Behaviourist approach Flashcards
(9 cards)
Outline the behaviourist approach
The behaviourist approach is concerned with behaviour that can be observed and measured.
- Early behaviourists such as Watson (1913) rejected introspection as it involved too many concepts that were vague and difficult to measure.
- Instead they relied on lab experiments to ensure objectivity and control their research
- -Classical conditioning refers to learning through association and was first reseached by Pavlov using dogs.
- -A NS is consistently paired with an US until it produces a conditioned response,
- Operant conditioning, as researched by Skinner using the Skinner box refers to learning through reinforcement or punishment
- If behaviour is followed through a desirable consequence it will be repreated
What did Pavlov do
Classical conditioning is learning through association and was first demonstrated by
Pavlov. Pavlov revealed that dogs could be conditioned to salivate to the sound of a bell if
that sound was repeatedly presented at the same time as they were given food. Gradually,
Pavlov’s dogs learned to associate the sound of the bell (NS) with the food (US) and
would produce the salivation response every time they heard the sound.
Thus, Pavlov was able to show how a neutral stimulus, in this case a bell, can come to
elicit a new learned response (conditioned response) through association.
What did Skinner do
Skinner (1953) suggested that learning is an active process whereby humans and
animals interact with their environment. We learn behaviours (or to stop behaviours) via
reinforcers and punishments. so ultimately: consequence.
Whats reinforcement, positive and negative
Reinforcement: Responses from the environment that increase the probability of a behaviour being repeated.
Positive Reinforcement: the process of encouraging or establishing a pattern of behaviour by offering reward when the behaviour is exhibited.
Negative Reinforcement: something uncomfortable or otherwise unpleasant is taken away in response to a stimulus
Whats punishment
Punishment: a consequence that follows an operant response that decreases (or attempts
to decrease) the likelihood of that response occurring in the future.
Whats a Skinner box
A Skinner box is a device used to objectively record an animal’s behaviour in a compressed time frame. An animal can be rewarded or punished for engaging
in certain behaviours, such as lever pressing (for rats) or key pecking (for pigeons).
A03 - Scientific
-The behaviourist approach uses objective scientific methods which includes a systematic manipulation of variables, a focus on the observable behaviour, tight
control over the standardised procedure and extraneous variables, which yields empirical, quantitative data and demonstrates cause and effect. as shown through the
research of Pavlov and Skinner.
-However, it could be argued that using this approach is too simplistic, particularly
when investigating human behaviour. It does not take individual differences, past
experiences and biological influences into account, therefore limiting the behaviourist
explanations and a comprehensive approach to examining human and animal behaviour.
A03 - Reductionist and deterministic
-The Behaviourist Approach does oversimplify all behaviour in terms of Stimulus Response links, therefore it is reductionist - taking a complex phenomenon
such as human behaviour and determining that you can change all behaviours using association or reinforcement.
-Likewise, it is also environmentally deterministic,
ignoring the notion of free will. Whilst the Behaviourist Approach does account for some behaviours, taking an interactionist approach when studying human and animal
behaviour may be more comprehensive and account for individual differences.
A03 - Support
Research supports the view that animals and humans can learn by Classical and Operant Conditioning. John Watson’s original study of Little Albert demonstrated that
a phobia can be learnt through CC/ association of a white rabbit and a loud bang.
