Behaviourist Approach Flashcards
(18 cards)
What are the Main assumptions in behaviourist approach?
- only interested in studying observable & measurable behaviour
- Humans are born ‘Tabula rasa’ blank state
- environment shapes behaviour rather than innate
- valid to study behaviour of animals as they share same principles of learning as humans (OC & CC)
Who demonstrated classical conditioning in dogs?
Ivan Pavlov
What is classical conditioning?
learning through association
What did Pavlov’s study show?
- How dogs could be conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell if that sound was repeatedly paired at the same time they received food
- Pavlov’s dog learnt to associate sound of bell (NS) with food (UCS)- produced salivation response every time they heard sound
Before conditioning of Pavlov’s dogs
Food (UCS)»_space;Salivation (UCR)
Bell(NS)»_space;no response
During conditioning of Pavlov’s dogs
Food(UCS) + Bell (NS) = Salivation (UCR)
After conditioning of Pavlov’s dogs
Bell (CS) = Salivation (CR)
What did Skinner say that learning is?
An active process whereby humans and animals operate on their environment
What is operant conditioning?
Learning through consequences
3 types
What is positive reinforcement?
receiving a reward when a behaviour is performed e.g. receiving a sticker from teacher for good essay
What is negative reinforcement?
A behaviour is performed to avoid something unpleasant
e.g. hurrying to lessons so teacher does not shout at you
What is punishment?
an unpleasant consequence for behaviour e.g. detention for being late to lesson
Outline Skinners research (Positive reinforcement)
- hungry rat placed in cage called skinners box
- every time lever was pressed, food appeared in dispenser= positive reinforcement ( food provided reward)» increase in lever pressing
Outline Skinners research (Negative reinforcement)
Skinner experiment with unpleasant environmental stimuli such as loud noises which could be switched of by pressing the lever ( negative reinforcement)
-led to increase in lever pressing
Outline Skinners procedure (punishment)
Experimented with use of punishment by delivering an electrical shock anytime the leaver was pressed
-led to decrease in lever pressing
what is a strength of research on the behaviourist approach
- behaviourist approach is that it is based on well-controlled research
- Behaviourists focused on the measurement of observable behaviour within highly controlled lab settings
- By breaking down behaviour into basic stimulus-response units
- extraneous variables removed, allowing cause and effect to be established
- behaviourist experiments have scientific credibility and therefore contribute to psychology as a science
what is a strength of the behaviourist approach
- real world application
that the principles of conditioning have been applied to real-world behaviours - eg operant conditioning is the basis of token economy systems, used in prisons and psychiatric ward
- Classical conditioning has been applied to the treatment of phobias.
- value of the behaviourist approach, due to real world application
what is a limitation of the behaviourist approach
- One limitation of the behaviourist approach is that it sees all behaviour as conditioned by past conditioning experiences.
- Skinner suggested that everything we do is the sum total of our reinforcement history.
- When something happens we may think I made the decision to do that’ but, according to Skinner, our past conditioning history determined the outcome.
- This ignores any possible influence that free will may have on behaviour (Skinner himself said that free will is an illusion).
-This is an extreme position and ignores the influence of conscious decision-making processes on behaviour (as suggested by the cognitive approach
