Can behavior be predicted?

The age-old question regarding whether or not human beings have free will or whether all events are determined by pre-existing causes has continued to interest philosophers and researchers, alike. The concept of free will concludes that human beings have the ability to choose, think, and act voluntarily, while determinism concludes that that all behavior is predictable, free will is an illusion, and internal and external forces influence us to behave in a specific way.

Behaviorism, which is known as the scientific and systematic study of human and animal behavior, is established on the idea that behavior can not only be predicted, but controlled, reinforced, or extinguished, and assumes that most behavior is deterministic. Throughout history, reward or reinforcement and punishment have been used as tools to condition individuals to think and behavior in a particular way. Psychological behaviorism, according to Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy “It purports to explain human and animal behavior in terms of external physical stimuli, responses, learning histories, and (for certain types of behavior) reinforcements.” Behaviorism developed from logical positivism, which states that meaning, truth, or empirical knowledge must be understood and verified through experimental testing or through using the scientific method. Key components of the scientific method are formulating a question, repeatedly testing a hypothesis, and forming predictions based upon results. If results are repeatedly verified, then accurate predictions can be made. Application of the scientific method to psychology allows for behavior to be predicted.

While theories of behaviorists, including Pavlov, Skinner, Thorndike, and Watson have greatly contributed to the field of psychology, there are also ethical issues that arise with behaviorism and its applications. While many of these applications can help treat mental health problems and help change negative behaviors, many advertisers and corporations spend billions of dollars to try to both predict and change consumer’s behavior.  With the increased use of algorithms, artificial intelligence, and widespread use of data-mining, research and experimentation on the general public has become more and more commonplace. Computer algorithms, which are predictive technologies that use well-defined procedure or set of unambiguous instructions, allow for greater predictive abilities for individuals and groups of individuals. While ethical guidelines set forth by various different branches of the government prevent human experimentation without informed consent, many organizations and companies continue to experiment on the general public without proper informed consent being provided and use this knowledge to improve profits.