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Lecture on Behaviorism - TOEFL Listening Practice with Answers

Kasturika Samanta

10 min read

Updated On April 12, 2024

In the Listening section of the TOEFL exam, you'll encounter 2-3 conversations and 3 lectures that reflect the university class interactions and answer 5-6 questions from each. Acing this section requires a strong foundation in academic vocabulary and the ability to grasp information quickly. But fret not! The key to success lies in consistent practice with sample tests like the ‘lecture on behaviourism’.

Usually, in this section, you hear part of a lecture and then answer a few questions related to it. The majority of the listening questions that come after the talks and lectures are standard multiple-choice questions with four possible answers and only one right response.

In this blog, we will take up a listening practice set on the topic - Lecture on Behaviorism - with detailed explanations to guide you on how to answer these TOEFL listening practice questions.

Listening Instructions

You need to listen to each conversation and lecture only once.
You have approximately 8 minutes to listen to the conversation/lecture and respond to the questions.
Each question generally carries one point unless otherwise specified in the instructions, which will explicitly state the assigned points for specific questions.
After listening to a lecture, respond to questions related to the topic based on explicit or implicit statements made by the speakers.
Feel free to make notes as you listen. You can refer to your notes to aid in answering the questions.
We recommend practising note-taking with a pen and paper, similar to what you'll do during the TOEFL.

Lecture on Behaviorism

Now listen to the track below.

Questions

Mark your answer by selecting your choice.

What is the main purpose of this lecture?
1. to explore the intricacies of non-verbal communication through human facial expressions
2. to advocate for the direct observation of thoughts as a reliable method in psychology
3. to teach effective methods for magic tricks using ideomotor action
4. to delve into Watson's behaviourism and the motor theory of thinking

What does the professor say about those who communicate through sign language?
1. sign language disrupts the connection between thinking and muscle activity
2. observable muscular changes occur in their hands when solving problems
3. their thinking habits cannot be observed due to the nature of sign language
4. they exhibit laryngeal habits, similar to individuals using spoken language

What point does the professor make when he refers to the magic trick?
1. demonstrate the concept of ideomotor action
2. show that people are easily fooled by simple illusions
3. emphasise the importance of studying magic tricks to understand human behaviour
4. showcase the professor's own entertainment skills and lighten the mood of the lecture

The professor mentions the university library during this lecture. What does the reference to the library demonstrate?
1. to showcase the fact that the possibility of studying thought begins in the library
2. to inform them that William James came up with the concept of ideomotor in that library
3. to illustrate ideomotor action by showing how thinking about a location can produce involuntary eye movements
4. to highlight the role of language learnt in the learnt in the process of thinking

What is the professor's opinion on laryngeal habits?
1. They are an unimportant or irrelevant concept in understanding thinking
2. They provide a valuable window into a person's thought processes
3. They are a definitive and foolproof way to measure a person's thoughts
4. The professor completely disagrees with John B. Watson's theory of laryngeal habits

Listen again to part of the lecture by playing the track below

Now answer the question.

Why does the professor say this?
1. to recall what was said to the students previously
2. to explain the reason why the term is used
3. to give an example
4. to explain what James and other theorists had to say about it

Transcript of the Audio of Lecture on Behaviorism

Professor: This brings us to our next topic of discussion: behavioural psychology, which was founded by the well-known behaviourist John Watson. Like many of his colleagues in this field, Watson was insistent that researchers should avoid any temptation to explore the murky depths of mental processes and confine their studies to visible, quantifiable behaviours. Thoughts cannot be confirmed by others since they are illusive. It would be impossible for others to see or confirm the accuracy of such claims, even if someone were to articulate their ideas precisely. Now, using a novel approach, Watson turned his focus from the intricacies of the mind to a more tangible route: muscular routines. From his observant perspective, these actions served as concrete manifestations of essential cognitive processes. Although Watson studied a wide range of habits, he was particularly interested in the research of laryngeal habits. This study into the minute aspects of human facial expressions provided Watson with crucial insights into the intricate relationship between conduct and brain processes.

Laryngeal habits are related to the voice box and Watson suggested that they are an external representation of an individual's mental processes. He argued that thinking is essentially speaking out loud what one is thinking, especially in very young children. Children often express their opinions verbally, even when they are not trying to interact with others. Thinking still appears as laryngeal habits, but as a person ages, this overt self-talk gives way to more subtle mental conversation. Watson backed up this theory with research indicating people's throat muscles are more active while they are solving problems. When people solve problems with concentration, there is noticeable muscle activity in the throat, according to electrodes put on the throat that show enhanced muscle potential activity.

According to Watson, thinking and problem-solving may be described as a sequence of actions or reactions. In this particular situation, he found that the activity in the neck was an observable response that he called a "laryngeal habit." By laryngeal habit, he means that the muscles in the throat can be used to quantify and exhibit thought processes. My throat muscles are tensing up as I think about what I'm going to say. Thus, from Watson's point of view, thinking may be measured by seeing muscular contractions. Does that make sense now, in terms of the motor theory?

Student: Professor…umm…did he ever notice those who sign? I mean individuals who are deaf.

Professor: Indeed, Watson discovered that there are observable muscular changes in the hands of deaf people who use sign language when they are solving problems. Similar to the alterations in the muscles of the throat seen in spoken language users, persons who use sign language display similar alterations in the muscles of their hands during problem solving. So, according to Watson, thinking is synonymous with the activation of muscles. William James also explored a related concept of thinking known as ideomotor action.

The process of ideomotor action occurs without our conscious knowledge. Take this simple example into consideration: there is usually an unconscious eye movement that goes along with thinking about particular places. For example, if you were seated right in front of me and asked to picture our university library, this idea would cause your eyes to move slightly to the left because that is where the library is usually located. Close your eyes and imagine the library.

Ideomotor action, as defined by James and other theorists, is the idea that a motor action corresponds to an idea. It's called "ideomotor action" for this reason—a motor reaction is triggered by an idea. You may make a magic trick out of this easy method to wow your friends and family and add a little flair. Tell folks to take the actions I just outlined: Shut their eyes, consider an object on the left, then consider an object on the right. Keep a close check on their eye movements while they consider these two points. You'll probably see distinct shifts or motions in the eyes. You now challenge them to choose between the two, and you can tell with confidence which one they are considering.

Watson, though, seems to think that thinking is the same as using muscles. But in light of everything we've spoken about, it forces us to investigate challenges to this motor hypothesis, which holds that variations in muscle activity are equivalent to mental processes. It begs the question: except thinking, what other factors could account for this change in muscle activity? Without a doubt, the answer is yes. Can we provide a conclusive response to this question? I think the answer is no.

Browse through the top tips to prepare for your TOEFL exam and make your way to your desired institution!

Answers and Explanations of the Lecture on Behaviorism

1. Answer: D

Explanation: This is a Gist-Content question. The lecture focuses on Watson's behaviourism, his emphasis on observable behaviours, laryngeal habits, and ideomotor action as ways to understand and measure thinking. It also explores the limitations and challenges to this motor theory. So, Option D - to delve into Watson's behaviourism and the motor theory of thinking - is correct. While the lecture briefly mentions the other options, they are not the highlight of the lecture.

2. Answer: B

Explanation: This is a Detail question. The professor responds to a student who asks a question about people who use sign language. He says that “...observable muscular changes in the hands of deaf people who use sign language when they are solving problems…”. The correct answer is choice B - Observable muscular changes occur in their hands when solving problems.

3. Answer: A

Explanation: This is an Understanding Organization question. The magic trick involves asking people to focus on different locations (left/right) and then observing their eye movements. This illustrates ideomotor action – the idea that thoughts trigger subtle motor responses (in this case, eye movements). The professor uses the trick to connect it back to Watson's theory on laryngeal habits. The correct answer to this question is choice A - To demonstrate the concept of ideomotor action.

4. Answer: C

Explanation: This is a Connecting Content question. Answering the question correctly requires you to understand that through the reference to the library, the professor describes ideomotor action as a connection between thought and motor response. He uses the library as an example. If you were asked to picture it, your eyes might unconsciously move slightly in the direction of the library's location. This involuntary eye movement demonstrates the concept of ideomotor action in practice. The correct answer is choice C, “To illustrate ideomotor action by showing how thinking about a location can produce involuntary eye movements”.

5. Answer: B

Explanation: Questions like this one that ask for the professor’s opinion require you to understand the speaker’s attitude. The professor’s opinion can be found just before the student asks the question. He says that “muscles in the throat can be used to quantify and exhibit thought processes. My throat muscles are tensing up as I think about what I'm going to say.”. The correct answer to this question is choice B, “They provide a valuable window into a person's thought processes”.

6. Answer:

Explanation: This question requires you to understand the function of what is said. The professor introduces the term, “ideomotor action”. He then says, “It's called "ideomotor action" for this reason…”. His brief explanation is meant to help the students understand the term “ideomotor action” is called so. Choice B is the correct answer to this question.

Now that you have solved this test and verified your answers, be prepared to take up more of these TOEFL listening practice tests and boost your confidence!

Let us know in the comments below if you need more TOEFL Listening samples to practise and improve your prep!