The Learning Approach: Behaviourism

Question 1

What are the key assumptions of the behavioural approach?

Answer 1

• Behaviour is concerned with observable behaviours (objectively and scientifically measured)
• When born our mind is a blank state
• Little difference between humans and animals
• Behaviour is the result of a stimulus
• All behaviour is learnt from the enviroment

Question 2

When was the behaviourist approach founded?

Answer 2

1915

Question 3

Who found the behaviourist approach?

Answer 3

Watson

Question 4

Why was the behaviourist approach formed?

Answer 4

In rejection of introspection

Question 5

Who supported the behaviourist approach with classical conditioning?

Answer 5

Pavlov

Question 6

Who supported the behaviourist approach with operant conditioning?

Answer 6

Skinner

Question 7

What are behaviourism two main forms of learning?

Answer 7

• Classical conditioning

- Operant conditioning and reinforment

Question 8

Classical conditioning is learning through…

Answer 8

association

Question 9

Who investigated into classical conditioning?

Answer 9

Pavlov

Question 10

Who was Pavlov’s participants?

Answer 10

Dogs

Question 11

What is classical conditioning?

Answer 11

• Learning by association

- Conditioning reflexes and involves associating new stimulus with innate bodily reflex

Question 12

What was the neutral stimulus before conditioning in Pavlov’s experiment?

Answer 12

The bell

Question 13

What was the unconditioned stimulus before conditioning in Pavlov’s experiment?

Answer 13

Food

Question 14

What was the unconditioned response before conditioning in Pavlov’s experiment?

Answer 14

Salivation

Question 15

What was paired during conditioning in Pavlov’s experiment?

Answer 15

Neutral stimulus and unconditioned stimulus

Question 16

What was the response during conditioning in Pavlov’s experiment?

Answer 16

Unconditioned salivation

Question 17

What occurred after conditioning in Palvov’s experiment?

Answer 17

• Bell became conditioned stimulus

- Salivation became conditioned response

Question 18

What case study provides support of classical conditioning?

Answer 18

Case of Little Albert investigated by Watson

Question 19

Who investigated into operant conditioning?

Answer 19

Skinner

Question 20

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 20

Learning through consequence

Question 21

What did Skinner claim?

Answer 21

All behaviour is learnt as a result of consequences in our environment

Question 22

Can consequences be positive or negative or both?

Answer 22

Both

Question 23

Who was Skinner’s participants?

Answer 23

Animals (Rats)

Question 24

What is positive reinforcement?

Answer 24

Increases the likelihood of a response occurring because it involves a reward for the behaviour

Question 25

What are example of positive reinforcement?

Answer 25

-Workers get paid bonus for hard working

Question 26

What is negative reinforcement?

Answer 26

Increases the likelihood of a response occurring because it involves the removal of, or escaping from, unpleasant consequence

Question 27

What is an example of negative reinforcement?

Answer 27

-The car buzzer turns off when you put on your seatbelt

Question 28

What is positive punishment?

Answer 28

The consequence is receiving something unpleasant which decreases the probability of the behaviour being repeated

Question 29

What is an example of positive punishment?

Answer 29

-The driver's speeding results in a ticket and a fine.

Question 30

What is negative punishment?

Answer 30

The consequence is removing something desirable and decreases probability of the behaviour being repeated

Question 31

What is an example of negative punishment?

Answer 31

-Toys being taken away from a child when they are throwing a tantrum

Question 32

In operant conditioning the association between responses and consequences must be as far or close together for learning to occur?

Answer 32

Close

Question 33

What can operant conditioning be applied to?

Answer 33

- Social skills training for offenders | - Token economy systems

Question 34

What did Skinner discover about when is best to apply reinforcements?

Answer 34

At an unpredictable time for conditioning behaviours

Question 35

What are the strengths of behaviourism?

Answer 35

- Very scientific = testable and establishs cause and effect - Replicable = High control so can be repeated - Quantitative data = easy to analyse - Real-life application = Phobias

Question 36

What are the limitations of behaviourism?

Answer 36

-Can not fully explain different forms of learning e.g insight learning -Ignores mental processes Reductionist=only takes into account nurture, rules out any influence of anything else -Lack of ecological validity = issues with generalisability