Approaches, Behaviourism

Question 1

What are the key assumptions of this approach?

Answer 1

• John Locke’s ‘tabula rasa’ theory, all born as a blank slate
• everything we become due to environment, learning theory
• only behaviour observable/measurable scientifically should be measured

Question 2

What is classical conditioning?

Answer 2

• Acquisition of behaviour, learning by association
• UCS leads to UCR but if paired with a neutral stimulus you can create a conditioned stimulus & therefore a conditioned response
• Pavlov (1927)

Question 3

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 3

• Maintenance of behaviour, learning by consequence/reinforcement
• Skinner (1953): rat, press one lever for treat increases chance rat will press lever again, one lever for electric shock decreases chance rat will press lever
• positive reinforcement: adding positive consequence
• negative reinforcement: takin away negative consequence
• positive punishment: adding a negative consequence
• negative punishment: taking away a positive consequence

Question 4

What are the 4 important features of classical conditioning?

Answer 4

• Timing/order: NS must predict response
• Extinction: if the CS (bell) without the UCS (food), response to CS will disappear
• Spontaneous Recovery: link made more quickly after extinction
• Stimulus Generalisation: response the same to similar stimuli

Question 5

What are the pros of this approach?

Answer 5

• Research support: Little Albert (Watson & Rayner 1920), used a hammer to create a loud noise every time rabbit was shown to Albert, at first he loved the rabbit but by the end feared it, also supports concept of stimulus generalisation as Albert feared stimuli with similar texture like Santa’s beard.
• Real-world application: phobias acquired through classical conditioning and maintained through operant conditioning, also treated with classical conditioning (counterconditioning) new response to phobic stimulus
• Very scientific: using lab experiments, stimulus-response, empirical, measurable, very reliable methods & response

Question 6

What are the cons of this approach?

Answer 6

• Experiments/research into this approach unethical: Skinner (1953) electrocute rat, Little Albert (Watson & Rayner 1920) didn’t undo the phobia given to Albert, psychological damage, implications for future life
• Environmental determinism: no agency, behaviour driven by environment, ignores individual factors like human emotion
• Environmental reductionism: behaviour is complex and this approach attempts to explain it entirely with conditioning, ignores individual factors like emotion or cognition, limited explanation, cannot explain behaviour where a reward is ignored or punishment is sought, self-destructive behaviours like self-harm or where people sacrifice their own wellbeing for others