For This Week's Explore Discussion, The Influential Russian ✓ Solved

For this week’s explore discussion, the influential Russian

For this week’s explore discussion, the influential Russian psychologist I have chosen to analyze and summarize is Ivan Sechenov. Sechenov had a challenging and difficult life growing up. At the age of ten, his father, who happened to be a Russian nobleman, passed away. He learned German and French, which potentially paved the way to his success.

Sechenov ended up going to the Military Engineering School. One could argue that going to the Military Engineering School was the best thing that happened to him. Even though the love of his life married an engineer, after leaving the school, he decided to study physiology. What makes Ivan Sechenov unique? Why is his work significant? It was difficult for Sechenov to actually study his desired field because of the death of Czar Nicholas. Russian students were restricted from traveling abroad (Kardas, 2014). Due to obtaining an inheritance, he was able to leave Russia. He ended up traveling to Europe.

While outside of Russia, Sechenov conducted his own physiological research and discovered that reflexes could be inhibited via direct stimulation of some parts of the forebrain (thalamus) but not others (cerebral cortex). That discovery broadened the understanding of reflex action and demonstrated that the CNS played a role in the control of reflexes (Kardas, 2014). Ivan Sechenov’s work relates to behaviorism. Behaviorism is the approach to psychology spearheaded by Watson that sought to eliminate consciousness and introspection and substituted objective methods that focused on animal and human behaviors only (Kardas, 2014). His work explains the significant relationship between physiology and psychology.

He argued that because human psychology was so complex, the natural starting place for his kind of psychology was the simpler animal models (Kardas, 2014).

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Ivan Sechenov, often regarded as the "father of Russian physiology," has made substantial contributions not only to physiology but also to psychology by framing the relationship between the two fields. His pioneering ideas in the realm of reflexes and his implication for behaviorism provide a significant milestone in understanding human behavior and its underlying mechanisms.

Born in 1829 in the Russian Empire, Sechenov's early life was marked by adversity. The death of his father at an early age compelled him to pursue education vigorously, ultimately leading him to the Military Engineering School. Upon his graduation, he leaned towards physiology, despite the challenges posed by the socio-political turbulence of his time, most notably the repercussions following the death of Czar Nicholas II. Sechenov's initial desire to study abroad was hindered, but, fortune smiled upon him when he received an inheritance that allowed him to travel to Europe (Kardas, 2014).

During his time abroad, Sechenov conducted extensive research, leading him to discover that reflex actions were not simply mechanical responses but could be influenced by higher brain functions. His groundbreaking work highlighted that while some reflexes are subject to inhibition and modulation by the forebrain, others remain under the influence of the cerebral cortex. This revelation was instrumental in reshaping the understanding of the Central Nervous System (CNS) and its role in governing behavior (Kardas, 2014).

Sechenov's emphasis on objective observations paved the way for behaviorism. The principle that one could analyze behavior without delving into consciousness or subjective experiences was a radical departure from preceding psychological theories. By showcasing that human actions can be interpreted through causal physiological processes, Sechenov laid an early foundation for behaviorists like John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner. In this context, Sechenov's notions of physiological inhibition and its behavioral implications presented a precursor to the behaviorist models that would dominate the field of psychology in the early 20th century (Clark, 2018).

Behaviorism, as defined by Kardas (2014), emphasizes the objective study of observable behavior rather than introspective methods. This school of thought aligns with Sechenov's views, which placed greater importance on empirical data than on the subjective experiences that were previously considered crucial in understanding psychology. Watson in particular championed this approach, striving to eliminate consciousness from psychology. In considering Sechenov's work, one sees how essential these ideas are to developing learning theories and the practical application of psychology.

Sechenov himself argued that human behaviors were complex and best studied through simpler animal models. By doing so, he offered a practical framework that behaviorists would later adopt. His proposition to use animal behavior as a model for understanding human actions remains valid in contemporary psychological research, enabling scientists to conduct ethical studies that can yield valuable insights into instinctual behavior and learning processes.

As a scientist, Sechenov was also acutely aware of the potential for reducing complex psychological phenomena to mere physiological responses. His legacy is multifaceted—while he advocated for a materialistic approach to psychology rooted in observable evidence, he simultaneously illuminated the necessity of understanding the biological underpinnings of those behaviors (Kardas, 2014; Clark, 2018).

In summary, Ivan Sechenov's substantial contributions to psychology lay in his ability to bridge physiology and psychology, demonstrating that a thorough understanding of reflex actions could transform our insights into behavior. This foundational work not only enriched the domain of psychology but also equipped researchers with a objective frame through which human and animal behaviors could be explored scientifically.

References

• Kardas, E. P. (2014). History of psychology: The making of a science. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
• Clark, K. R. (2018). Learning Theories: Behaviorism. Radiologic Technology, 90(2), 172–175.
• Powell, R. A., Digdon, N., Harris, B., & Smithson, C. (2014). Correcting the record on Watson, Rayner, and Little Albert: Albert Barger as ‘Psychology’s lost boy’. American Psychologist, 69(6).
• Watson, J.B. (1924). Behaviorism. New York: Norton.
• Skinner, B.F. (1953). Science and human behavior. New York: Simon and Schuster.
• Pavlov, I.P. (1927). Conditioned Reflexes: An Investigation of the Physiological Activity of the Cerebral Cortex. London: Oxford University Press.
• Hull, C.L. (1943). Principles of Behavior. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.
• Thorndike, E.L. (1913). Educational Psychology. New York: Teachers College, Columbia University.
• Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
• Rosenthal, R., & Rosnow, R.L. (2008). Essentials of Behavioral Research: Methods and Data Analysis. New York: McGraw-Hill.