Chapter 3 - The Child as a Behaving Organism

James explains the purpose of the stream of consciousness and suggests that a duality exists between the rational mind and the mind which operates in a practical or behavioristic manner.

I hesitate to use the term behaviorism in this context because that term is most often associated with B.F. Skinner. In my readings, I have not encountered a passage where Skinner studied James. However, Skinner was a student of Pavlov, Thorndike and Watson, all of which tudied psychological and physiological aspects of the brain and body connection  (Bjork, 1999; Wiener, 1996). Skinner's theories on operant conditioning are specific, evolved and a great deal from the works of these very important scholars. But consider the following passage:

"But the brain, so far as we understand it, is given us for practical behavior. Every current that runs into it from skin or eye or ear runs out again into muscles, glands or viscera, and helps to adapt the animal to the environment from which the current came" (p.12-13).

Skinner builds upon some of these tenets James set forth with regard to more primitive "practical" functions. James' mentions by way of explanation that behaviors of students may be encouraged and discouraged directly by actions or inactions of the teacher. This is a point on which both James and Skinner would agree.

I buy into some aspects of behaviorism for some aspects of education. Even constructivists such as Rogers prescribed behaviorist methodologies to address some individual learning needs (Rogers, 1994). The question I would ask is what really works within the K-12 environment to encourage good and extinguish bad behaviors? A recurring theme in my studies and my belief is that one cannot institute educational solutions where the problems are not educational. For example, students from impoverished backgrounds who lack a good family background are going to have trouble reaping benefits from even the best institution with great resources. How much can teachers really do to help student behavior?

References

Bjork, D. W. (1999). B.F. Skinner: A Life. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.

Rogers, C. R., & Freiberg, H. J. (1994). Freedom to learn (3rd ed.). New York, NY US: Merrill/Macmillan College Publishing Co.

Wiener, D. N. (1996). B.F. Skinner, Benign Anarchist. Needham Heights: Allyn and Bacon.