ipl-logo

Psychological Conditioning In Aldous Huxley's Brave New World

908 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Aldus Huxley's Brave New World

Psychological conditioning is one of the most controlling studies of science. It is the theory that most learning revolves around programmed reactions to certain stimuli. An incentive for a certain action, for example, will encourage continuation of that same action even when the incentive is eventually gone. Being able to perfect this science would prove that the human mind can be solved and manipulated. One of the most popular pieces in literature giving a position on psychological conditioning is Aldous Huxley’s satirical fiction novel, Brave New World. The author takes a strong position, imagining a world with a society completely subjected to psychological conditioning, with people having their life and jobs predetermined to make for a more stable society. Numerous …show more content…

Pavlov developed the theory of Classical Conditioning. This is where certain stimuli can invoke particular behavior. He conducted his experiments on dogs, testing whether or not he could condition them to salivate at the sound of a bell. At first, along with the bell, he would hold up food, causing the dogs to salivate. After repeating this action numerous times, Pavlov would ring the bell without the food and found that the dogs would still salivate. The food acted as a positive stimulus to warrant a certain behavior while an unconditioned stimulus paired with it over time brought the same result. Brave New World portrays this, but instead of dogs, babies are conditioned. Also, instead of a positive stimulus, a negative one is used. For example, the babies are shown a flower. Paired with this is a mild electric shock. Similar to the food and the bell, overtime the babies associate the rose with the electric shock, developing an innate fear of nature (Because looking at nature makes you think and thinking could lead to individuality which can lead to

Show More
Related

Watson's Brave New World: Classical Conditioning

1272 Words | 6 Pages

Alex was conditioned to react in a passive manner when confronted with any action that could be considered ultra-violence. Classical conditioning experiments have been performed on humans with a large degree of success. One of the most notable and most controversial classical conditioning experiments done on humans was Watson’s “Little Albert” experiment. This experiment was conducted to test the fear response in humans. The experiment started off by introducing Albert to several animals, a white rat, monkey, bunny and a dog (Creelan).

Read More

Opening Skinner's Box Analysis

1267 Words | 6 Pages

Through The Psychologist Eye In Lauren Slater’s book, “Opening Skinner’s Box,” we discover in the first three chapters the mysteries behind a few psychological experiments and the discoveries that three profound psychologists have made. Each chapter is about a different psychologist, the first is B.F. Skinner; a behaviorist who designed a process of learning in which behavior is controlled, he called this operant conditioning. Lauren Slater wanted people to know about his experiment, she read his books, talked to friends and family members to unearth the features behind this man. She found that he was a loving father, who could train animals to do unordinary things, like play the piano for an example, through the processes of operant conditioning,

Read More

Ecological Validity In Psychological Research Essay

1385 Words | 6 Pages

Skinners experiment was based on operant conditioning, using the concept of discrimination learning, he carried out experiments on animals with the idea that their behaviour is predetermined by their environment and using a well controlled environment would allow him to in turn control their behaviours using a range of triggers. Using reinforcement and expectancy, the animal associates acting out certain behaviours with rewards. (Toates, F., 2010, pp. 165-167) After performing a number of experiments on rats using mazes, he subsequently designed the Skinner box.

Read More

Individual Freedom In Aldous Huxley's Brave New World

1784 Words | 8 Pages

In Aldous Huxley’s novel Brave New World, individual freedom is controlled by the use of recreational drugs, genetic manipulation and the encouragement of promiscuous sexual conduct, creating the ideal society whose inhabitants are in a constant happy unchanging utopia. In sharp contrast, Seamus Heaney’s poetry allows for the exploration of individual freedom through his symbolic use of nature and this is emphasised even further by people’s expression of religion, which prevails over the horrors of warfare. Huxley’s incorporation of the totalitarian ruler Mustapha Mond exemplifies the power that World State officials have over individuals within this envisioned society. “Almost nobody.

Read More

Little Albert Experiment: A Case Study Of The Little Albert Experiment

2094 Words | 9 Pages

The Little Albert experiment was a case study showing empirical evidence of classical conditioning in humans. The study also provides an example of stimulus generalization. It was carried out by John B. Watson and his graduate student, Rosalie Rayner, at Johns Hopkins University. The results were first published in the February 1920 issue of the Journal of Experimental Psychology. After observing children in the field, Watson hypothesized that the fearful response of children to loud noises is an innate unconditioned response.

Read More

The Socio Behaviorist Theory

936 Words | 4 Pages

Nevertheless, Skinner points out that children learn nothing from the punishment. Instead, they may start to work out how to avoid it (Nolan & Raban, 2015). Another concept is classical conditioning (classical behaviorism) that emphasizes on the relation between stimuli and response. This concept embodies in a famous experiment, in which the food is presented to the dog when the bell rings, and the bell becomes a conditioned stimulus for the dog (Nolan & Raban, 2015). Likewise, if children receive toys in the condition that they behave well, then they will probably repeat this behavior to get the toys.

Read More

Operant Conditioning

1388 Words | 6 Pages

During our developmental stages, we experience different learning processes that result in a range of behaviors. Two of the well known associative learning processes that are continuously studied are Operant Conditioning and Classical Conditioning. In our everyday activities we are constantly experiencing one, if not both learning theories. These theories have played an important role in our medical advancements such as in research and improvement in medicine. Burrhus Fredric Skinner developed operant condition which is process of “learning from the consequences of our behavior through positive or negative reinforcements” (Ayers, 2011, p. 379).

Read More

Classical Conditioning And Observational Learning Analysis

2548 Words | 11 Pages

Introduction Learning enables you as an individual, to gain more knowledge about something which you have never learned about. Learning also has to do with past experiences which are influenced by behavioural changes (Weiten, 2016). There are different types of ways to learn; through, classical conditioning, operant conditioning and observational learning which will be discussed and analysed in the essay.   Behaviourism Behaviourism is considered one of the main subjects in psychology and the two main people who founded behaviourism were, Burrhus Frederic Skinner, also known as B.F Skinner and Ivan Pavlov who were famous for the work they did on classical and operant conditioning (Moderato & Presti, 2006). According to Moderato and Presti

Read More

Pros And Cons Of Operant Conditioning

926 Words | 4 Pages

The Positive and Negative of Operant Conditioning and The Most Effective Method There are many ways we can come about in behavior. An American psychologist, B.F. Skinner, introduced the theory of operant conditioning. Operant conditioning is known as associative learning and a learning process. The theory is made up of two factors in which behavior is modified through either reinforcement and or punishment.

Read More

The Little Albert Experiment

1155 Words | 5 Pages

For this paper, I chose to write about the Little Albert experiment The overall importance of this study was to discover if a human could be conditioned to develop a bias, fear, or generalized fear of an animal, object, or person based the stimuli placed around the involved person, animal or object. Watson & Rayner (1920) suggested that “in infancy the original emotional reaction patterns are few, consisting so far as observed of fear, rage and love, then there must be some simple method by means of which the range of stimuli which can call out these emotions and their compounds is greatly increased.” This means that before any conditioning occurs, the subject should have a pure response, but after minor and simple experimentation and conditioning,

Read More

Pavlov's Theory Of Classical Conditioning

1265 Words | 6 Pages

Link to reality: Both Skinner’s theory of operant conditioning and Pavlov’s theory of classical conditioning can be used every day in an ECCE setting. Today many school systems and childhood authorities follow Skinner’s and Pavlov’s theory by using the approach of positive reinforcement. This encourages good behaviour in the child making the behaviour more likely to be repeated again as they are rewarded and praised for their efforts in reading, writing and general learning. It is important that children’s efforts in a learning setting are rewarded as this will encourage the child to perform to the best of their ability.

Read More

John B. Watson's Theory Of Behaviorism

1558 Words | 7 Pages

John B. Watson Theory of behaviorism: The term behaviorism refers to the school of psychology founded by John B. Watson based on the belief that behaviors can be measured, trained, and changed. Behaviorism was established with the publication of Watson 's classic paper, Psychology as the Behaviorist Views It (1913). Behaviorism, also known as behavioral psychology, is a theory of learning based upon the idea that all behaviors are acquired through conditioning. Conditioning occurs through interaction with the environment.

Read More

Compare And Contrast Operant Conditioning And Classical Conditioning

1404 Words | 6 Pages

INTRODUCTION Have you ever thought on how people explain about behaviour? How do we know when learning process has occurred? Learning is permanent change that happened in the way of your behaviour acts, arises from experience one’s had gone through. This kind of learning and experience are beneficial for us to adapt with new environment or surrounding (Surbhi, 2018). The most simple form of learning is conditioning which is divided into two categories which are operant conditioning and classical conditioning.

Read More

Bf Skinner's Theory Of Behaviour Modification

1114 Words | 5 Pages

1. B.F. Skinner: Behaviour modification Positive and negative reinforcements or rewards and punishments are used to modify or shape learner’s behaviour. B. F. Skinner’s entire system is based on operant conditioning. The organism is in the process of "operating" on the environment, which in ordinary terms means it is bouncing around its world, doing what it does. During this "operating," the organism encounters a special kind of stimulus, called a reinforcing stimulus, or simply a reinforcer.

Read More

A Clockwork Orange Psychological Analysis

786 Words | 4 Pages

The 1971 film, A Clockwork Orange, consists of many psychological concepts. Two concepts in particular seem to have the biggest impact and role throughout this film. These concepts being, classical conditioning and the idea that our environment and our experiences of nurture are what shapes us. A Clockwork Orange is the story of a group of young men who take pleasure in committing crimes and causing others to feel pain, they call themselves the “Droogs”. Alex, the group leader, suffers from Antisocial Personality Disorder, a disorder also known as “psychopath”.

Read More

More about Psychological Conditioning In Aldous Huxley's Brave New World

Related Topics

Open Document