1.3.6 Compare & Contrast Behaviourist

Question 1

Is the behaviourist approach psychological or biological?

Answer 1

Psychological

Question 2

What is the key assumption of the behaviourist approach?

Answer 2

All behaviour is learnt from the environment after birth

Question 3

What research methods are used in the behaviourist approach?

Answer 3

Experimental methods e.g lab experiments and controlled observations

Question 4

Give an example of lab experiments in the behaviourist approach?

Answer 4

Pavlovs dogs

Skinners box

Question 5

Give an example of a controlled observation in the behaviourist approach:

Answer 5

Little Albert

Question 6

What is a real life application of the behaviourist approach?

Answer 6

Systematic desensitisation (therapy)
Token economy systems

Question 7

What does the real life application systematic desensitisation do?

Answer 7

Works by the client learning to associate a phobic object with feelings of relaxation instead of fear or anxiety

Question 8

What do token economy systems do as a real life application?

Answer 8

Positive reinforcement
Used in education/ prison/ mental institutions, desirable behaviour is rewarded with tokens which can then be swapped for something the person wants, so they repeat the desirable behaviour

Question 9

Is the behaviourist approach nature or nurture?

Answer 9

Nurture

Question 10

How is the behaviourist approach a nurture approach?

Answer 10

Behaviour is explained in terms of learnt responses

Question 11

Is the behaviourist approach scientific or non scientific?

Answer 11

Scientific

Question 12

How is the behaviourist approach scientific?

Answer 12

The study of observable behaviour

Question 13

Is the behaviourist approach reductionist or holistic?

Answer 13

Reductionist

Question 14

How is the behaviourist approach reductionist?

Answer 14

Behaviours such as phobias are reduced to environmental explanations such as simple learnt responses

Question 15

Is the behaviourist approach a free will or deterministic approach?

Answer 15

Deterministic

Question 16

What type of deterministic is it?

Answer 16

Environmentally deterministic

Question 17

How is it environmentally deterministic?

Answer 17

Says you have no control over your behaviour it is purely the result of your environment

Question 18

Is the behaviourist approach nomothetic or idiographic?

Answer 18

Nomothetic

Question 19

How is the behaviourist approach nomothetic?

Answer 19

It looks to make generalisations about behaviour e.g everyone learns through conditioning