010 - Behaviorism and Classical Conditioning

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I have so far discussed some of the early psychosexual, psychosocial and cognitive approaches to child development, but I would be remiss if I did not also mention a group of theorists who attempted to study humanity by completely ignoring the fact that they have thoughts and emotions.  The behavioralists tried to simplify the study of humans by massively simplifying their assumptions about humans.  In fact, they are primarily criticized for vastly oversimplifying humans.  For instance, they assumed that behaviors were basically just reactions to the environment without any deeper meaning.  These responses are learned based on environmental inputs.  Whatever else is happening on the inside is either irrelevant or extraneous.  All we can really see are behaviors, so we should only study behavior.  This episode focuses on Classical Conditioning.

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This is not medical advice. Please see a licensed physician for any personal questions regarding your own or your child's health.