The Learning Approach: Behaviourism

Question 1

What is the Behaviourist Approach?

Answer 1

the study of behaviour that can be observed & measured

Question 2

Assumptions

Answer 2

• our behaviour can be learnt
• behaviour can be measured scientifically only when observable
• learning is the same in all species

Question 3

What are the 2 forms of learning?

Answer 3

classical & operant conditioning

Question 4

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 4

• a form of learning where behaviour is shaped & maintained through positive/negative reinforcement and punishment introduced by Skinner
• positive reinforcement is getting a reward for a certain behaviour which means it more likely to be repeated
• negative reinforcement is when a behaviour occurs to avoid an unpleasant consequence
• punishment is an unpleasant consequence of behaviour

Question 5

What is classical conditioning?

Answer 5

• learning by association when 2 stimuli are repeatedly and the neutral stimulus eventually produces the response produced by the UCS
• introduced by Pavlov

Question 6

Evaluation: Scientific credibility

Answer 6

• behaviourism focuses on measuring observable behaviour within highly controlled lab settings
• by emphasising scientific processes e.g. replication, behaviourism was important in developing psychology as a science giving it scientific credibility

Question 7

Evaluation: Real-life application

Answer 7

• conditioning has been used in many real-life behaviours & problems
• e.g. operant conditioning is the basis of token economy systems which involved rewarding certain behaviours with tokens that can be exchanged for privileges
• classical conditioning has been used to treat phobias which require less effort from a patient

Question 8

Evaluation: Mechanistic view of behaviour

Answer 8

• from behaviourist perspective animals (including humans) are passive and have little to no conscious thought into their behaviour
• other approaches e.g. SLT & cognitive emphasise the importance of mental events during learning
• these processes suggest that people play a more active role in their learning which means learning theory applies more to animal behaviour than human

Question 9

Evaluation: Ethical & practical issues in animal experiments

Answer 9

• many critics have questioned the ethics behind experiments like Skinner’s rat box
• animals exposed to stressful conditions which may affect how they react in the experiment which can make findings & conclusions inaccurate