The Behaviourist Approach

Question 1

What are the principles of the behaviourist approach?

Answer 1

• All behaviour is learned and can be changed through conditioning and reinforcement
• Behaviourists are concerned with observable behaviour (not what a person thinks/feels)
• Basic processes are the same in all species – uses laboratory studies of animals and people

Question 2

Outline classical conditioning as an element of the behaviorist approach.

Answer 2

Learning through a stimulus -> response association e.g. Watson and Little Albert, Pavlov’s Dog’s

Before conditioning the bell is a neutral stimulus.
When paired with the food (unconditioned stimulus) eventually the bell
becomes a conditioned stimulus and the salivation becomes a conditioned response

Question 3

Outline operant conditioning.

Answer 3

Learning through reinforcement. Behaviour is shaped by consequences e.g. BF Skinner (1953)
Positive reinforcement:
-A reward makes you feel good so it strengthens/reinforces the positive behaviour. The positive behaviour is more likely to be repeated in the future.
- The rat was rewarded with a food pellet if it pulled the lever, strengthening the lever pushing behaviour.
Negative reinforcement:
- Something unpleasant stops happening so it strengthens/reinforces the avoidance behaviour. The avoidance behaviour is more likely to be repeated in the future.
- The rat stopped pulling the lever if it stopped getting shocked.
Punishment:
- Something unpleasant starts to happen. Behaviour leads to you feeling bad which weakens/extinguishes a behaviour. The negative behaviour is less likely to be repeated in the future due to the unpleasant consequences
- The rat was shocked if it pulled the lever. Weakens behaviour pushing behaviour.

Question 4

What is an example of operant conditioning being applied in real life?

Answer 4

Token economies
tokens have no monetary value (secondary reinforcer) which are then exchanged for a reward (primary reinforcer)
e.g. points system in prison for good behaviour where points can be exchanged for privileges.

Question 5

What are the strengths of the behaviourist approach?

Answer 5

+ Well controlled research – uses laboratory studies to control variables and to establish a cause and effect relationship.

+ Real world application – token economies are successfully used to modify behaviour

+ Real world applications – reinforcement can be used to explain addiction to gambling, gaming or social media.

Question 6

What are the weaknesses of the behaviourist approach?

Answer 6

• Counterpoint: due to this may lack ecological valdity and generalisability. Learned behaviour occurs in real life very differently than that of in controlled experiments. Also lacks application to humans because we are more complex than animals.
• Counterpoint: However the concept of token economies may be deemed unethical. The idea of institution workers categorising and modifying patients’ behaviour is questionable.
• Counterpoint: Oversimplified - Does not take into account the role of cognitive processes and human thought or emotion, or biological factors.
• Environmental determinism – does not take into account the role of conscious thought or free will

Question 7

Is the BA nature or nurture?

Answer 7

Nurture

Question 8

Is the BA deterministic or free will?

Answer 8

Environmental determinism

Question 9

Is the BA reductionist or holistic?

Answer 9

Reductionist

Question 10

Is the BA nomothetic or idiographic?

Answer 10

nomothetic

Question 11

Is the BA scientific or unscientific?

Answer 11

Scientific