Many people tend to confuse the difference between behaviorism and cognitive science. Even though they both deal with human behavior, they are different in psychology. The difference is defined by what causes a particular behavior. Behaviorism is a branch of psychology that deals with people’s actions regarding the influence of the external environment (Leahey, 2015). On the other side, cognitive science is the process of mental thought that interferes with someone’s behavior.
In behaviorism, the actions of someone being influenced by the external environment. There are two ways of determining the behavior of a person or an animal; operant and classical conditioning. In classical conditioning, someone is trained to behave in a certain way; this is achieved through practice, which is done repeatedly. Operant conditioning is based on rewarding someone for embracing desirable behaviors and punishing someone for engaging in bad behaviors. On the flip side, actions in cognitive science are based on memory, logic, and intellectual reasoning. According to behaviorism, a student will study a lot to get rewards associated with hard work and avoid punishments linked with studying poorly. On the other side of cognitive psychology, students work hard in school because of their motivational thoughts. The two branches of psychology also differ in their usefulness; behaviorism is used in rehabilitation centers for victims of drug addiction (Leahey, 2015). It is also used to assist people who experience panic attacks. On the other side, cognitive science is used to treat psychiatric disorders, such as depression.
Cognitive science and behaviorism are very different, and therefore people should note the distinction. According to behaviorism, someone’s behavior is altered by factors from the external environment, such as fear of being punished. With cognitive science, a person’s behavior is dictated by reasoning and attitude. Therapists can use behaviorism and cognitive science to treat patients differently. In behaviorism, therapists try to change the unhealthy behavior of someone, whereas in cognitive science, they try to treat mental disorders, such as depression.
Reference
Leahey, T. H. (2015). A history of psychology: From antiquity to modernity. Routledge.