Psychology is a diverse field that includes many subjects, one of which is personality. Personality consists of multiple perspectives, such as Psychoanalytic, Ego, Biological, Behaviorist, Cognitive, Trait, Humanistic, and Interactionist views. Although I have a general interest in personality as a whole, my specific fascination lies in behaviorism. More specifically, I am intrigued by various types of behaviors like behavior therapy, collective behavior, crime and punishment, and social behavior and peer acceptance in children.
I chose Behaviorism as my focus because I find it to be an intriguing aspect of psychology. I believe that a person’s behavior ultimately shapes their personality, and I find that concept fascinating. One can decipher a person’s characteristics and traits based on their behavior, which is heavily influenced by their societal role. Through this paper, I aim to gain a deeper comprehension of whether behavior shapes an individual’s personality or if personality influences their behavior.
In the future, I believe behaviorism will assist me in both my personal and professional endeavors. By gaining a deeper understanding of human personality and behavior, I can effectively interact with others in various fields. Regardless of one’s major, being able to assess someone’s personality through their actions enables me to efficiently collaborate with and comprehend them. This individual may serve as either an employee or employer.
Behavior therapy is the implementation of principles of learning that have been experimentally derived for psychological disorder treatment. These principles are primarily based on the work of Ivan Pavlov, a Russian psychologist. Behavior therapy differs from psychiatric methods, such as psychoanalysis, by focusing mostly on symptoms (behavior) and lacking interest in unconscious processes, gaining new understanding, or creating substantial personality transformation.
Behavior therapy gained popularity thanks to B.F. Skinner, an American psychologist who conducted research with psychological patients at a state hospital in Massachusetts. Skinner’s work in animal learning led him to discover that the development and eradication of responses can be influenced by the manner in which reinforcers, or rewards, are administered. This arrangement of reward distribution, in terms of timing and frequency, is referred to as a “schedule of reinforcement.”
Recent advancements in behavior therapy have focused on addressing the adaptive aspects of cognitive processes, leading to successful treatment for various conditions. These conditions include bed-wetting, tics, phobias, stuttering, obsessive-compulsive behavior, drug addiction, neurotic behaviors in individuals who are considered “normal,” and specific psychotic disorders. Additionally, behavior therapy has played a crucial role in training individuals with intellectual disabilities.
The early theories and many current popular views regarding collective behaviour are more evaluative than analytic due to its dramatic, unpredictable, and frightening nature. Gustave Le Bon, a French social psychologist, associated the crowd and revolutionary movements with the excesses observed during the French Revolution. Boris Sidis, a psychologist from the United States, drew similarities between crowd behaviour and mental disorders. Numerous early theories portrayed collective behaviour as a regression to a previous developmental stage. Freud maintained this viewpoint by considering crowd behaviour and other forms of collective behaviour as regressions to earlier stages of childhood development. He explained the followers’ slavish identification with leaders based on this regression.
More advanced contemporary attempts to understand collective behavior as a pathological expression adopt the concept of social disorganization as an explanatory framework. According to this perspective, collective behavior arises as an undesirable symptom of frustration and discomfort caused by cultural conflicts, organizational breakdowns, and various social dysfunctions. The key characteristic of this approach is a hesitation to genuinely acknowledge the obvious significance of collective behavior. The pursuit of pleasure through popular trends, the search for spiritual enlightenment within a religious sect, and the demand for equal opportunities in a special interest group movement are not considered at face value.
In revolutionary approaches to society, there is an opposing evaluation of different types of collective behavior. Revolutionists believe that much collective behavior represents the release of creative impulses from the repressive effects of established social orders. According to revolutionary theorists like Frantz Fanon, traditional social arrangements are seen as destructive to human spontaneity. They view various forms of crowd and revolutionary movements as manifestations of human creativity and self-assertion breaking free from societal constraints.
Psychologists have studied the foundation of delinquent behavior by focusing on how behavior and control over behavior are acquired. (MSN behaviorism Search/crime and punishment) Criminal behavior is thought to arise from the superego’s failure, which can happen due to incomplete development or exceptionally intense instinctual drives. The empirical evidence supporting this theory is limited. Behavior theory considers all behavior, criminal or not, as something that is learned and therefore can be influenced through reinforcement and punishment.
The theory of social learning explores the acquisition of behavior through interactions within family and close-knit groups, as well as social interactions outside the family, especially with peers. It also considers the impact of observing behavior patterns depicted in the media, specifically television. While mental illness does contribute to a small portion of criminal acts, its significance as a causal factor may be overstated due to the severity of crimes committed by individuals with mental disorders. Severe depression or psychopathy can lead to significant acts of violence.
The literature on peer relations frequently presents research demonstrating that children who exhibit specific social behaviors, while avoiding others, are generally well-liked by their peers. For instance, peers tend to accept children who engage in cooperative play and display leadership skills (Hatzichristou & Hopf, 1996; Lass, Price, & Hart, 1988).
Children who exhibit aggressive behavior or engage in argumentative, disruptive, and socially inappropriate interactions with their peers are frequently rejected by them (Coie & Dodge, 1988; Dodge, 1983; Dodge, Coie, Pettit, & Price 1990). Similarly, shy and withdrawn behavior, such as observing peers play instead of actively participating, not engaging with peers, and aimlessly wandering in a classroom or playground, is often linked to receiving low peer acceptance (Lemerise, 1997).
The study aimed to determine the particular social behaviors that significantly influence peer acceptance among kindergarten children. This knowledge is essential for parents, teachers, and those involved in working with young children as it will allow them to concentrate on fostering and encouraging the necessary social skills that improve how children perceive their acceptance by their peers.
Previous research has found that the connection between social behaviors and peer acceptance varies across different stages of development. For example, aggression is known to contribute to difficult relationships with peers from early childhood through adolescence. Conversely, socially withdrawn behavior begins to be associated with low peer acceptance in middle and late childhood (Rubin, Bookwork, & Parker, 1998).
Adults’ perceptions of children’s confidence in their own peer acceptance can impact their social behaviors. If adults perceive that children lack confidence in their peer acceptance, they may be more inclined to offer additional opportunities for these children to enhance their play and friendship skills, ultimately boosting their confidence in being accepted by their peers. An instance of this could be a teacher matching a child, who is believed to lack confidence in their peer acceptance, with another child who exudes confidence in order to provide a behavioral model.
The main objective of this study was to investigate the relationships between various social behaviors and peer acceptance in kindergarten students. The factors that were considered included aggression, shyness/withdrawal, prosocial behavior, friendship skill, and social behavior problems. To identify the predictors of peer acceptance in kindergartners, regression analysis was conducted, taking into account children’s own feelings of acceptance, sociometric ratings from peers, and perceptions of children’s confidence in their peer acceptance by teachers and parents. Additionally, the study aimed to analyze the differences in social behaviors and peer acceptance among children with different genders and ethnic backgrounds within a diverse school and community.
Upon completion of this paper, I have realized that behavior significantly shapes an individual’s personality. The research conducted with children to comprehend social acceptance has yielded clear evidence that our actions define us. This principle also applies to adults; if someone consistently behaves in a certain way, society will perceive them and the individual themselves will identify with that behavior. Furthermore, I now possess greater patience towards others as I step back and seek understanding behind specific behaviors they exhibit. By studying Skinner, Freud, Dollard, and Miller, I have acquired a unique comprehension of the differentiation between normal and abnormal behaviors.
