the behaviourist perspective

Question 1

what is the behaviourist perspective?

Answer 1

(also known as the learning theory) is the study of how we learn behaviour

Question 2

what do behaviourists claim?

Answer 2

that everything we do (including acting, thinking and feeling) can and should be regarded as behaviours that can be studied and explained through observable events, without the need to consider internal mental processes, it is just the way we act

Question 3

is behaviourism scientific or not?

Answer 3

yes scientific = objective

Question 4

what are the 4 assumptions and principals of the behaviourist perspective?

Answer 4

1. all behaviour is learnt from our environment
2. only behaviours that can be readily observed should be studied
3. the mind is irrelevant
4. behaviour can be changed through reinforcement

Question 5

all our behaviour is learnt from the environment..

Answer 5

behaviourists believe we are all born tabula rasa (blank slate) and that all our behaviour results from interactions with other people and our wider environment
= nurture based argument
= highly deterministic

Question 6

only behaviours that can be readily observed should be studied…

Answer 6

behaviourism is a highly scientific perspective that only studied observable behaviours, it uses lab experiments and avoids subjective interpretation
= supports psychology as a science

Question 7

the mind is irrelevant…

Answer 7

studying the mind requires us to make inferences about processes that we can not directly observe

Question 8

behaviour can be changed through reinforcement…

Answer 8

providing positive consequences for desired behaviour and negative consequences for undesired behaviour can change behaviour
= perspective is useful = as it has many practical applications

Question 9

what is classical conditioning?

Answer 9

learning through association

Question 10

what is operant conditioning?

Answer 10

learning through consequences

Question 11

who discovered classical conditioning

Answer 11

Pavlov and his dogs

Question 12

in simple terms what is classical conditioning?

Answer 12

when two stimuli are linked together to produce a new learned response in a person or animal

Question 13

what was Pavlov’s experiment with the dogs?

Answer 13

Pavlov showed that when a bell was sounded each time the dog was fed, the dog would soon associate the sound of the bell with the presentation of food

Question 14

who did the little albert study?

Answer 14

Watson and Rayner (1928)

Question 15

what was the aim of the little albert study?

Answer 15

to find out if classical conditioning works on humans, specifically to find out if a fear response can be conditioned, and to see if that fear response will then be generalised on to other/similar objects (in this case animals)

Question 16

what was the procedure of the little albert study?

Answer 16

banging an iron bar when albert was shown the white rat (associates the striking of the iron bar with the rat = fear)

Question 17

what is operant conditioning?

Answer 17

the process of learning through consequences

Question 18

who studied operant conditioning? how?

Answer 18

skinner (1948) studied operant conditioning by conducting experiments using animals placed in a ‘skinner box’

Question 19

what is a skinner box?

Answer 19

also known as an operant conditioning chamber, 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 behaviour e.g lever pressing for rats or key pecking for pigeons

Question 20

what is positive reinforcement?

Answer 20

is when a response or behaviour is strengthened by rewards, leading to the repetition of the desired behaviour
the reward is a reinforcing stimulus

Question 21

give an example of positive reinforcement

Answer 21

for example, if your teacher gave you £5 (the reward) each time you completed your homework (desired behaviour)
= more likely to repeat this behaviour in the future

Question 22

what is negative reinforcement?

Answer 22

the termination of an unpleasant state following a response
= the removal of an adverse stimulus which is ‘rewarding’ to the animal or person
= NOT a punishment

Question 23

give an example of negative reinforcement

Answer 23

for example, if you don’t complete your homework, you give your teacher £5 each time
= more likely to complete your homework to avoid/prevent paying out £5

Question 24

what is punishment?

Answer 24

involving the use of a consequence to reduce a behaviour
= form an association between the behaviour and the negative consequence
= once association is made, behaviour is less likely to occur

Question 25

give an example of punishment?

Answer 25

for example, fining someone for driving too fast

Question 26

give examples of real life applications to classical conditioning?

Answer 26

- taste aversion - advertising - phobias

Question 27

what is social learning theory?

Answer 27

the idea that children learn from observing others, this learning is usually observed from a role model, and the child will imitate this behaviour

Question 28

social learning theory plays a big role in what behaviour?

Answer 28

aggressive behaviour

Question 29

what are the four elements to social learning theory?

Answer 29

A R R M - attention - retention - reproduction - motivation

Question 30

social learning theory - attention

Answer 30

children see something unique or different, and are more likely to focus upon it

Question 31

social learning theory - retention

Answer 31

people learn by internalising information , which can then be recalled when we want to respond to a situation in the same way which we saw

Question 32

social learning theory - reproduction

Answer 32

we reproduce our previously learned behaviour or knowledge when it is required

Question 33

social learning theory - motivation

Answer 33

motivation is required to do anything, normally, motivation comes from seeing someone else be rewarded or punished from something they have done , this can motivate use to do or not to do that same thing, this is known as vicarious reinforcement = 'living through someone else'

Question 34

strengths of the behaviourist perspective

Answer 34

- usually laboratory experiments = standardised procedures = carried out under experimental conditions = control over other variables = highly replicable = reliable - provides evidence for the nurture debate = allows us to investigate the effect of the environment on behaviour = able to use practical applications e.g. therapies for the treatment of mental disorders

Question 35

weaknesses of the behaviourist perspective

Answer 35

- provides a reductionist explanation of behaviour = ignores the influences of biological (nature) and cognitive factors on behaviours = less accurate in explaining complex behaviour = only 'one' view = reduces validity - raises many ethical issues = can cause psychological harm, as some learning experiences can be stressful and damaging to participants = breaches ethical guidelines = damages the reputation of psychology