory. Here’s how it changes things up:
Focus on What We Can See: Instead of looking at thoughts and feelings (like functionalism does), behaviorism says we should only pay attention to what we can actually see and measure. This is a big change because it means ignoring things we can’t observe directly, like emotions. Basically, behaviorists think, "If we can’t see it, let’s not worry about it."
Saying Goodbye to Introspection: Older theories often ask people to think about their own thoughts to learn about the mind. But behaviorists believe this way isn't very reliable. They argue that introspection can be personal and different for everyone. Instead, they suggest using a scientific approach, focusing on behavior as the main way to understand psychology.
The Mind as a Black Box: Behaviorists describe the mind as a “black box.” We can see what goes into it (like things happening around us) and what comes out (our actions), but they think what happens inside the box (our thoughts, feelings, and reasoning) isn’t as important. This creates a big gap in really understanding how our minds work because it makes it seem like the mind just reacts rather than making complex thoughts and feelings.
Changing Psychological Research: This focus on behavior has changed how a lot of psychological studies are done, moving more towards experiments and actions we can observe. While this has helped us learn a lot, it also makes us wonder: Can we fully understand how our minds work without looking at our inner experiences?
In short, behaviorism shakes up older ideas by putting less importance on thoughts and feelings and more on what we can observe. While this can make things clearer about how we act, it still leaves out a big part of understanding consciousness. It’s like knowing a lot about one part of a story but missing out on the main character’s thoughts and feelings.
Behaviorism takes a different approach to understanding the mind compared to older ideas, like functionalism or identity theory. Here’s how it changes things up:
Focus on What We Can See: Instead of looking at thoughts and feelings (like functionalism does), behaviorism says we should only pay attention to what we can actually see and measure. This is a big change because it means ignoring things we can’t observe directly, like emotions. Basically, behaviorists think, "If we can’t see it, let’s not worry about it."
Saying Goodbye to Introspection: Older theories often ask people to think about their own thoughts to learn about the mind. But behaviorists believe this way isn't very reliable. They argue that introspection can be personal and different for everyone. Instead, they suggest using a scientific approach, focusing on behavior as the main way to understand psychology.
The Mind as a Black Box: Behaviorists describe the mind as a “black box.” We can see what goes into it (like things happening around us) and what comes out (our actions), but they think what happens inside the box (our thoughts, feelings, and reasoning) isn’t as important. This creates a big gap in really understanding how our minds work because it makes it seem like the mind just reacts rather than making complex thoughts and feelings.
Changing Psychological Research: This focus on behavior has changed how a lot of psychological studies are done, moving more towards experiments and actions we can observe. While this has helped us learn a lot, it also makes us wonder: Can we fully understand how our minds work without looking at our inner experiences?
In short, behaviorism shakes up older ideas by putting less importance on thoughts and feelings and more on what we can observe. While this can make things clearer about how we act, it still leaves out a big part of understanding consciousness. It’s like knowing a lot about one part of a story but missing out on the main character’s thoughts and feelings.