behaviourist approach

Question 1

names of the researcher in behaviourism

Answer 1

Watson
Pavlov
BF skinner

Question 2

key principle for behaviourists

Answer 2

psychology has to be fundamentally scientific the only things that can be measured objectively the stimuli which is the input and the behaviour which were the outputs
the mind and any internal mental processes were fundamentally untestable and any study of the mind would lead to subjective bias.

Question 3

What was Watsons study show?

Answer 3

Watson used a 9month old baby in an experiment to show the importance of the environment and learning in behaviour not instincs

Question 4

Watson procedure

Answer 4

showed the baby a range of stimuli including, fire, monkeys, rabbits, mouse and there was no fear response
conditioning: a white rat was hsown to albert and at the same time a bar was struck behind his head making a loud noise
fear response: after displaying the rat with the loud noise the baby started crying at just the rat.

Question 5

What is stimuli generalisation?

Answer 5

this is when the conditioned fear response happens is still the same with similar stimuli (fur . different pitches of bell and fur coat santas mask)

Question 6

What is classical conditioning?

Answer 6

learning by association

Question 7

what is temporal association?

Answer 7

This is when two stimuli are experienced close together in time and as a result an association is formed

Question 8

according to pavlov learning happens?

Answer 8

learning happens when a neutral stimulus (bell) is consistently paired with a unconditioned stimuli (the food) so that eventually the conditioned stimulus produces a response (the bell)

Question 9

pavlov conditoning equations

Answer 9

food = UCS
drool - UCR
bell = NS
no drool = NR
UCS+NS= UCR
now CS (bell) = CR -drool

Question 10

what is operant conditioning

Answer 10

. This is a type of learning in which behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences (learning by trial and error)

Question 11

what is reinforcement?

Answer 11

when the consequence of a behaviour results in an increase likelihood that of the behaviour being repeated

Question 12

what is positive reinforcement ?

Answer 12

when something added increases behaviour (getting food)

Question 13

what is negative reinforcement?

Answer 13

when something is removed (shocks turned off) when we carry out a behaviour to avoid negative consequence taking away an undesireable stimuli

Question 14

punishment

Answer 14

decreases the likelihood of a behaviour being repeated

Question 15

difference between punishment and reinforcement

Answer 15

Punishment is used to discourage a certain behavior. Reinforcement is meant to encourage a particular behavior.

Question 16

what is positive punishment?

Answer 16

Positive punishment is when you add a consequence to unwanted behavior. You do this to make it less appealing.

Question 17

what is negative punishment?

Answer 17

taking away a desireable stimulus after a behaviour has occured

Question 18

what is meant by the term extinction

Answer 18

if a behaviour has been reinforced and stops being reinforced then it will gradually stop happening

Question 19

primary reinforcers

Answer 19

food/ sex/ water
does not need pariing with another stimuli to be reinforcing

Question 20

secondary reinforces

Answer 20

is reinforcing due to pairing with a primary reinforcer for example money can buy food

Question 21

Spontaneous recovery

Answer 21

occurs when the individual carries out the conditioned response
some time after extinction has occurred.

Question 22

schedules reinforcement

Answer 22

behaviour isnt reinforced every time it happens. Some behaviour like gambling on spot machines follow a variable ratio pattern, winning every couple times but not in a predictable pattern, t his is very resistant to extinction and compulsive respnses

Question 23

cons of the behaviourist approach (4)

Answer 23

-ethical issues, applied to control human behaviour (gambling and advertisement to buy company’s products)
- strongly deterministic - human behaviour is environmentally determined then this leaves space for free will.
- research mainly done with animals and therefore generalisation to human behaviour can be limited
redutionist approach focuses on lower level of explanation and it lacks validity when it comes to complex behaviours as we experience richer stimulis in our everyday life
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Question 24

pros of the behaviourist approach

Answer 24

use of objective scientific methods , systematic manipulation of variables its controlled so therefore demonstrates a cause and affect relationship confidence
implication - the development of these laws and principles enabled prediction and control of behaviour and how these apply to human behaviours eg classroom management(through the use of reinforcement techniques) and therapy