A Clockwork Orange: A Psychological Analysis Essay

The major theme of the film can be interpreted as a major revulsion of psychological conductism as developed by B. F. Skinner and John Watson. Behaviorism states that behavior is a continuous learning carry out reinforced by reward systems. It also states that personality is nothing but a reflection of behavior, since the last mentioned defines the former. In the movie, there were several attempts to reject the idea of behaviorism. Here are as follows 1) At nigh point in the movie, Alex and his friends attempted to use narcotic mixed milk in order to break their violence instinct2) Alex sexual violence in the movie was deliberate and out of consciousness. It was the case when Alex wound the cat lady after a sexual orgasm 3) When Alex was in jail, he developed the so-called Ludovico proficiency, a method of rehabilitating criminals. When the minister of the interior requested the jail for potential candidates for the discourse, Alex volunteered. During the treatment, he consci ously attempted to stop it by showing that the treatment already cured him (in fact, he knew the loopholes of the treatment) 4) And, after many psychological tests in the prison, he realized that he was never criminally repulsive.He began to like van Beethovens Ninth Symphony. Alex realized that he has no aversion with the music. In fact, he realized that the treatment itself never changed his behavioral outlook, since it was deliberate. The Ludovico technique is a method which uses operant conditioning (which was implied in the movie) (reinforcer). The purpose of the technique was to put the patient in a condition to which he/she has aversion. In this way, the patient would avoid much(prenominal) circumstance. A repeated application of the technique to the same patient would therefore be therapeutic.The main mention though has a means to reinforce his crimson behavior (reinforcement). Alex knew the problems of his technique and constructed loopholes to avoid it. In a sense, Al ex became the primary reinforcer. He controlled the patterns of his own behavior by systematic analysis of the consequences of his behavior. Moreover, Alex knew that the Ludovico technique would never neuter his actions precisely because he reinforced his own behavior. Now, what is the probability that Alex criminal behavior may occur over again after reinforcement? The answer lies on the concept of operant response.In the case of Alex, the probability is end to 1. Alex knew that the technique would never change his behavior. In fact, he created the technique in order to retain his behavior. Moreover, because the technique proved ineffective in Alexs case, thusly one may assume that Alexs behavior did not really change. His response to the technique was deliberate and orchestrated. It is possible to say that the Ludovico technique failed to change Alexs behavior because of faulty interval schedules. Interval schedules require a minimum period of time that moldiness pass between consecutive reinforced responses.The interval should neither be in addition short nor too long. If the interval is short, then the patient may become entrenched with his/her behavior (nothing will change). If the interval is long, then the patient will be used to the technique (and therefore can possibly resist the technique). In the case of Alex, the interval schedule is close to short. It is possible that Alex may have been entrenched in his violent behavior because of the short interval schedule. Reference A Clockwork Orange. 1971. Directed by Stanley Kubrick.