How do children learn to speak? And why? Do all children start to use language at some age? Or do they need a certain “trigger”? Is our ability to use a language innate? Or are we conditioned to use language as a response to our environment? There are many other questions to be raised, for example about the function of a language, the process of acquisition, or the meaning of the term “language” as such. Psycholinguistics tries to answer at least some of these questions.
“Psycholinguistics is the name given to the study of the psychological processes involved in language. Psycholinguists study understanding, producing, and remembering language. […][They are] concerned with listening, reading, speaking, writing, and memory for language […] [and] interested in how we acquire language, and the way in which it interacts with other psychological systems.” (Harley, 1995: p.1)
Thus, psycholinguistics is concerned with “(…) the correlation between linguistic behaviour and psychological processes thought to underlie that behaviour (…)” (Crystal, 1992: p. 291).
Due to its interdisciplinary nature, psycholinguistics has been influenced both by linguistic and psychological findings and theories. One of the main psychological schools which have contributed to psycholinguistic theories is behaviourism. Although early behaviourism was not concerned with language as such, but rather with the observation of any (animal or human) behaviour, Burrhus Frederic Skinner (1904-1990) later focussed his interest on verbal behaviour. He employed behaviouristic methods and tried to describe the acquisition process as a complex form of conditioning. One of his aims was to apply his findings in the development of new teaching methods.
This paper is designed to give a brief overview on behaviouristic key terms and ideas. Due to its importance for psycholinguistic aspects, the main focus will be on Skinner’s behaviourism, although the “roots” of behaviourism will also be mentioned shortly. The concluding part of this paper deals with Skinner’s theories on verbal behaviour and the controversy they aroused. Some of the most common critical remarks concerning Skinner’s ideas will be presented and commented upon.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Early Behaviourism
3 The Formative Period
4 Skinner’s Behaviourism
4.1 Operant Conditioning
4.2 Verbal Behaviour
5 Controversy
6 Summary
Objectives and Topics
This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of behaviourist principles, with a specific focus on B. F. Skinner’s theories of verbal behaviour and their influence on psycholinguistic research. It examines how behaviouristic methods and conditioning models were applied to language acquisition and addresses the historical and theoretical controversies surrounding these perspectives.
- Foundations of early behaviourism and classical conditioning
- Skinner’s operant conditioning and its application to verbal behaviour
- Functional analysis of external variables in language use
- Critiques of the behaviourist model regarding innate factors and language acquisition
- The impact of behaviouristic theory on educational and psychological frameworks
Excerpt from the Book
4.1 Operant Conditioning
The main difference between Skinnerian operant conditioning and the (classical) conditioning of Pavlov is that in operant conditioning “(…) a response must be emitted before it can be reinforced.” (Nye, 1992: p.14) While Pavlov was concerned with (reflexive-type) responses that were conditioned to occur on a stimulus which would not normally trigger this kind of response, Skinner analysed the circumstances under which a certain behaviour would occur, the behaviour itself and the consequences of that behaviour. (ibd.) Just as Pavlov had done, he used animals to conduct his experiments. He tested them in an apparatus commonly known as the “Skinner box”, which allowed the experimenter to create specific conditions, to keep down the number of potentially interfering influences and to measure and record the results.
Pavlov had manipulated the stimuli which preceded the response; Skinner, however, manipulated the consequences a certain (operant) behaviour had. The result was that the probability of a certain behaviour decreased or increased. “Operant conditioning, then, modifies the probability of different types of operant behaviour as a function of the environmental consequences they produce.” (Zimbardo, 1995: p. 258)
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter defines the scope of psycholinguistics and introduces behaviourism as a significant psychological school that has influenced theories regarding language acquisition.
2 Early Behaviourism: This section discusses the roots of behaviourism, focusing on the work of John Broadus Watson and the impact of Ivan Pavlov’s classical conditioning on the study of observable human behaviour.
3 The Formative Period: This chapter examines the 1950s as a period where structuralism and behaviourism converged in their attempt to apply rigorous scientific methods to linguistics and psychological study.
4 Skinner’s Behaviourism: This section details B. F. Skinner’s specific contributions, distinguishing his focus on operant conditioning and emitted behaviour from earlier reflexive models.
4.1 Operant Conditioning: This subsection explains the technical mechanisms of Skinnerian conditioning, including the use of reinforcers, extinction, and punishment in modifying behaviour.
4.2 Verbal Behaviour: This subsection explores how Skinner applied his conditioning principles to language, defining concepts such as mands and tacts to explain verbal communication as learned behaviour.
5 Controversy: This chapter addresses the significant criticism Skinner faced, particularly from Noam Chomsky, regarding the alleged neglect of innate factors in language development.
6 Summary: The concluding chapter synthesizes the impact of behaviourism, acknowledging its analytical value while noting its limitations in fully explaining the complex process of language acquisition.
Keywords
Behaviourism, Psycholinguistics, B. F. Skinner, Operant Conditioning, Verbal Behaviour, Classical Conditioning, John Broadus Watson, Structuralism, Language Acquisition, Reinforcement, External Variables, Functional Analysis, Mands, Tacts, Noam Chomsky
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this document?
The document focuses on the role of behaviourism in the field of psycholinguistics, particularly how B. F. Skinner’s theories explain language acquisition through conditioning.
What are the primary theoretical themes covered?
The primary themes include classical versus operant conditioning, the functional analysis of verbal behaviour, and the historical conflict between behaviourist and innatist theories of language.
What is the main objective of the author?
The objective is to provide a brief overview of behaviouristic key terms and to evaluate both the contributions and the controversies associated with Skinner’s work on verbal behaviour.
Which scientific methodology is central to Skinner’s approach?
Skinner uses the method of operant conditioning, which relies on the manipulation of environmental consequences to influence the frequency of emitted behaviours.
What does the main body of the text address?
The main body addresses the transition from early behaviourist models to Skinner’s radical behaviourism, the mechanics of operant conditioning, and the subsequent criticism regarding innate linguistic factors.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include behaviourism, operant conditioning, verbal behaviour, psycholinguistics, and functional analysis.
How does Skinner distinguish between "mands" and "tacts"?
Mands are verbal operants that take the form of commands or demands under conditions of deprivation, whereas tacts are verbal operants that refer to and name objects, events, or their properties in the environment.
Why was Skinner’s work controversial among linguists?
It was controversial because many linguists, including Noam Chomsky, argued that Skinner's theory failed to account for innate factors in language and relied too heavily on animal experiments to explain the complexities of human language acquisition.
What is the significance of the "black box" metaphor in this context?
The "black box" refers to the human mind; early behaviourists like Watson argued against speculating about what happens inside the mind, preferring to study only publicly observable behaviour and environmental stimuli.
- Quote paper
- Philipp Rott (Author), 2000, Behaviorism - a short discussion, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/45359
