4.2.1 approaches 🛎 Flashcards
what are the two learning approaches
social learning theory
behaviourist approach/behaviourism
define behaviourist approach
The Behaviourist approach to learning studied changes in behaviour that are caused by a person’s direct experience of their environment, using the principles of classical and operant conditioning to explain them
define classical conditioning
learning by association , this occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired together , an unconditioned (unlearned) stimulus (UCS) and a new neutral stimulus (NS) . The neutral stimulus eventually produces the same response that was first produced by t he unconditioned stimulus alone.
define operant conditioning
a form of learning in which behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences. Possible consequences of behaviour include positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement.
define reinforcement
a consequence of behaviour that increases the likelihood of that behaviour. being repeated . it can be positive or negative.
what are the assumptions of the behaviourist approach
- all behaviour is learned from experience - all humans are a “tabular rasa” and learning occurs through classical and operant conditioning.
- only interested in studying behaviour that can be observed and measured
- used lab experiments to try and gain more control and objectivity in their research.
- the basic processes that govern learning are the same in all species - humans can be replaced by animals for testing purposes
outline pavlovs research into classical conditioning
pavlov revealed that dogs could be conditioned to salivate to the wound of a bell , if that sounds wws repeatedly presented at the same time as they were given food. Gradually pavlovs dogs learned to associate the sound of the bell with food and would produce salivation response every time they heard the sound.
pavlov was able to show a neutral stimulus (one that does not produce a response by itself), can elicit a conditioned response (a new learned repsonse) through association
define unconditioned stimulus (UCS)
the stimulus that causes the reflex repsonse before conditioning , it is the stimulus that naturally produces the repsonse.
define unconditioned response (UCR)
the innate relflexive response to a stimulus that has not been conditioned
define neutral stimulus (NS)
a stimulus that does not produce a repsonse by itself.
define conditioned stimulus (CS)
initially the neutral stimulus thag after repeated parings with the UCS , produces the CR when presented by itself .
define conditioned response (CR)
the reflexive response that occurs after exposure to the conditioned stimulus
how are the stimulus involved in pavlovs study for classical conditioning
define positive reinforcement
receiving a reward when a certain behaviour is performed , it increases the likelihood that this desirable behaviour is repeated as you want to receive that reward
define negative reinforcement
negative reinforcement is an unpleasant stimulus that would be viewed as a punishment , therefore completing desirable behaviour in order to avoid the negative consequence
what is punishment
an unpleasant consequence of behaviour , IT IS NOT A TYPE OF of reinforcement , it is just a consequence of behaviour.
outline skinners research into operant conditioning
skinner suggested that learning is an active process whereby humans and animals operate on their environment . Skinner conducted experiments with rats and pigeons in a box called the skinner box (operant conditioning chamber) . The box is used to objectively record an animals behaviour in a compressed time frame .
how does skinners box show positive reinforcement
positive reinforcement was investigated by rewarding the rat with a food pellet every time they pressed a lever. After many repetitions the rat would continue to press the lever because it expected to receive a food pellet.
how does skinners box show negative reinforcement
negative reinforcement was investigated by electrocuting the floor . the floor would not give electric shocks if the leaver was pressed . after many repetitions the rat would continue to press the lever to stop/avoid the unpleasant stimulus of an electric shock.
outline one strength of behaviourism- scientific credibility
behaviourism has scientific credibility. They brought the language and methods of the natural sciences to psychology and focus on the measurement of observable behaviour. this meant that research was objective and could be replicated , as a result the approach was hugely influential in the development of psychology as a scientific discipline .
outline one strength of behaviourism- real life application
the approach has real life application . For example token economy systems have been successfully used in prisons in order to modify prisoner behaviour. This shows how rewarding appropriate behaviour ur can change behaviour through operant conditioning. Treatments like this have an advantage as they require less effort from the patient so are suitable for individuals who may lack insight into their condition.
outline one strenghth of behaviourism- understanding psychological problems
the approach can be used to explain how certain psychological problems occur e.g the explanation of phobias suggests that phobias are learned through classical conditioning and maintained through operant conditioning . This shows that conditioning is viewed as a valid explanation of how phobias develop. The impact of this is that the approach also provided ways that phobias can be treated by unlearning their phobia
outline one limitstion of behaviourism- highly deterministic
the approach is highly deterministic , it suggests that all actions are determined by past experiences that have been conditioned . this ignores any possible influence that free will may have on behaviour , this is problematic as it may suggest that people are not responsible for their behaviour.
outline one limitation
of behaviourism- ethical issues
there are ethical issues with using animals in research . skinner exposed animals to stressful adverse conditions by giving them shocks this is not protecting animals from harm , which goes against ethical guidelines . Furthermore the harm may not be necessary as some psychologists would argue that we cannot generalise the findings from animal research as humans may learn and respond to conditioning differently.
define social learning theory
a way of explaining behaviour that includes both direct and indirect reinforcement, combining learning theory with a role of cognitive factors .
define imitation
copying the behaviour of others
define role model
when an observer associated themselves with a role model and wants to be like the role model
define modelling
imitating the behaviour of a role model or modelling the precise demonstration of a specific behaviour that might be imitated by an observer.
define mediational processes
Mediational processes are mental (cognitive) factors that intervene in the learning process to determine whether a new behaviour is acquired or not.
define attention
attention is the extent to which we notice certain behaviours
define retention
retention is how welll a behaviour is remembered
define motor reproduction
the ability of the observer to perform a behaviour
define motivation
the will to perform a behaviour , which is often determined by whether the behaviour was rewarded or punished .
define vicarious reinforcement
reinforcement which is not directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else
being reinforced observing someone who else being reinforced for a behaviour .
what are the assumptions of social learning theory
- behaviour is learned from the environment
- behaviour can be learnt directly through classical and operant conditioning and indirectly through observing others
summarise social learning theory
In slt there must be a role model for an observer to watch , these role models provide examples of behaviour that can be observed and later reproduced through imitation.
imitation is dependent on reinforcement a model receives ,e.g positive reinforcement an observer is more likely to imitate the behaviour as they want to be rewarded , negative reinforcement less likely to imitate t he behaviour as they don’t want to be punished , this is vicarious reinforcement.
in order from learning from a role model to occur the observer must use internal mediational processes. (ARRM)
what are the mediational processes used in social learning theory
A- Pay attention to the behaviour
R- retain the information (remember the behaviour)
R- reproduction the behaviour must be able to be reproduced by the observer
M-motivated to perform the behaviour which is based on vicarious reinforcement.
how do the mediational processes contribute to the learning and performance of a behaviour
attention and retention relate to the learning of the behaviour , motor reproduction and motivation relates to the performance of the behaviour . The learning and performance of the behaviours do not need to occur at the same time they can be reproduced years later.
how does somebody become a role model
for the behaviour of a role model to be remembered , the individual needs to identify with the role model . They just feel we though they are similar to that person (e.g age , gender ,ethnicity) and want to be like them .
role models do not need to be physically preseng in the environment , and this has important implications for the influence of media on behaviour.
summarise banduras research into social learning theory
aim- to examine the effect of a role model on behaviour.
procedure - 72 children aged between 3-6 were put into one of three groups for 10 minutes . in all groups there were quail groups of boys and girls , half saw male models and half saw female models . the conditions were : an aggressive model where an adult hit and shouted at a bobo doll, non agressive model - played in a room while an adult played quietly with a construction set.
control group did not see a model
later the children were observed while they spent 20 minutes alone in a room with a range of agressive and non agressive toys including the Bobo doll.
Results - children who saw the agressive model produced more aggressive acts than those in either group. Boys imitated same sex models more than girls . Girls imitated more physical aggression if they saw male models and more verbal aggression if they saw female models
conclusion- aggression can be learned through modelling
evaluate the strengths of banduras research into modelling - reliability
banduras research has good reliability, lab experiment was completed in controlled conditions with various experimental and control groups . This means that banduras work can and has been replicated , showing internal and external reliability.
has real world application , having realised individuals copy what they see 9pm watershed wws introduced , programmes that show drugs, violence cannot be shown before 9pm as young children may be influenced by this . Banduras work beneficial in real world
evaluate the limitations of banduras research
the effects of social learning are only short term , banduras study lasted no more than 40 minutes , that means we don’t know if behaviour is retaine longer , this reduces validity of the study as they may not be accurate of the real world.
issues with interpreting behaviour in the study , bobo doll is designed to be hit , effects validity as children may be playing with the doll how it is intended to be played with rather than learning aggression be behaviour from the adults
ethical issues- exposing young children to agressive behaviour that they may not have been exposed to if they weren’t in the study may impact their future behaviour e.g reproducing it later . This does not protect individuals from harm
small sample size - and consists of young children may lack generalisability to wider population and adults
evaluate the strength of social learning theory - comprehensive explanation+less reductionism
SLT provides a more comprehensive explanation of human learning , this is because it recognises the role of mediational processes. Earlier learning theories such as behaviourism were criticised for failing to acknowledge the role of these processes particularly in human learning. SLT therefore provides a less reductionist view on behaviour.
evaluate the strength of social learning theory - help explain cultural differences in behaviour
SLT can help explain cultural differences in behaviour . e.g it can explain how children understand their gender roles and how this differs between countries such as in africa , males take on roles such looking after children, these roles would be viewed as feminine by many brittish individuals . social learning principles accoung for how others learn from individuals around them as well as the media , which can explain how cultural norms are transmitted through societities. This approach is therefore useful in explaining a range of behaviours.
evaluate the strength of social learning theory -less deterministic
SLT is less deterministic than the behaviourist approach . Skinner and behaviourist rejected the notion of free will claiming that all behaviour is controlled by external forces . whereas the emphasis banduras placed on mediational processes shows that we can store , plan and make judgements about when to produce particular behaviours that we have observed . This suggests that we play a much more active role in our own learning than behaviourism would suggest.
evaluate a limitation of social learning theory - over reliance on lab studies
there is an over reliance on lab studies to provide support for this approach , in banduras experiments children were observed in a control setting so they may have been responding to demand characteristics , the purpose of the bobo doll is to strike it so it bounces back . The children may have been doing what they believed wws expected . This research tells us little about how children learn aggression in every day life which limits the applicability of this approach .
evaluate a limitation of social learning theory - underestimates the influence on biological factors
this approach underestimates the influence of biological factors in learning , a consistent finding in banduras research was that boys were more aggressive than girls regardless of their specifics of the experimental situation. This could be explained by hormonal factors such as higher levels of testosterone in boys which are not accounted for in SLT. this reduces the validity of the research in which in turns limits the evidence supporting this approach.
what are the key differences between SLT and behaviourism
SLT recognises that the learner plays an active role in their learning e.g choose what behaviour to remember . Behaviourism assumes that a learner simply responds passively to its environment.
SLT recognises a difference between acquisition and performance of behaviour , it is possible to observe behaviour but never produce it . Behaviourism argues that performance and learning are the same thing and a behaviour has only been learned of it is used.
SLT research only involves measurement of observable human behaviour e.g majority in controlled lab experiments using mostly always humans and it’s experimental findings are supported by natural observations unlike behaviourism who use animals .
what are 2 similarities between social learning theory and behaviourism
all behaviour is learned from experience
use lab experiments to try and gain more control and objectivity in their research
evaluate skinners research
generalisability- may not be able to generalise results from rats to humans.
reliability - highly controlled environment , easily replicated and reliable
applicability- findings have been applied mroe broadly , e.g positive and negative reinforcement used in token economy’s
validity- good internal validity due to lab experiments , poor external validity as may not be able to apply findings to humans
ethics-caused harm to give animals electric shocks
define psychodynamic approach
the psychodynamic approach includes all the theories in psychology that see human functioning based upon the interaction of drives and forces within the person , particularly unconscious and between the different structures of the personality.
what are the 3 basic assumptions of the psychodynamic approach
- the unconscious mind is thought to drive behaviour - this means that or there are angry issues with an individuals behaviour their unconscious mind must be accessed in order to rectify the behaviour
- instincts are thought to motivate behaviour - this means that we all go through stages within development we there is an innate drive that helped to form our behaviour and personality.
- early childhood experiences are extremely important in making us who we are - this means that if we have certain experiences wt particular times of our childhood it will be reflected in our adult behaviour
explain the role of the unconscious in the psychodynamic approach
freud argued that the lady of the mind that we know about and aware of is the conscious mind , he argued this was the tip of the of the iceberg . He said that most of our mind is made up of the unconscious. this is the part of the mind that we are unaware of but every day action is thought to be controlled by the unconscious mind .
our unconscious mind is thought to show in our behaviour e.g through freudian slips. The unconscious mind also contains threatening and disturbing memories that have been repressed and forgotten about .
what is the structure of personality in regards to the psychodynamic approach
There are three parts to the structure of personality this is called a tripartite system. early experiences are thought to be vital in shaping a personality and this affects how someone behaves. all three parts demand gratification but I frequently in contact with each other the three parts are , The ID , ego and super ego. 
what is the id
the id is The primitive part of our personality. It is present at birth and forms open till about 18 months they operate on the pleasure principle. the id gets what it wants. it is entirely selfish and demands instant gratification of its needs.
what is the ego
The ego develops between 18 months and three years. It operates on the reality principle and is the mediator between the id and the superego. The egos role is to reduce conflict between the demands of the aid and the superego. It does this through defence mechanisms. These are for the ego protection to ensure that neither force is dominant.
what is the superego
The superego is our internalised sense of right and wrong. It develops between three and six years and is formed at the end of the phallic stage. It operates on the morality principle, it represents the moral standards of the Childs same-sex parent and punishes the ego for wrongdoing. It strives for the ego ideal which is determined by strict parenting.
what are defence mechanisms in relation to the psychodynamic approach
defence mechanisms distort reality to reduce anxiety. This is because anxiety weakens the ego and means that it cannot mediate between the ego and super ego. The ego uses them to reduce conflict between demands or the Id and superego.
There are three defence mechanisms:
Repression
denial
displacement
what is repression (defence mechanism)
Repression is the blocking of an unpleasant memory. It is used by the ego to keep unpleasant memories out of the conscious mind and into the unconscious mind where they cannot be accessed an example of repression would be blocking memories of childhood trauma.
what is denial (defence mechanism)
Denial is the refusal to accept reality. This is when the existence of internal and external unpleasant realities are kept out of conscious awareness. An example of denial would be having lost your job but continuing to go to work every day.
what is displacement (defence mechanism)
Displacement is the redirecting of emotions onto other objects or people. Displacement may involve an impulse being redirected from its original target onto a more acceptable one. For example being angry at your parent and kicking your door.
evaluate the strengths of defence mechanisms
there are a lot of examples in every day life to support to illustrate and support them , e.g people slamming doors when they’re angry
it has inituitive appeal , most people can appreciate the idea of denial , repression and displacement.
evidence to support it - e.g people who have not been able to recall upsetting events
evaluate the limitations of defence mechanisms
lack of falsifiability/test ability since defence mechanisms are unconscious processes they cannot be studied directly .
defence mechanisms can only be inferred from behaviour or from reported thoughts or experiences
What are psychosexual stages
 according to the psychodynamic approach instincts drive our unconscious mind so dictate the stages we experience. The underlying drive is sexual pleasure comes from the release of tension due to the buildup of sexual energy . The way this pleasure manifests itself depends on the stage in which a child is in.
each stage is marked by a different conflict that the child must resolve in order to successfully progress into the next stage. Strict parenting vs overindulgence in each stage can can cause fixation and a child becoming stuck as a conflict is unresolved . they carry certain behaviours and conflicts from that stage into adult life . there are 5 psychosexual stages
what are the 5 psychosexual stages , in order
oral anal phallic latency genital
what is the oral stage and give an example of a consequence of unresolved conflict in that stage
occurs between 0-1 years , the focus of pleasure is from the mouth , the mothers breast is the object of desire . fixation was suggested to lead to orally passive or orally aggressive personality.
e.g oral fixation - smoking - biting nails , sarcastic , critical
what is the anal stage and give an example of a consequence of unresolved conflict in that stage
occurs 1-3 years . focus of pleasure is the anus , child whine pleasure from withholding and expelling feaces. fixation is suggested to lead to anally exclusive or a ally retentive personality
e.g anal retentive - perfectionist , obsessive
anal explosive - thoughtless and messy
what is the phallic stage and give an example of a consequence of unresolved conflict in that stage
occurs 3-5 years . focus of pleasure is the genital area. Children experience the oedipus or electra complex in this area .
e.g phallic personality - narcisstick , reckless , possibly homosexual
what is the latency stage and give an example of a consequence of unresolved conflict in that stage
occurs at 6-11 years old . earlier conflicts are repressed . there id no pleasure centre , energy ie dispersed throughout the body , calm stage.
what is the gential stage and give an example of a consequence of unresolved conflict in that stage
occurs 12 years old + , pleasure is from the genitals , sexual desires become conscious alongside the onset of puberty.
fixation was suggested to lead to homosexuality and difficulty forming heterosexual relationships.
what is the oedipus complex and when does it occur
The Oedipus complex occurs in the phallic stage. Little boys develop incestuous feelings towards their mother and a murderous hatred for their mothers rival in love - their father. Sharing that their father will castrate them, boys were press the feelings for their mother and identify with the father, taking on gender roles and moral values.
what is the electra complex and when does it occur
The Electra complex occurs in the phallic stage girls experience penis envy. they desire the father as the penis is the primary love object and they hate their mother. Although Freud was less clear on this process and girls, they are thought to give up the desire for their father over time and a place sisters I have one for a baby, therefore identifying with the mother in the process.
evaluate the strength of the psychodynamic approach - influence on psychology
The psychodynamic approaches had huge influence on psychology . it has been used to explain a wide range of phenomena including personality development abnormal behaviour moral development and gender. This shows how important Fries ideas have been in the development of psychology as a discipline. this suggests that they approach has a place in explaining human behaviour.
evaluate the strengths of the psychodynamic approach - practical application
The psychodynamic approach has practical applications. Freud develop psychoanalysis which involves a range of techniques designed to access the unconscious. Psychoanalysis is used to treat many patients with mental health problems. The fact that the approach has led to the development of a therapy which is affective for some individuals suggest that the unconscious is involved in our thoughts feelings and behaviour.
evaluate a limitation of the psychodynamic approach - poor research methods
The research methods used in the psychodynamic approach have been criticised. Freuds theory is based on the intensive study of single individuals e.g little hans who were often in therapy . this question is the accuracy of the theory and approach as the findings from the case studies may not be true for everyone. This limits how useful the psychodynamic approach is when trying to explain human behaviour.
evaluate a limitation of the psychodynamic approach- cannot be falsified
The psychodynamic approach cannot be falsified. It does not have the potential to be disproved. for example the Id and Oedipus complex or said to occur at an unconscious level meaning that they are difficult if not impossible to test. this means that the psychodynamic approach is classed as a pseudoscience. This reduces its credibility in explaining human behaviour.
evaluate a limitation of the psychodynamic approach- deterministic
The psychodynamic approach is deterministic. It suggests that all human behaviour is caused by unconscious conflicts that we cannot control. This removes the notion of free will as it suggests that people do not have a choice over their behaviour. This goes against the believes that a lot of us hold by the decisions we make a meaning that people are not accountable for their behaviour . this can have huge implications e.g. legally.
what is the humanistic approach (humanism)
The humanistic approach (humanism) Is an approach to understanding behaviour that emphasises the importance of subjective experience and each person’s capacity for self-determination. The approach believes that we are active agents to have the ability to determine our own development and that we have free will.
Why is the humanistic approach so different to other approaches
it believes that humans have free will and that humans can make choices and I’m not determined by biological or external forces. Is therefore very different other approaches which believe our behaviour is determined in someway by internal or external forces are out of our control.
What are the assumptions of the humanistic approach
humanistic psychologists reject scientific models that attempt to establish general principles of human behaviour.
humans are self determining and have free will
humans are unique like snowflakes each with diffrent experiences
subjective experiences should be focused on rather than looking at general laws
everyone wants to self actualise
what is self actualisation
self actualisation is the desire to grow psychologically . and fulfill ones potential , i.e become what you are capable of .
maslow and rogers are both humanistic psychologists but they have different ideas on self actualisation.
e.g maslow hierarchy and rogers focus on the self and congruence
what is maslows hierarchy of needs
this is a five level hierarchal sequence in which basic needs such as hunger must be satisfied before higher psychological needs such as self-esteem and self actualisation can occur.
there are 5 stages 
what are the 5 stages or maslows hierarchy of needs
1) physiological needs - food ,water
2) safety needs - security , protection
3) belonging needs- need for friends , intimate relationships
4) self esteem needs- self respect , perception of ability
5) self actualisation- realising full potential
how does somebody achieve self actualisation according to maslows hierarchy of needs
all four lower levels of maslows hierarchy (deficiency needs) need to be met before the individual can work towards self actualisation (the growth need) and fulfill their potential . as a result not everyone is able to reach self actualisation.
what is the idea of the self , congruence and conditions of worth according to humanism
the self - ideas and values that characterise the “I” and “Me” and includes perception and valuing what am i what can i do .
congruence is when the self concept and ideal self are seen to broadly match . It is the aim of Rogerian therapy.
conditions or worth are when a parent placed limits or boundaries on the love of their children
what were rodgers ideas on personal growth and self actualisation
Rogers argued that for personal growth to be achieved an individual’s concept of the self must be congruent with their ideal self
if too big a gap exists between the two selves the person will experience a state of incongruence and self actualisation will not be possible due to negative feelings of self-worth that arise from incongruence.
Rogers claim that many of the issues we experience as adults such as worthlessness and low self-esteem have their roots in childhood and can often be explained by a lack of unconditional positive regard e.g. parents setting boundaries on their love for their children.
what client centred therapy
Rogers developed client centred therapy tell reduce the gap between the self-concept and the ideal self.
client centred therapy says that individual is the expert of their own condition.
The therapy is non-directive and the client is in courage towards the discovery of their own solutions for the therapeutic atmosphere that is warm supportive and nonjudgemental.
and effective therapist should provide the client with three things genuineness empathy and unconditional positive regard.
The aim of rogerian therapy is to increase the persons feelings of self-worth, reduce the level of incongruence between the self-concept an ideal self and help the person becoming a fully functioning person
evaluate a limitation of humanistic psychology (humanism) - cultural bias
The humanistic approach may be subject to cultural bias. Many of the ideas that are central to humanistic psychology, such as individual freedom, autonomy and personal growth, would be much more readily associated with individualist cultures. collectivist cultures such as India, which emphasise the needs of the group, community and interdependence may not identify so easily with the ideal and values of humanistic psychology. therefore it is possible that this approach is a product of the cultural context within which it was developed and not generalisable to other cultures.
evaluate a limitation of humanistic psychology (humanism-untestable concepts
Humanistic psychology includes a number of vague ideas the abstract and difficult to test. Concepts such as self actualisation incongruence may be useful therapeutic tools but would prove problematic to assess under experimental conditions. as the approach is anti scientific, humanistic psychology is short on empirical evidence to support its claims.
evaluate a limitation of humanistic psychology (humanism)- limited real world application
humanistic psychology has a relatively little real-world application. Although Rogerian therapy has revolutionised councelling techniques and Maslow‘s hierarchy of needs has been used to explain motivation e.g in businesses it remains the case that the approach has limited impact of in the discipline of psychology as a whole. this may be due to the lack of sound evidence on the fact that the approach has been described as a loose set of abstract concepts.
evaluate a strength of humanistic psychology (humanism)- holistic
Humanist reject any attempt to break up behaviour and experience into smaller components. The advocate holism the idea that subjective experience can only be understood by considering the whole person. this approach may have more validity than its alternatives by considering meaningful human behaviour within its real life contexts.
evaluate a strength of the humanistic approach (humanism) - positive approach
humanistic psychologists have been praise for bringing the person back into psychology and promoting a positive image of the human condition. Freud so human beings are slaves to the past and claimed all of us existed somewhere between common unhappiness and absolute despair. humanistic psychology of us are refreshing an optimistic alternative as it says people as basically good , free to work towards achievement of their potential and in control of their lives. 
outline one strength of pavlovs research into classical conditioning high internal validity
pavlovs research had high internal validity , the study included a high degree of control over variables . for example Pavlov placed each dog in a sealed room that didn’t allow the dog to see, smell or hear anything outside. This was to prevent other stimuli (extraneous variables) from making the dog salivate. this high degree of control means that pavlov was truly able to measure the impact of conditioning without inteference from other variables.
outline one strength of pavlovs research into classical conditioning - supporting research
one strength of pavlovs research is that there is supporting research into the idea of classical conditioning for example watson found that he was able to condition little albert to be afraid of white mice . e.g UCS loud noise UCR fear , NS white mice , he was able to turn the NS of mice into a CS which produced a fear
response. supports the idea of c. c which pavlov promotes in his research , however little albert is a case study therefore lacks generablisablity and individual differences may have been involved
outline one limitation of pavlovs research into classical conditioning - low ecological validity
one limitation of pavlovs study which he even recognised himself is that it had low ecological validity. for example The dogs were kept in very unusual conditions (tied up in a harness in a box, cut off from other dogs and humans, with a drip feed attached to their mouths) and they were presented with odd stimuli. these conditions being unnatural may have led to dogs acting differently to how they would in normal every day situations
outline one limitation of pavlovs research into classical conditioning - generalisability
pavlovs research massively lacks generalisability as it was performed on dogs but aims to be generalised to humans , it may then be criticsed for extrapolation . humans and dogs are physiologically different , and processes which govern human learning may be far more complex than the ucs of food . therefore it has huge generalisability issues reducing the extrernal validity of the study as a result
outline on strength of skinners research into operant conditioning - high internal validity
One strength of skinners research is that it was a lab experiment which had a high degree of control over varaibles and therefore high objectiivity . The insistence on objectivity, control over variables and precise measurement means that he is able to infer cause and effect; reinforcement (type of) increases/decreases a specific response in rats. Skinners research is highly objective which also increases the replicability of it , which is a key element of scientific research . Therefore increasing the internal validity of skinners research and supporting/ strengthening the idea of operant conditioning .
outline one limitation of skinners research into operant conditioning - lack of generalisability and over simplistic
One limitation of skinners research is that it lacks generalisability . His study was conducted on rats and pigeons which are physiologicallly different to humans , it may therefore be criticsed for extrapolation in terms of trying to generalise these findings to humans . Whilst conditioning can be observed in rats and most species, human behaviour is driven by complex emotions and complex thought processes, and so it is impossible for all these processes to be observed. Therefore skinners research may lack usefulness in terms of explaining humans behaviour as it ignores they key cognition element of human learning
outline one strength of skinners research into operant conditioning - real world application
One strength of skinners research is that it has real world application . For example operant conditioing has helped contribute towards the development of token economy systems in prisons where they have been used to try and modify human behaviour through rewarding appropraite behaviour . This is a strength as it shows classical conditioing has face validity and has a place in real world situations. However there is arguably some debate over the usefulness of token economy’s and their success long term. Which may mean that classical conditioning may lack long term explanations.
outline one limitation of skinners research into operant conditioing - ethical issues
One limitation of skinners research into operant conditioning is that it has ethical issues . For example The animals involved were exposed to stressful and harmful conditions such as being electrocuted . Many would argue that many of his procedures were unnecessary. The adverse conditions that they were exposed to may have also affected how they reacted to the experimental situation affecting the validity of the results.
outline one strength of banduras research into social learning theory - reliability and standardised
one strength of banduras research is that it had high reliability as the process was highly standardised . This was easy to do because of the standardised procedure (same script, same checklist categories, etc). this increases the replicability of banduras research as seen when he replicated the study in 63 and 65.
outline one limitation of banduras research into social learning theory - ecological validity and demand characteristics
one main limitation of banduras reseearch is that it can be criticsed for ecological validity , for example he children were put in a strange situation, exposed to some unusual adult behaviour and given toys to play with which encouraged them to act unnaturally. for example the purpose of bobo dolls is to hit them so they strike back . the children may have been displaying demand charactersitics as they believe it may be expected of them.
outline one strength/limitation of banduras research into social learning theory - generalisability sample
one strength of banduras research is that there was a relatively large sample size of 72 children in his studies . large enough that anomalies (eg disturbed children) might be cancelled out (eg by particularly mild mannered ones). this large sample is a strength as it helps increase the internal validity of the study as it helps ensure the results werent skewed by anomilies . however the sample may not be entirely generalisable as the children involved all came from the same nursery .which was for the students and staff at one of the world’s top universities. These children might have unusual home lives and particularly educated parents, making them unrepresentative of normal children. furtheremore the sample only consisted of children and therefore may lack generalisability towards adults as the studies may not tell us much about how adults learn new behaviour because adults might be less influenced by role models.
outline one strength of banduras research - real life application
one strength of banduras research is that it has real life application , for example banduras study contributed to the understanding of role models . Calm role models seem to have a big effect, which might apply to “buddy” systems used in schools or prisons to help troubled students or prisoners learn from a role model.
these buddy systems have played an important role in helping peoples situations in the real world.
outline one strength of banduras research - real life application
one strength of banduras research is that it has real life application , for example banduras study contributed to the understanding of role models . Calm role models seem to have a big effect, which might apply to “buddy” systems used in schools or prisons to help troubled students or prisoners learn from a role model.
these buddy systems have played an important role in helping peoples situations in the real world.
outline one limitation of banduras research -ethical issues
There are many ethical issues with Bandura’s studies. The major issue is harm and the wellbeing of participants. The children may have been distressed by the aggressive behaviour they witnessed and the aggressive behaviour they learned from the study may have stayed with them, going on to become a behavioural problem. Participants are supposed to leave a study in the same state they entered it, which may not have happened here. there was also no apparent effort to debrief the children after the study therefore reinforcing this limitation
