4. Behaviourist Approach

Question 1

what type of approach is the behaviourist approach

Answer 1

learning approach

Question 2

2 types of learning approach

Answer 2

• behaviourist approach
• social learning theory

Question 3

significance of the change from psychodynamic approach to behaviourist approach

Answer 3

a paradigm shift from the non-scientific (case studies) psychodynamic approach to the behaviourist approach which is scientific (laboratory experiments)

Question 4

outline the behaviourist approach:
1. assumption

Answer 4

the behaviourist approach argues that all human behaviour can be explained in terms of learning through the environment

behaviourists focus on studying behaviour that can be observed and measured in controlled laboratory conditions

INCLUDING:
(2) stimulus-response learning
(3) classical conditioning
(4) operant conditioning

Question 5

outline the behaviourist approach:
2. stimulus-response learning

Answer 5

behaviourists argue that the same basic form of stimulus-response learning operates in shaping the behaviour of all species

there are two main forms of learning (or conditioning) investigated by behaviourists: classical conditioning and operant conditioning

Question 6

who did research into classical conditioning

Answer 6

Pavlov (1927)

Question 7

who did research into operant conditioning

Answer 7

Skinner (1953)

Question 8

what is classical conditioning

Answer 8

classical conditioning is a type of learning in which an existing involuntary reflex response (behaviour) is associated with a new stimulus

before: UCS -> UCR
during: NS + UCS -> UCR
after: CS -> CR

Question 9

what is meant by an unconditioned stimulus

Answer 9

a stimulus that evokes an unconditioned response without having to be learned or previous conditioning

Question 10

what is meant by an unconditioned stimulus

Answer 10

the unlearned, naturally occurring response to the unconditioned stimulus

Question 11

what is meant by a neutral stimulus

Answer 11

a stimulus eliciting no response

Question 12

what is meant by a conditioned stimulus

Answer 12

an originally neutral (irrelevant) stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus comes to trigger a conditioned response

Question 13

what is meant by a conditioned response

Answer 13

the learned response to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus

Question 14

what is meant by extinction (classical conditioning)

Answer 14

the disappearance of the conditioned response

Question 15

what is meant by spontaneous recovery

Answer 15

the reappearance of an extinguished conditioned response, usually following a rest period

Question 16

what is meant by generalisation

Answer 16

responding to a second stimulus similar to a conditioned stimulus

eg being afraid of all dogs after being bitten once by a dog

Question 17

what is meant by discrimination

Answer 17

the ability to distinguish between stimuli

Question 18

outline the behaviourist approach:
3. classical conditioning

Answer 18

firstly, classical conditioning (learning by association) was first demonstrated by Ivan Pavlov (1927) investigating salivation in dogs.

• Pavlov showed that dogs do not need to learn to salivate in response to food and therefore the stimulus of food (unconditioned stimulus) produces salivation (an unconditional response).
• however, the sound of a bell does not naturally produce salivation and therefore the bell is a neutral stimulus
• when pavlov played the bell at the same time as presenting the dog with food a number of times, the dog learned to associate the bell with food.
• as a results, the bell became a conditioned stimulus and the salivation was a conditioned response with the bell producing salivation regardless of whether food was presented or not, at least initially

Question 19

what is operant conditioning

Answer 19

operant behaviour (learning my reinforcement) is a type of learning in which a new voluntary behaviour is associated with a consequence: reinforcement makes the behaviour more likely to occur, while punishment makes it less likely to occur

Question 20

what is the law of effect

Answer 20

thorndike’s principle that behaviours followed by favourable consequences become more likely, and that behaviours followed by unfavourable consequences become less likely

Question 21

what is meant by reinforcement

Answer 21

in operant conditioning any consequence that strengthens the behaviour it follows

can be positive or negative reinforcement

Question 22

what is meant by punishment

Answer 22

a consequence that decreases the behaviour it follows

can be positive or negative punishment

Question 23

positive reinforcement

Answer 23

adding something positive

if you clean your room, you will get £10

Question 24

negative reinforcement

Answer 24

taking away something negative

if you clean your room, you don’t have to do this dishes

Question 25

positive punishment

Answer 25

adding something negative

if you go on your phone in class, you will get shouted at

Question 26

negative punishment

Answer 26

taking away something positive

if you go on your phone in class, it will be taken off you

Question 27

what is meant by extinction (operant conditioning)

Answer 27

the diminishing of a response, typically because either the reinforcement or punishment is no longer given for a behaviour

Question 28

outline the behaviourist approach:
4. operant conditioning

Answer 28

Another form of learning investigated by behaviourists is operant conditioning (learning by reinforcement) as demonstrated by B. F. Skinner (1953) studying rats and pigeons in specially designed cages called ‘Skinner boxes’.

Operant conditioning focuses on the consequences of behaviour.

On consequence is positive reinforcement (or the addition of something positive - a reward) when a certain behaviour is performed. For example, in Skinner’s box, every time a rat pressed it was rewarded with a good pellet. From then on, the animal would continue to perform the behaviour. If the food pellets stop, the rat would press the lever a few more times before abandoning it (extinction).

Another consequence is negative reinforcement (or the removal of something negative) when a certain behaviour is performed. Skinner’s rats could also be conditioned to perform the same behaviour to avoid a mild but uncomfortable electric current beneath their feet.

Both types of reinforcement increase the likelihood of a behaviour being repeated.

Other consequences include punishment which can be positive (the addition of something negative) such as telling off a misbehaving child or negative (the removal of something positive) such as ‘grounding’ a misbehaving child.

Both types of punishment decrease the likelihood of a behaviour being repeated.

Question 29

evaluate the behaviourist approach: strengths

Answer 29

P: scientific
E: the approach focuses on observable and measurable behaviour which can be tested in controlled conditions
E: eg, Pavlov and Skinner’s research is highly controlled and the learning demonstrated by both was clear to observe and measure
L: the approach is supported by empirical evidence rather than reasoned argument, so it is not just a theory
E: also means that cause and effect relationships can be established

P: practical applications.
E: ‘systematic desensitisation’ (which uses classical conditioning to ‘unlearn’ previously learned phobias) has been shown to be an extremelv successful therapy for a range of different phobias. E: Evidence to support this comes from McGrath et al (1990) who found that 75% of phobic patients showed an improvement in their symptoms after treatment.
L: the approach has been useful in developing treatments that are effective in addressing mental health issues
E: the 75% success gives valid evidence, and it is still used today showing it’s reliability

Question 30

evaluate the behaviourist approach: limitation

Answer 30

P: largely based on animal studies
E: the research conducted by behaviourists has focused on animals such as rats and pigeons (for Skinner) and dogs (for Pavlov) which may not reflect the way behaviour is learned by humans.
E: eg, humans may be capable of controlling their behaviour in response to external stimuli more effectively than non-human animals.
L: the approach may be limited in its ability to explain human behaviour, as the findings can’t be extrapolated and generalised to other humans (may have low external validity)

P: may also be criticised for being reductionist.
E: the approach reduces human behaviour down to the activity of specific variables such as environmental (external) factors, and this ignores the role that biological (internal) factors may play.
E: eg, twin studies have shown that genes seem to play a role in many aspects of human behaviour (e.g. mental illness such as schizophrenia).
L: the behavioural approach may be limited and over-simplify complex behaviours which require a more holistic explanation

P: approach can l be criticised for being determinist
E: the approach suggests our behaviour is caused by factors outside of our control (i.e. environmental factors) - known as environmental determinism - but this may struggle to explain why we don’t all respond in the same way to our environment.
E: eg, when two people experience a similar, frightening event (or stimulus) yet only one develops a phobia (response)
L: the approach might ignore free will (our ability to control our own behaviour)

Question 31

value of behaviourism

Answer 31

• practical application: helped to develop ‘systematic desensitisation’ - a type of therapy for phobias which has a 75% success rate - shows that phobias can be unlearned and is still used today
• influential for other areas of research such as attachment (care-giver infant interactions and conditioning)
• paradigm shift: helped psychology’s emergence as a distinct science in its own right by using empirical evidence and scientific methods (eg laboratory experiments, Pavlov, Skinner)
• suggests behaviour is due to our environment: appreciation of how it shaped out behaviour rather than internal processes (unlike the psychodynamic approach - unconscious mind)
• pioneers: contributed the theories of classical and operant conditioning still used today (eg attachment)

Question 32

differences between classical and operant conditioning

Answer 32

CC the response is reflex and involuntary whereas in OC the response is voluntary behaviour

CC the stimulus is new whereas in OC the behaviour is new

CC the response (reflex) follows the stimulus whereas in OC the response (behaviour) precedes the stimulus (reward or punishment)

CC learning by association whereas OC learning by reinforcement

CC strength of conditioning is measured by the spread or amount of response whereas OC strength is measured by rate of production of behaviour

Question 33

key assumptions of the behaviourist approach

Answer 33

• psychology should be scientific so only study observable, quantitative (measurable) behaviour
• the subject matter of psychology should be that the laws that predict how behaviour changes and can be controlled (classical and operant conditioning)
• humans are animals and should not be treated as any more complex -> because humans are animals, research on animals can be extrapolated and generalised to humans

Question 34

empiricist philosophy

Answer 34

Locke coined the term ‘tabula rasa’ suggesting that we are blank slates at birth and all behaviour and knowledge is developed through experience

Question 35

research methods of the behaviourist approach

Answer 35

mostly laboratory experiments on animals because of their desire to be scientific

i’m the experiments, they manipulated the environment (stimulus) to test its effects in the animals behaviour (response)

gaining qualitative data and empirical evidence

establishing cause and effect relationships

controlling extraneous variables

observing and measuring behaviour

high validity and reliability