Practical Applications - Why I'm Not a Doctor /// Bug Olsen

 

            I was never the best at science labs in high school. I could understand the material, ace the tests, and complete lab reports, but actually dissecting things was never my forte. I was reminded of this concept of understanding a mental perspective but not a physical perspective, or vice versa, throughout the entirety of the reading. In the same way, while behaviorists may understand why people act the way they do, actually applying this in the real world is extremely difficult in many ways. Skinner addresses this in his final section of the reading, in which he states, “Knowing the basic principles without knowing the details of a practical problem is no closer to a solution than knowing the details without knowing the basic principles” (Skinner 220). Behaviorism at first glance does not seem like a practical science and thus a waste of time, but Skinner points out that understanding behavior provides the next step in solving practical problems. His conclusion was extremely powerful in this sense, as he states, “man can now control his own destiny because he knows what must be done and how to do it” (Skinner 221). Behaviorism itself does not necessarily provide the answers, but it provides a better way of finding and implementing them.

            Sadly, throughout the reading the main concept seemed to be disproving negative perceptions of behaviorism rather than promoting the positives of the science in its modern form. Behaviorism must first rid itself of negative connotations before it can become useful in a practical psychological sense, but the true sense of behaviorism is very beneficial to society, as opposed to the negative interpretation people have made it due to the early studies of the philosophy. Overall, I enjoyed the reading and look forward to learning more about it and its applications.

I commented on Abigale Bell's and Samantha Tedder's posts.