Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Behaviorism01:28

Behaviorism

3.3K
The field of behaviorism was pioneered by figures such as Ivan Pavlov, John B. Watson, and B.F. Skinner fundamentally shifted the focus of psychology to the observable and controllable aspects of human and animal behavior. This shift marked a critical evolution in the discipline, emphasizing scientific rigor and experimental methodology.
The core premise of behaviorism is its focus on observable behavior rather than internal thoughts or feelings. This approach argues that true scientific...
3.3K
Cognitive Learning01:21

Cognitive Learning

693
Cognitive learning is based on purposive behavior, incidental learning, and insight learning.
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
693
Law of Effect01:06

Law of Effect

1.7K
B.F. Skinner, a prominent figure in behavioral psychology, introduced operant conditioning by emphasizing the role of consequences in shaping behavior. This theory builds upon the law of effect proposed by Edward Thorndike, which posits that behaviors followed by satisfying outcomes are likely to be repeated. In contrast, those followed by unsatisfying outcomes are less likely to recur.
Edward Thorndike's foundational work involved studying learning in animals, particularly using puzzle...
1.7K
The Behavioral Perspective on Personality01:19

The Behavioral Perspective on Personality

479
Behaviorists view personality as primarily shaped by environmental reinforcements and consequences. According to this perspective, behavior is influenced by external stimuli, and individuals adjust their actions based on rewards and punishments. Over time, learning histories — accumulated patterns of reinforcement — play a significant role in shaping personality. Behaviors that lead to positive outcomes are reinforced, while those resulting in negative outcomes are diminished.
479
Purposive Learning01:22

Purposive Learning

215
E. C. Tolman emphasized the purposiveness of behavior — the idea that much of our behavior is goal-directed. For instance, employees who aim for a promotion work diligently to meet their targets. Tolman argued that when classical conditioning and operant conditioning occur, the organism acquires certain expectations. In classical conditioning, a child might fear a dog because they expect it to bite. In operant conditioning, a person might consistently work overtime because they expect a...
215
Structuralism01:26

Structuralism

2.3K
Structuralism, an early psychological theory developed by Wilhelm Wundt and his student Edward Bradford Titchener, sought to dissect the human mind into its most fundamental components. Wundt's groundbreaking work in his laboratory set the stage for Titchener to define structuralism's goal as cataloging the "atoms" of the mind—sensations, images, and feelings—akin to how chemists identify elements of matter.
Titchener's approach to structuralism was unique. He...
2.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A Minority Stress Perspective in Five Paraphilic Interest Groups.

Journal of sex research·2025
Same author

The Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure as a Measure of Sexual Orientation in Heterosexual, Bisexual, and Lesbian/Gay Men and Women.

Archives of sexual behavior·2025
Same author

A Survey of the United Kink-dom: Investigating Five Paraphilic Interest Groups and Their Demographic and Psychological Correlates.

Journal of sex research·2025
Same author

The Role of Information in Evolutionary Biology.

Acta biotheoretica·2023
Same author

Global sex differences in hygiene norms and their relation to sex equality.

PLOS global public health·2023
Same author

Same-sex and Opposite-sex Marriages as a Proxy Measure of Sexual Orientation and Its Association with Psychopathology: A Reply to Zietsch and Sanders.

Journal of sex research·2022
Same journal

The cognitive foundations of children's culture.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2026
Same journal

Let the kids play: Children's folklore, Newell's paradox, and the triviality barrier.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2026
Same journal

Variable cultural acquisition costs may explain contextual variation in peer cultures.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2026
Same journal

What's special about peer cultures? The opportunity for disagreement.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2026
Same journal

The adaptive role of peer culture is shaped by risk landscapes.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2026
Same journal

Hidden cultures: How parental control shapes children's cultural adaptation in East Asian societies.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 4, 2025

Author Spotlight: A Novel Setup to Conduct Naturalistic Laboratory Experiments with Real Human Actors in Scenarios
07:43

Author Spotlight: A Novel Setup to Conduct Naturalistic Laboratory Experiments with Real Human Actors in Scenarios

Published on: August 4, 2023

2.3K

Lessons from behaviorism: The problem of construct-led science.

Thomas E Dickins1, Qazi Rahman2

  • 1Department of Psychology, Middlesex University, LondonNW4 4BT, UK. t.dickins@mdx.ac.uk; http://tomdickins.net/.

The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|February 10, 2022
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Psychology

More Related Videos

Problem-Solving Before Instruction PS-I: A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities
10:26

Problem-Solving Before Instruction PS-I: A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities

Published on: September 11, 2021

4.1K
Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling
08:36

Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling

Published on: April 11, 2025

402

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 4, 2025

Author Spotlight: A Novel Setup to Conduct Naturalistic Laboratory Experiments with Real Human Actors in Scenarios
07:43

Author Spotlight: A Novel Setup to Conduct Naturalistic Laboratory Experiments with Real Human Actors in Scenarios

Published on: August 4, 2023

2.3K
Problem-Solving Before Instruction PS-I: A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities
10:26

Problem-Solving Before Instruction PS-I: A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities

Published on: September 11, 2021

4.1K
Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling
08:36

Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling

Published on: April 11, 2025

402

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Philosophy of Science

Background:

  • Critiques of psychological research practices exist.
  • The derivation of explanatory constructs is a key area of concern.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify the root cause of problems in psychology.
  • To analyze the derivation of explanatory constructs.
  • To connect historical behaviorist practices to current philosophy of science discussions.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of Yarkoni's critique.
  • Examination of historical behaviorist examples.
  • Review of recent philosophy of science literature on understanding.

Main Results:

  • Yarkoni's critique, while valid, overlooks the fundamental issue of construct derivation.
  • Poor practices in deriving explanatory constructs are identified as a core problem in psychology.
  • Historical behaviorist examples illustrate these problematic derivation practices.

Conclusions:

  • Addressing the poor derivation of explanatory constructs is crucial for advancing psychological science.
  • Connecting historical practices to contemporary philosophy of science can illuminate current issues in scientific understanding.