Behaviourist Approach

Question 1

1st assumption

Answer 1

Humans are born a blank slate
Nothing is inate
Nurture
Environmental determinism
Tabula rasa = blank slate
Born with basic responses: crying, pain and hunger

Question 2

2nd assumption

Answer 2

Behaviour is learned through conditioning
Classical = learned by association
Operant = learn by consequence

Question 3

Classical conditioning

Answer 3

Stage 1-
US - UR
NS - no response

Stage 2-
US + NS - UR

Stage 3-
CS - CR

Question 4

Operant conditioning

Answer 4

Positive reinforcement - reward that increases likelihood of action being repeated
Negative reinforcement - unpleasant experience removed after actions so more likely to repeat
Punishment - stimulus that weakens behaviour (unpleasant = avoid)

Question 5

3rd assumption

Answer 5

Humans and animals learn in similar ways
Pavlov and skinner
E.g
Classical conditioning - aversion therapy
Operant conditioning - token economy

Question 6

Aims of aversion therapy

Answer 6

Develop a strong dislike to something ‘aversion’ to a stimulus
Can treat:
Drug/alcohol abuse
Gambling
Smoking

Question 7

Main component of aversion therapy

Answer 7

Classical conditioning
Operant conditioning
Covert sensitation
New developments

Question 8

Classical conditioning- aversion therapy

Answer 8

E.g give alcoholic sickness drug (UCS-UCR)
Pair drugs with alcohol(UCS +NS - UCR)
Association will cause them to avoid alcohol (CS-CR)

Question 9

Covert sensitisation - aversion therapy

Answer 9

Encourages imagination
No physical unpleasant stimuli
E.g imagine becoming homeless when gambling

Question 10

Operant conditioning - aversion therapy

Answer 10

Once association is made (classical) the person tends to avoid it
E.g alcoholic avoid the pub
Negative reinforcement is now motivating them to avoid stimulus

Question 11

New developments - aversion therapy

Answer 11

Tryptophan metabolites - stops alcohol breaking down properly so it creates negative effects
However when alcohol is avoided it creates feelings of tranquility

Question 12

Apply assumption 1 to the therapy

Answer 12

Covert sensitisation- we can teach ourself associations as nothing is inate

Question 13

Apply assumption 2 to the therapy

Answer 13

Same principle but changes association and replaces pleasure with unpleasant state
- this should suppress desired behaviour

Question 14

Evaluation of therapy - research to support

Answer 14

S- strength
E- smith found alcoholics sober after 1 year of therapy
E- helpful for certain addictions
W- strength as its successful and can help others

Question 15

Evaluation of therapy - patient drop out

Answer 15

S- weakness
E-Bancroft found 50% did not complete the full programme
E- shows high drop out rates
W- can’t evaluate the effectiveness as the willing participants are trying to to change/want to

Question 16

Evaluation of therapy - treatment of homosexuality (ethics)

Answer 16

S- weakness
E- e.g men being shown imagine of ‘pin up’ males when on drugs or in unpleasant situations
E- carried out until 2006 in a way to stop homosexuality
W- weakness as it was highly unethical and caused life long emotional and physical harm to individuals

Question 17

Watson and Rayners methodology

Answer 17

Albert ‘little albert’
Controlled observation
He was well developed and emotionally stable

Question 18

What was Alberts conditioning schedule

Answer 18

Loud noise (us) - fear (ur)
Rat (Ns) - no response
Noise + rat (us+ns) - fear (ur)
Rat (cs) - fear (cr)

Question 19

Watson and Rayners initial procedure

Answer 19

Tested him at 9months with a rabbit, dog, monkey, mask and cotton wool
Showed no fear

Question 20

Observation 1 procedure

Answer 20

11 months 3 days

White rat presented
then shown again with bar struck behind him
Then struck again as he reaches for rat

Question 21

Observation 2 procedure

Answer 21

11 months 10 days

Rat alone then blocks in between as distraction
then repeated rat and loud bar

Question 22

Observation 3 procedure

Answer 22

11 months 15 days
Introduced new stimuli like fur, cotton wool, his hair, Santa mask

First rabbit and dog alone with dogs in between

Fur coat and cotton wool alone

Watson hair

Santa mask

Question 23

Observation 4 procedure

Answer 23

Location changes to a well lit lecture room with mattress on the floor (4 people in room) - 11 months 20 days

Rat, rabbit, dog alone

Rat alone

Rat and Loud noise

Rat alone twice with blocks in between

Rabbit and dog alone with dog barking

Question 24

Observation 5 procedure

Answer 24

12 months 21 days

Shown all stimuli like rat, rabbit, mask but no joint stimuli
Also had blocks
All placed really close to him

Question 25

Observation 1 findings

Answer 25

Fell forward and whimpered

Question 26

Observation 2 findings

Answer 26

Played happily with blocks but fell, cried and tried to crawl away

Question 27

Observation 3 findings

Answer 27

Rabbit and rat he fell and whimpered whereas other things he was less bothered (kicked with his feet)

Question 28

Observation 4 findings

Answer 28

Rat = bent over crying + lifted his hands Dog = fell over when it barked

Question 29

Observation 5 findings

Answer 29

Rat he leaned back and covered his eyes and was scared/withdrew from all stimuli

Question 30

Incidental findings

Answer 30

When scared he sucked he’s thumb to remove his fears

Question 31

1st conclusion of classic research

Answer 31

Study shows conclusively that directly conditioned emotional responses do occur when there was previously no response

Question 32

2nd conclusion of classic research

Answer 32

Stimulus generalisation E.g rat - rabbit, dog, fur, cotton wool, Santa mask etc

Question 33

3rd conclusion of classic research

Answer 33

The view is that the response (fear) will persist and modify personality throughout life

Question 34

Evaluation of research - protection from harm

Answer 34

S- weakness E-didn’t remove fears, life long trauma E- shouldn’t experience more stress than daily life = breached W- weakness as its permanently damaged him

Question 35

Evaluation of research - alternative evidence

Answer 35

S- strength E- research supporting E- OH mower said operant conditioning maintains phobias and classical conditioning creates them W- supports that behaviour can be conditioned

Question 36

Evaluation of research - informed consent

Answer 36

S- weakness E- Albert is too young to give full informed consent E- only his mum consented but not to the extent of research W- weakness breaches ethical guidelines

Question 37

Evaluation of research - methodology

Answer 37

S- strength E- highly controlled environment - base line tests at 9 months E- recorded/filmed - impacts ecological validity as it was an empty dark room with 4 strangers W- strength due to control of variables

Question 38

Evaluation - application

Answer 38

S- strength E-can help people in real life situations E-more valid if it can help wider population e.g aversion therapy for alcoholics W-strength as it benefits wider society

Question 39

Evaluation- reductionism

Answer 39

S- weakness E-reduces complex human behaviour to simple stimulus response E- this is too basic explanation W- weakness as it ignores other factors of explanation of behaviour

Question 40

Evaluation - deterministic

Answer 40

S- weakness E-removes personal and moral responsibility for behaviour E-as a result of us being born a ‘blank slate’ W- weakness as it generalises too much and takes away personal responsibility

Question 41

Evaluation- scientific

Answer 41

S- strength E-uses a scientific method E- adds credibility and support to the key concepts W- strength as it is a trusted result and can be published

Question 42

Debate - should we use conditioning on children

Answer 42

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