Bijou’s Empirical Behaviorism: Its Proposals And Characteristics
There are many paradigms and theoretical currents that have existed in psychology throughout history, all of them focused on the study of the psyche and human (and animal) behavior from very diverse approaches. Among these currents, probably the most prominent and popularly known are the cognitivist, behaviorist and psychoanalysis currents and the psychodynamic currents (also others such as systemic theory, gestalt and humanistic and integrative currents).
But within each of these paradigms we can find various theories, which allow us to differentiate between subtypes of the theoretical current in question. Regarding behaviorism, one of its variants, although continuous with the ideas of operant behaviorism, is Bijou’s empirical behaviorism and behavioral analysis of development
Before starting to evaluate what we call empirical behaviorism, it is necessary to do a small recapitulation regarding what behaviorism is at a general level and what its main characteristics are.
Behaviorism is one of the main currents or paradigms of psychology and emerged as a reaction to the then predominant psychoanalysis.
This current is based on the premise that the only verifiable and demonstrable element of our psyche, the only thing that we can really see without any doubt, is the conduct or behavior carried out. In this sense, behaviorism emerged as a discipline that sought to be as scientific and objective as possible, with a mechanistic vision in which all behavior occurs based on specific laws.
The basic element to explain the performance of behaviors is the ability to associate or link stimuli. However, the subject is a passive entity in this process, considering aspects such as will or cognition to be less important and sometimes even non-existent.
Within behaviorism Multiple perspectives have emerged that seek to offer an explanation as to why the behavior occurs an explanation that is often conceptualized as conditioning processes in which two stimuli are associated in such a way that one of them, neutral, begins to acquire the properties of another that is appetitive or aversive based on the repetition of its association (conditioning classic), or in that this relationship occurs between the performance of the behavior and its appetitive or aversive consequences (operant conditioning).
One of these perspectives is empirical behaviorism, defended among other authors by Bijou.
Bijou’s empirical behaviorism
The concept of empirical behaviorism refers to one of the branches of behaviorism, which considers that psychology should be dedicated to the study of observable and manifest behavior. In the case of the one defended by Sidney W. Bijou, part of the procedures and bases of BF Skinner’s operant conditioning and the philosophy and concept of development and the need for application in the Kantor field.
Bijou’s empirical behaviorism is especially characterized by focusing on the process of human development and the acquisition of learning throughout growth, and is in fact a pioneer in trying to bring the theory of behaviorism closer to human evolution and to the educational process during the first stages of life.
It is an orthodox model and to a certain extent quite continuous with the procedures and theory of Skinner’s behaviorism, in which the main thing when it comes to explaining behavior is reinforcement and the consequences that emission or non-emission has for the subject. of the behavior.
The author proposed a model based on behavioral analysis in which the minor will be modeled by what happens in the environment but can also model said environment with their actions, receiving different responses from the environment depending on their behaviors. .
Learning and developing implies according to this model associations made during the evolution and growth of the person Development itself is considered the accumulation of associations, which are carried out continuously and always under the same rules and laws.
The change during development is explained through the analysis of both the antecedents and the consequences of the child’s behavior, making it possible to control the stimuli presented in the learning situation.
The three empirical stages of development
Bijou and other exponents of empirical behaviorism and behavioral analysis of development elaborate from their theory, from a point of view that they consider totally empirical, the existence of a total of three major phases of development
1. Fundamentals Stage
Bijou and other authors identified this first period with the period from birth to language learning.
Behavior at this time is fundamentally explained by biology, genetics and innate reflexes, and in general it is the same or very similar among all subjects. Little by little the conditioning will arise depending on how the child experiments and makes associations over time. These will be the ones that will allow you to learn to control your own body, move, walk and speak.
2. Stage or basic stage
Composed between the beginning of language and adolescence, in this period there is an increasing importance of the associations made through experience when interacting with the environment.
Behavior is increasingly governed by its appetitive and aversive consequences, something that will cause the minor to increase or decrease the behavior in question. The skills acquired are refined with use and play behavior is added as a test of the behavior.
3. Social stadium
This last stage It appears during adolescence and lasts the rest of the subject’s life and in it the social responses of the environment emerge and become increasingly important as the main cause and determinant of behavior.
This is where more or less regular habits and styles of behavior emerge, derived from operant conditioning in which the main reinforcer is social. Old age is also included, in which behavior changes in order to overcome the difficulties arising from aging and deterioration of the body.
Bijou’s empirical behaviorism focuses broadly on the evolutionary process and human development, which has been especially linked to childhood and has found applicability in the educational field. In fact, Bijou’s own work was largely based on employing behavioral methods and conditioning to promote children’s learning in schools both in cases where they could follow ordinary schooling and in those who had difficulties doing so.
It was based on the idea that it is necessary to monitor the performance and development of learning on a continuous basis, as well as the idea of ​​the importance of the teacher as a transmitter of knowledge and the need to decide what, how and when to apply it (remember that for most behaviorism the subject is passive in the generation of the association).
Likewise, they must be taken into account the antecedents and consequences of the subject’s behavior and seek control of stimuli in order to direct the learning of behaviors. Work with parents is also proposed to help them provide educational guidelines and enriching environments for the minor.
Although this vision does not take into account the existence of cognitive and volitional aspects, or the role of motivation and the search for meaning in what has been learned, and as a theory it has been surpassed by other currents that do take them into account, the truth is that Bijou’s empirical behaviorism has contributed to generating one of the first educational models directed based on what was considered a learning methodology based on the scientific study of human behavior.
