I dont like agreeing with B.F. Skinner, but he has made a very plausable argument for all our actions, being reactions to contigancies, (often rewards)(Skinner,1989. The debate between cognitive views of the mind, and behavorist views, is like the arguemnet about whether G-d exists. I dont think coginitive psychology has proven B.F. Skinner wrong, I know he is wrong, I thought I could reference maybe Ronnie Janoff-Bulmans assumptive worlds, (Bauemister & Bushman, 2008) . In the idea of everyone having assumptive worlds, we like to believe the wrld is benvelont, also that the world is fair, and also to believe oneself is a good person. When events, like traumaic events, make one lose faith in these beliefs, one remains traumatized( Baumiester & Bushman, 2008). So , it is apparent, that we like something not really related to reward, we like a world that is fair. A fair world is something that makes our hearts sigh. However, calling to mind a random facebook meme I saw, it read : dopeamene and saratonin, the only two things you ever actually enjoy (unkown). Isnt this just the most internal, cognitive support for B. F. Skinners arguement that we are all just motvated by conditioning. Any undeniably cognitive process, meditating, praying, like a fair world, parenting, has internal (intrinsic rewards), probably related to neurotransmitters. Meditating is just like the infamous rats that get hooked on cocain, and keep pressing a lever for more, cocain is a manifast cognitive reward, we have our own interanal reward chemicals, that cocain mimics, (Meyer & Quenzer, 2005). Any inward motivation may be based on contingenicies, rewards or punishments in mental pleasure or displeasure, I do choose to think that these intrinisicly rewarding behaviors are usually more sublime, and research has shown a lot of the things we do in good conscience have positive effects on our health, such as de-stressing ( Coon & Mitter, 2012). But the true reinforcer for anything is not pellets for a rat, or completments for a person, it is neuro chemicals, and possibly stimulation, or lack of stimulation, in certain areas of the brain. How we decide what may or may not allow certain things to influence our neurochemstry, how much of those mechanics our in our control, and what does set up those mechanics in humans, is another question. thanks Mo Reference Baumiester & Bushman (2008) Social Psychology and Human Nature Belomnt Ca Wadsworth Coon & Mitter (2010) Introduction to Psychology Belmont CA Wadsworth Meyer & Quenzer (2005) Psychopharmacology Sunderland MA Sinauer Associates, Inc. Skinner, B. F. (1989). The origins of cognitive thought. American Psychologist, 44(1), 13-18. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.44.1.13
Posted on: Sun, 03 Nov 2013 08:09:46 +0000
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