PSYC 241 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Classical Conditioning, Operant Conditioning, Reinforcement
26 Apr 2016
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1. gain awareness of how the mentally ill were treated in the past. 2. identify primary developments in the field that influenced contemporary thought. Doctrine that evil being or spirit can dwell within a person and control his or her mind / body. Contemporary thought was influenced by his basic premise: Abnormal behavior is produced by a physical imbalance or damage. The sixteenth century saw the establishment of early asylums. Pioneered the classification of mental illness based on biological causes. Regarded each type of mental illness as distinct from all others. The causes and purposes of human behavior are not always obvious psychological approaches cont. Behaviorism: focus on environmental influences and observable behavior. The process whereby behavior changes in response to the environment. Contingency (thorndike"s law of effect) the association between action and consequences. Reinforcement the process by which events in the environment increase the probability of the behavior that precede it. Positive reinforcement behaviors followed by pleasant stimuli are strengthened.
