“Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I’ll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select—doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief and, yes, even beggar-man and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors.”
This is what John Broadus Watson said in 1913 in his article “Psychology as the Behaviorist Views It”. Sounds weird?
Look back in your life, where did you choose to study? Why did you choose it? When you check in some restaurant, what type of food do you order? Why makes you choose that food?
Behaviourist theory suggests that everything we do, every decision we make is a result of environmental effect. People around you recommended you to study in a certain institution, they somehow get you convinced that you will get better education and recognition and there you clicked! You made your mind just like that!
Did you notice there are two kinds of drives that made you take this decision?
1. If you get admitted you get better education. People will praise your achievement. John B. Watson calls it positive reward.
2. If you do not get admitted there, you lose an opportunity to get better education. People count it as a somewhat failure. John B. Watson calls it positive punishment.
What I told above is quite a society thing. You can apply it personally. Suppose you have to read a chapter which is too difficult to start. Or you have a boring task that you leave for ‘tomorrow’ everyday. Now think about a positive reward you would like to give yourself after finishing the task. (Anything you like to have, could be a good movie or fancy snacks or a good tour!) Now start that task. That positive reward will lead you to things done. If it is still not working, then give yourself some positive punishment (like keeping yourself away from the sources of recreation.)
You can apply this theory in long term if you want. Like, you can give a tour to somewhere good, after finishing a six-month-project.
I believe this theory will help you achieve your life goals more easily. Just set a goal, think what you have to do and start working. Still Procrastinating? Okay, get yourself a positive punishment for that!
samha's table 