Behaviourist Approach Flashcards
(36 cards)
AO1 behaviourist approach
- Operant Conditioning – learning through reinforcement or punishment which can be shown through Skinner’s Research
- Classical Conditioning – when a neutral stimulus produces a response after being paired with a stimulus that naturally produces a response
- Punishment – when a behaviour is followed by an unpleasant consequence, results in behaviour being less likely to recur
- Positive Reinforcement – increasing behaviours by presenting positive reinforcers such as food
- Negative Reinforcement - Increasing behaviours by stopping or reducing negative stimuli, such as shock, negative reinforcement is not punishment
- UCS (unconditioned stimulus), UCR (unconditioned response), NS (neutral stimulus), NR (neutral response), CS (conditioned stimulus), CR (conditioned response)
AO3 (1) behaviourist approach
- Ethical issues – a weakness of the behaviourist approach is the use of animal research and the ethical issues that come with it.
- For example, Skinner’s experiments often included animals like rats, pigeons and in these experiments there would be a unpleasant stimulus like an electric shock for the animals so that they could be conditioned to perform the same behaviour to avoid the unpleasant stimulus.
- This is a weakness because the experiment involves the study of non-human animals rather than humans which arguably limits our understanding of human behaviour as humans are more complex in terms of emotions and cognitive abilities to animals so the results for animal conditioning cannot be applied to humans. Additionally, the issue of the ethics behind the investigation can be questioned as animals were housed in harsh, cramped conditions and deliberately kept below their natural weight so they were always hungry
- However, it may be argued that despite the ethical issues associated with the research, it helps us to understand operant conditioning in terms of how behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences which includes positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement and punishment.
- Despite this, by researching on animals and treating human beings as a product of conditioning means that evidence for the role of cognition is ignored suggesting the behaviourist approach is insufficient in fully explaining human behaviour
- Thus decreasing the validity of the approach
AO3 (2) behaviourist approach
- Well-controlled Research – a strength of the behaviourist approach is that it is based on well-controlled research.
- For example, Behaviourists focus on the measurement of observable behaviour within highly controlled lab settings
- This is a strength as by breaking down behaviour into basic stimulus-response units, all possible extraneous variables were removed, allowing cause and effect relationships to be established, which in turn all create well-controlled research
- However, it may be argued that behaviourists have oversimplified the learning process by ignoring the influence of thought on learning as learning can be more complex than just observable behaviour alone and private mental processes are also essential
- Despite this, the lab studies and experiments from behaviourism have scientific credibility and replicability
- Thus increasing the validity of the approach
AO3 (3) behaviourist approach
- Environmental Determinism – A weakness of the behaviourist approach is that it sees all behaviour as conditioned by past conditioning experiences
- For example, Skinner suggested that everything we do is the sum total of our reinforcement history and that 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 is a weakness because it ignores any possible influence that free will may have on behaviour showing that it sees all behaviour as conditioned by past conditioning experiences
- However, it can be argued that operant conditioning is the basis of token economy and has been used successfully in institutions such as prisons and psychiatric wards showing the value of the behaviourist approach as it has widespread application in the real world
- Despite that, the behaviourist approach still ignores the conscious decision-making process on behaviour, reducing it’s applicability
- Thus decreasing the validity of the approach
assumptions of the behaviourist approach
- Human behaviour is learnt through experience
- Humans are born ‘tabula rasa’ (as a blank slate)
- Only observable behaviour can be studied scientifically
- It is valid to study animals as they share the same principles of learning volume
classical conditioning meaning
Learning by association when two stimuli are repeatedly paired together- an unconditioned stimulus (UCS) and a neutral stimulus (NS). The neural stimulus eventually produces the same response as the UCS now a CR
stimulus meaning
Anything in the environment that causes a response
response meaning
Behaviour triggered by a stimulus in the environment
operant conditioning meaning
Learning by Consequence, where behaviour is acquired and maintained by its consequences including positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement and punishment.
reinforcement meaning
A consequence of behaviour that increases the likelihood that a behaviour is repeated
punishment meaning
An unpleasant consequence that will result in the behaviour being less likely to be repeated
what is classical conditioning known as
Classical conditioning is known as stimulus-response psychology.
info on classical conditioning
Classical conditioning is learning by association when two stimuli are repeatedly paired together- an Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS) (A stimuli that naturally creates a response) and a Neutral Stimulus (NS).
The Neural Stimulus eventually becomes a Conditioned Stimulus as it produces the same response as the UCS now a Conditioned Reponses. Learning has now taken place
pavlov classical conditioning aim
Aim To investigate stimulus-response associations in dogs
pavlov classical conditioning method and type of experiment
Lab experiment
Pavlov paired the presentation of food, (which naturally produced a saliva response - reflex) with a number of different neutral stimuli (e.g. a bell) (UCS + NS = UCS). Pavlov repeated this pairing several times.
Eventually, Pavlov presented the neutral stimulus in isolation of the UCS.
He inserted a small test tube into the cheek of each dog to measure salivation.
pavlov classical conditioning results
After a number of pairings, the dogs would salivate when they heard the bell ringing (without the presentation of food)
The dog had learned an association between the bell and the food and a new behaviour had been learnt.
Food UCS = Salivation UCR
Bell NS = No response
Food UCS + Bell NS = Salivation UCR
pavlov classical conditioning conclusions
Behaviours could be learnt through making stimulus-response associations
info on John Watson
John Watson believed we are born as a blank slate “Tabula rasa” John Watson proposed that the process of classical conditioning (based on Pavlov’s observations) was able to explain all aspects of human psychology.
what does tabula rasa mean
blank slate
watson and rayner classical conditioning aim
Aim To demonstrate that phobias could be learnt through Classical Conditioning.
watson and rayner classical conditioning method and type of experiment
Lab experiment
Watson claimed he conditioned a fear of white rats in a 9 month old baby (Little Albert).
Albert showed no fear response to stimuli including, fire, a small monkey and a white rat. These were therefore neutral stimuli to Albert as they created no response. Albert did however demonstrate a fear response (startled and crying) when presented with a loud noise. This was then known as the unconditioned stimulus (noise) as it created an unconditioned response (natural response of fear)
The researchers hit a metal bar with a hammer to create a loud noise which startled Albert. They then presented this alongside a white rat and repeated this pairing.
watson and rayner classical conditioning results
- Loud noise UCS = Fear response UCR
- White rat NS = No response
- Loud noise UCS + White rat NS = Fear response UCR
- White rat CS = Fear CR
After a number of pairings, Albert then showed distress when presented with the white rat and other furry white objects in isolation of the noise. This suggests an association had taken place and a fear response learnt through Classical Conditioning.
watson and rayner classical conditioning conclusions
Phobias are learnt through classical conditioning and making stimulus-response associations
what is operant conditioning
learning through consequence
