learning approach behaviourism Flashcards
(25 cards)
what are the assumptions of learning approach
A01 4 marks
All behaviors are learned from our environment.
Focus on observable behavior (behavior that can be seen).
Animals and humans learn in the same ways, so behaviorists carry out experiments on animals and generalise the results to humans.
Psychology should be scientific and objective therefore behaviorists use mainly laboratory experiments to achieve this
define classical conditioning? A01
learning through association
who was classical conditioning first demostrated by? A01
Ivan Pavlov
what did Pavlov show? A01
Pavlov showed that dogs could be conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell if that sound was repeatedly presented at the same time that they were given food
describe how the experiment by Pavlov was conducted? a01
First, the dogs were presented with the food, and they salivated. The food was the unconditioned stimulus, and salivation was an unconditioned (innate) response.
Then Pavlov sounded the bell ( neutral stimulus ) before giving the food. After a few pairings, the dogs salivated when they heard the bell, even when no food was given. The bell had become the conditioned stimulus, and salivation had become the conditioned response.
What did the dogs learn? A01
The dogs had learned to associate the bell with the food and the sound of the bell and salivation was triggered by the sound of the bell.
define operant conditioning? A01
learning by consequence
What did skinner argue? A01
Skinner argued that learning is an active process. When humans and animals act on and in their environment, consequences follow these behaviors. If the consequences are pleasant, they repeat the behavior, but if the consequences are unpleasant, they do not repeat the behavior.
Idea of positive reinforcement? AO1
receiving a reward
define negative reinforcement and when it takes place A01?
Negative reinforcement occurs when performing an action stops something unpleasant from happening. For example, in one of Skinner’s experiments, a rat had to press a lever to stop receiving an electric shock.
define punishment A01
Punishment this is an unpleasant consequence
describe the procedure of the skinner box experiment 1953? A01
A hungry rat was placed in a cage. Every time he activated the lever, a food pellet fell into the food dispenser (positive reinforcement). The rats quickly learned to go straight to the lever after a few times being put in the box
What did the skinner box experiment suggest about positive reinforcement A01
This suggests that positive reinforcement increases the likelihood of the behaviour being repeated.
describe what happened in another skinner box experiment A01?
In another experiment, a rat was placed in a cage in which they were subjected to an uncomfortable electrical current. As he moved around the cage the rat hit the lever, this immediately switched off the electrical current ( negative reinforcement ). The rats quickly learned to go straight to the lever after a few times being put in the box.
what did that suggest about negative reinforcement?
This suggests that negative reinforcement increases the likelihood of the behaviour being repeated.
what are the two A03 application point we can conclude from skinner box experiment
Behaviorism has increased our understanding of the causes of phobias and attachment.
It has also given rise to therapies such as systematic desensitization and token economy.
Evaluation AO3 behaviourism has experimental support
Behaviorism has experimental support: Pavlov showed that classical conditioning leads to learning by association. Watson and Rayner showed that phobias could be learned through classical conditioning in the “little Albert” experiment.
A03 Evaluation scientific methods being introduced to psychology
It introduced scientific methods to psychology. Laboratory experiments were used with high control of extraneous variables. These experiments were replicable, and the data obtained was objective (not influenced by an individual’s judgment or opinion) and measurable. This gave psychology more credibility.
A03 EXPERIMENTS CARRIED OUT ON ANIMALS
Many of the experiments carried out were done on animals; we are different cognitively and physiologically. Humans have different social norms and moral values these mediate the effects of the environment therefore we might behave differently from animals, so the laws and principles derived from these experiments might apply more to animals than to humans.
A03 PRACTICAL APPLICATION
It has practical applications. For example, systematic desensitization based on classical conditioning is used in the treatment of phobias. Classical and operant conditioning has also been used to explain attachment.
A03 NEGATIVES DOES NOT EXPLAIN IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF HUMAN BHEAVIOUR
It does not explain important aspects of human behaviour such as memory and problem-solving as these are internal mental events that cannot be observed.
A03 NEGATIVE EVALUATION BIOLOGICAL FACTORS
It does not take into account biological factors such as the role of neurotransmitters; for example, a low level of serotonin can give rise to depression, or a high level of dopamine is involved in OCD.
A03 NEGATIVES SEES PEOPLE AS PASSIVE INT THEIR LEARNING
It sees people as passive in their learning, with little conscious thoughts influencing their behaviour; other approaches recognize the importance of mental events in the learning process.
