A Clockwork Orange: A Psychological Analysis Essay

The major theme of the movie can be interpreted as a main revulsion of psychological behaviorism as produced by B. Farrenheit. Skinner and John Watson. Behaviorism declares that actions are a continuous learning process sturdy by praise systems.

In addition, it states that personality is nothing but a mirrored image of patterns, since the other defines the former. In the film, there were several attempts to reject the idea of behaviorism. Listed below are as follows: 1) At some point in the movie, Alex and his good friends attempted to make use of narcotic mixed milk in order to improve their violence instinct; 2) Alex lovemaking violence inside the movie was deliberate and out of consciousness. It was the case when Alex injured the cat lady after having a sexual orgasm; 3) When Alex was in jail, he developed the so-called Ludovico technique, a procedure for rehabilitating criminals. When the minister of the room requested the jail to get potential prospects for the treatment, Alex self volunteered.

During the treatment, he intentionally attempted to prevent it simply by showing which the treatment currently cured him (in reality, he understood the loopholes of the treatment); 4) And, after a lot of psychological tests in the jail, he noticed that he was under no circumstances criminally repulsive. He began to like Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Alex realized that he does not have aversion with all the music. Actually he noticed that the treatment on its own never changed his behavioral outlook, because it was deliberate.

The Ludovico technique is a technique which uses operant fitness (which was implied in the movie) (reinforcer). The purpose of the technique was to put the patient in a state to which they has repulsion. In this way, the patient will avoid this kind of circumstance.

A repeated application of the way to the same individual would therefore be restorative. The main figure though has a means to strengthen his violent behavior (reinforcement). Alex realized the problems of his technique and created loopholes in order to avoid it. In a way, Alex became the primary reinforcer. He controlled the habits of his own tendencies by methodical analysis with the consequences of his behavior.

Moreover, Alex knew that the Ludovico technique would never adjust his actions precisely because he reinforced his own patterns. Now, what is the probability that Alex criminal patterns may happen again after reinforcement? The response lies around the concept of operant response. In the matter of Alex, the probability is close to 1 . Alex realized that the strategy would never alter his habit. In fact , he created the technique in order to retain his tendencies.

Moreover, for the reason that technique proven ineffective in Alex’s circumstance, then one might assume that Alex’s behavior did not really transform. His response for the technique was deliberate and orchestrated. It is also possible to say which the Ludovico strategy failed to change Alex’s behavior because of flawed interval activities. Interval agendas require a minimal period of time that must pass among consecutive strengthened responses.

The interval will need to neither become too short neither too long. If the interval is short, then a patient may become entrenched with his/her behavior (nothing is going to change). In the event the interval is definitely long, then the patient to be used to the technique (and as a result can possibly resist the technique). In the case of Alex, the span schedule is usually close to brief. It is possible that Alex could have been entrenched in the violent habit because of the short interval plan.

Reference A Clockwork Fruit. 1971. Aimed by Stanley Kubrick.

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