Analysing behaviour: social learning principles

Abstract

Before psychologists can apply themselves to any analysis of behaviour, they need to know what to look for, and how to look for it. This is the all-important matter of observation. The scientific way of looking at things is to begin with the most basic units of phenomena. The ‘atoms’ of the physical sciences have their equivalent in the so- called S-R (stimulus-response) units; the atomic laws have their figurative counterpart in the S-R laws.