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Behaviorism = a more scientific psychology that attempts to understand people through observable behavior (empirical data) instead of mapping the structures of the unconscious (like Freud did – there is no such thing as the hydraulic system of the mind).
03-13: Exchange and Rational Choice Theories
George Caspar Homans
1910-1989
Why Exchange Theory?
3. Value Proposition = when the results get a particularly valuable reward, then they are more likely to behave that way.
4. Deprivation-Satiation Proposition = getting lots of a type of reward makes that reward less valuable to an actor in the future.
2. Stimulus Proposition = if a person is rewarded for a behavior in response to a particular stimulus, when that stimulus is present the person is more likely to behave that way again.
a. generalization = the tendency to extend behavior to similar circumstances (might be wrong).
b. discrimination = people are more likely to behave that way again when all of the specific conditions of the stimulus are satisfied instead of just the right one.
Operant conditioning = the learning process by which the consequences of behavior serve to modify that behavior.
http://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=2DLp-vE3AKg
5. Aggression-Approval Propositions:
a. When people don’t get what they expected from a behavior or action, they get angry.
b. When people get unexpected rewards they will be happy about it, even happier than getting what they expected.
B
A
a. Costs = rewards lost in adopting a specific course of action.
b. Profits = getting more rewards than costs.
6. Rationality Proposition = people are rational and consciously choose between behaviors and actions in order to
minimize costs and maximize rewards or profits.
Utilities = actor’s preferences or values.
1. Success Proposition = more reward for a behavior will equal more of that behavior.
a. immediate reward gets even more of the behavior
b. irregular
rewards (unpredictable) get even more of the behavior
Rewards = results that are positive to the actor.
Punishments = results that are negative for an actor.
6 Propositions of Exchange Theory
http://www.youtube
.com/watch?v=5cDLZqe735k
http://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=kTHNpusq654
2. Social institutions - norms constrain us.
For example:
social institution of gender
1. Most resources are scarce.
Problems - perfect information?
Humans are Greedy
We do not know, we guess. And often we do not know that we don't know something.
Having more information than others is like cheating.
Opportunity Costs = the costs of forgoing the next most attractive
action when an actor chooses an action aimed at achieving a given end.
http://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=jlboxxsC_c0
Methodological Individualism
Just the opposite problems of the Structural Functionalists.
B. F. Skinner
1904-1990
http://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=euINCrDbbD4
James Coleman
1926-1995
http://www.youtube
.com/watch?v=JaKMimJPxyA
Have a great northeast-style
Spring Break!
This class would be more fun on a beach in Florida. But what class wouldn't?
Rational Choice Theory
http://www.youtu
be.com/watch?v=MZGo7j2mWW4