The concepts and theory we have learned throughout the lessons of Psychology 100 can be applied to many of our life experiences we go through daily. The concept I have decided to write about is behaviorism and how I have experienced this throughout my upbringing and childhood. In my opinion, behaviorism can be applied to anyone since their experiences can directly impact their mental awareness. I also believe through the theory of behaviorism you can find out exactly what traits and characteristics you have by tracing back your personal experiences and what you have gone through.
Behaviorism can be dated all the way back to the 1920’s when it first started to come into the world of psychology. The concept of behaviorism revolves around the idea that mental effects are directly correlated to external events that you experience which eventually develop into the behaviors that you possess. It also focuses more on behavior itself and its measurements rather than actual consciousness. This contrasts William James’s functionalism and Wilhelm Wundt’s structuralism theories for how your mind changes through experiences and consciousness.
I can directly correlate how my life experiences were related through behaviorism. As a child, I started playing flag football at the age of five years old and played for the next ten years of my life until I finished my senior year of high school. The game of football taught me more than just offensive plays and how to read defenses and instilled behaviors and values into my life that are still with me today. If I ever showed up late to practice, there was a severe consequence which taught me to always be early to all events that I attend. There were also consequences put in place for players who didn’t know their exact role or position on the field. This can be translated into my everyday school work, jobs, and social life which taught me to always be fully prepared and ready for any group work or when I was needed to be relied on in any situation. Just as there was consequences for wrongdoings, we also got rewarded for the completion of tasks that were done correctly and for directions that were followed in an orderly fashion.
These values that I learned on the field since I was six years old all the way up until I was eighteen are directly correlated to my behaviors that are instilled within me today. Behaviorism talks about how external stimuli directly correlates with your behaviors and I truly believe without the lessons I learned on the field, I wouldn’t have those same behaviors that are instilled within me today. Till this day, I always make sure to be early to any events and always makes sure to be prepared for any group activity where other team members are relying on my performance. I can directly relate how the concept of behaviorism affected my life and I am grateful that it has implemented behaviors that will help me become more successful in life every day.
I think your description of behaviorism and how you relate it to your life is very interesting. When you talk about how what you have learned during football and how it still applies to your life today I thought about my experience with softball. I had a lot of the same experiences growing up. Another thing that my coaches taught us in high school was to get along with everyone on the team, on the field and off. He would tell us that it is impossible to work together if you can’t trust each other and get along. This lesson can also apply to any sort of job you have in the future or any other situation that involves working with other people.
I can relate to your experiences of learning through a sport. I played baseball starting at the age of 5 and continued all the way through my senior year. It was a lot more than a sport to me, it was a great learning opportunity. Throughout my years on the field baseball has taught me discipline, leadership, and friendship. Playing this sport truly has shaped me into the person I am today. The continuous lessons and memories that occurred over my career will stick with me for the rest of my life. Also, the interactions I shared with my teammates and coaches is almost like how I treat my classmates and professors. I think the behaviors I have adapted from this sport has made me a better person and a respectful young adult.