2) behaviourist approach Flashcards
What is meant by the behaviourist approach?
A way of explaining in terms of what is observable and in terms of learning
What is meant by classical conditioning?
-occurs when an unconditioned stimulus and a neutral stimulus are paired
-the neutral stimulus eventually produces the same response that was first produced but the unlearned stimulus alone
What is meant by operant conditioning?
-form of learning in which behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences
-possible consequences of behaviour include positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement or punishment
What is meant by reinforcement?
-a consequence of behaviour that increases the likelihood of the behaviour needing repeating
-can be positive or negative
What are the assumptions of behaviourism?
-behaviourism is primarily concerned with observable and measurable behaviour
-when born our mind is a blank slate (“tabula rasa”)
-there is little difference between the learning that takes place in humans and that in other animals
-behaviour is the result of stimulus -> response
Who were the key researchers in classical conditioning?
-founded by Watson in 1915
-an important contributor to the behaviourist approach is Pavlov
What is the process of classical conditioning?
-unconditioned stimulus = unconditioned response
-neutral stimulus + unconditioned stimulus = unconditioned response
-conditioned stimulus = unconditioned response
Who are the key researchers in operant conditioning?
BF Skinner
What did Skinner do in operant conditioning?
-used rats and pigeon in his “Skinner box” to suggest that we learn through reinforcement / consequences
What are the 3 types of reinforcement?
-positive
-negative
-punishment
What is positive reinforcement?
Receiving a reward when a certain behaviour is performed so that the behaviour is continued
What is negative reinforcement?
Occurs when an animal or human continues doing a certain behaviour to avoid something unpleasant
What is punishment?
An unpleasant consequence given to stop a behaviour
What is a brief outline of Skinner’s research?
-created a box to examine operant conditioning in rats and pigeons
-animal would move around the cage, if they press the lever they would be rewarded with food
-animal would learn that pressing the lever = food (through positive reinforcement)
-therefore, it learnt a new voluntary behaviour which is repeated to receive the reward again
What are token economies?
One in which positive behaviours are rewarded and negative behaviours are discouraged (form of operant conditioning)
