5.2 The behaviourist approach Flashcards
What approach does both Skinner and Pavlov’s theories fall under?
The behaviourist approach.
What was Skinner’s rat experiment an example of?
Operant conditioning in the form of positive and negative reinforcement
At first, what happened if the rats found / pressed a button in the box? - Skinner
They were rewarded with food.
What is the rat receiving a treat after pressing a button an example of in Skinners rat experiment?
positive reinforcement
What was the second step in Skinner’s experiment - in regards to the rat?
the box gave an electric shock, if the rats pressed the button it stopped
What is the rat being able to stop an electric shock after pressing a button an example of in Skinners rat experiment?
negative reinforcement
What did Skinner do in the third and final portion of his rat experiment?
he reversed the button, the rats were shocked for pressing it.
Why did the rat eventually stop pressing the button after being shocked for pressing it in Skinner’s experiment?
Due to the punishment received
What was Pavlov’s dog experiment an example of?
Classical conditioning
What did Pavlov observe in his dog?
his dog would salivate when presented with food.
What did Pavlov state that food was to the dog?
a natural unconditioned stimulus
What happened when Pavlov presented his dog with food? Why?
salivate
an unconditioned response to the stimulus of food
Why does the dog not respond to the neutral stimulus of a bell? - Pavlov
without conditioning the dog will not respond to the bell
What did Pavlov observe after repeating his experiment several times? - He presents the dog with food and rings a bell at the same time
his dog would salivate at the sound of the bell, even in the absence of food
What were the final observations from Pavlov’s experiment, in regards to his dog?
Salivation became a conditioned response to the bell which is now a conditioned stimulus.
list three basic assumptions of the behaviourist approach.
external forces in the environment shape our behaviour, these can be either positive or negative
classical conditioning: established behaviour through association (Pavlov’s dog)
operant conditioning: behaviour changed through reinforcement (Skinner’s rat)
punishment: behaviour is followed by a consequence that is unpleasurable or undesirable. This leads to the extinction(loss) of a behaviour.
when looking at the behaviourist approach, nature and/or nurture?
Nurture.
behaviour is a consequence of our interactions with the environment and the consequences of our behaviour within that environment
when looking at the behaviourist approach, scientific or nonscientific? (methods and theories; explain)
behaviourism aligns itself strongly with the scientific method.
highly objective and experimentally based. by focusing only on responses that can be accurately measured, it aligns itself with the rigour of the scientific method. this allows for a high degree of replication
when looking at the behaviourist approach, determinism or free will?
Determinism:
Behaviour is determined by the consequences of our behaviour, i.e reinforcement history. This determines the likelihood of a behaviour recurring.
Behaviourists such as Skinner emphasises the importance of external forces in the environment in shaping our behaviour (environmental determinism)
when looking at the behaviourist approach, reductionism or holism?
Environmental reductionism:
Behaviour is broken down into simple stimulus-response associations
positive evaluations/strengths of the behaviourist approach.
Classical conditioning:
explanations include development of treatments for reduction of anxiety
Operant conditioning:
Reliance on the experimental method
negative evaluations/limitations of the behaviourist approach.
Classical conditioning:
Different species have different capabilities to learn through classical conditioning
Operant conditioning:
Much of Skinner’s work was on non-human animals, such as a rat, this excludes the possibility of human free will
Behaviourist explanations ignore the role played by cognitive and emotional factors
key term: behaviourist?
people who believe that human behaviour can be explained in terms of conditioning, without the need to consider thoughts or feelings
define classical conditioning?
when a neutral stimulus is consistently paired with an unconditioned stimulus so that it eventually takes on the properties of this stimulus and is able to produce a conditioned response
define operant conditioning
learning through reinforcement or punishment.
if a behaviour is followed by a desirable consequence then that behaviour is more likely to occur again in the future
define punishment
involves the application of an unpleasant consequence following a behaviour, with the result that the behaviour is far less likely to occur again in the future
define reinforcement
a term used in psychology to refer to anything that strengthens a response and increases the likelihood that it will occur again in the future.
Define positive reinforcement?
The learning effect of a desirable consequence on behaviour.
Define negative reinforcement?
The learning effect of a behaviour removing something unpleasant.
Define a unconditioned stimulus?
A stimulus that automatically leads to a particular response.
Define a conditioned stimulus?
A neutral stimulus that we have learned to pair with a response that is not the original unconditioned stimulus.
