Some developmental theorist, such as B.F Skinner and Konrad Lorenz studied the development and behavior of animals as a means to understanding human developmental processes. B.F Skinner was a behaviorist and Konrad Lorenz was an ethnologist. Both theorists’ approaches have limitations and benefits.
B.F Skinner being a behaviorist and an environmentalist was very concerned with how environments controlled behavior, and as a result he conducted many tests using operant condition (Crain, 2016). Unlike classical conditioning, you cannot always identify a prior stimulus that creates an automatic response. The responses that are exhibited will either continue to occur or cease depending on the consequence that followed (Crain, 2016). One way that …show more content…
As a result of this, he took part in naturalistic observation, meaning he observes an animal’s behavior and then compared it to other species. According to Crain (2016) ethnologist were very interested in instincts and the fact that they were species specific. Lorenz believed that animals were equipped with all the instinctive patterns that they needed, however they lacked information about the releasing stimulus. Imprinting takes place when this information is filled in during the critical period of development (Crain, 2016). Lorenz tested this theory of imprinting by getting a baby Greylag goslings to imprint on him. He found that the goslings have an instinct to follow and since the first thing they see is usually the mother it is okay but in this instance, it happened to be Lorenz (Crain, 2016). According to Crain (2016), Lorenz wasn’t the first to discover imprinting, but he was the first to propose that it occurred during a critical period. If an animal is exposed to an object before or after the critical period, no attachment is formed. Imprinting not only has an impact on parental attachments, but affects sexual attachments, food preferences, and songs as well (Crain, …show more content…
It includes an attentional process, a retention process, motor reproduction processes and reinforcement and motivational processes (Crain, 2016). The attentional process describes that we won’t be able to observe and reproduce a behavior if we aren’t paying attention to the model. The retention process refers to our act of remember the behavior that we saw so that we can produce it at a later date. Motor reproduction has to do with the skills required to do the task. For example if a boy watches his father use a saw, the boy may retain the information on how to do this however he may not be strong enough to copy the behavior (Crain, 2016). Lastly, reinforcement and motivational processes refer to how likely we are to repeat the actions that we have observed. We have acquired the knowledge but based on what we see the outcome to be by exhibiting the behavior, we may or may not act the same
B.F Skinner being a behaviorist and an environmentalist was very concerned with how environments controlled behavior, and as a result he conducted many tests using operant condition (Crain, 2016). Unlike classical conditioning, you cannot always identify a prior stimulus that creates an automatic response. The responses that are exhibited will either continue to occur or cease depending on the consequence that followed (Crain, 2016). One way that …show more content…
As a result of this, he took part in naturalistic observation, meaning he observes an animal’s behavior and then compared it to other species. According to Crain (2016) ethnologist were very interested in instincts and the fact that they were species specific. Lorenz believed that animals were equipped with all the instinctive patterns that they needed, however they lacked information about the releasing stimulus. Imprinting takes place when this information is filled in during the critical period of development (Crain, 2016). Lorenz tested this theory of imprinting by getting a baby Greylag goslings to imprint on him. He found that the goslings have an instinct to follow and since the first thing they see is usually the mother it is okay but in this instance, it happened to be Lorenz (Crain, 2016). According to Crain (2016), Lorenz wasn’t the first to discover imprinting, but he was the first to propose that it occurred during a critical period. If an animal is exposed to an object before or after the critical period, no attachment is formed. Imprinting not only has an impact on parental attachments, but affects sexual attachments, food preferences, and songs as well (Crain, …show more content…
It includes an attentional process, a retention process, motor reproduction processes and reinforcement and motivational processes (Crain, 2016). The attentional process describes that we won’t be able to observe and reproduce a behavior if we aren’t paying attention to the model. The retention process refers to our act of remember the behavior that we saw so that we can produce it at a later date. Motor reproduction has to do with the skills required to do the task. For example if a boy watches his father use a saw, the boy may retain the information on how to do this however he may not be strong enough to copy the behavior (Crain, 2016). Lastly, reinforcement and motivational processes refer to how likely we are to repeat the actions that we have observed. We have acquired the knowledge but based on what we see the outcome to be by exhibiting the behavior, we may or may not act the same