Approaches - 02 Learning approaches (1-The Behaviourist approach)

Question 1

What does the behaviourist approach say we are born as?

Answer 1

A tabula rasa or a blank slate

Question 2

What does the behaviourist approach focus on?

Answer 2

observable events i.e. stimuli and responses and the conditions under which learning would be most likely to occur

Question 3

The behaviourist approach argues that in order for psychology to be scientific it should focus on behaviour which is what?

Answer 3

That can be objectively measured rather than on things like cognitive processes which can only be inferred.

Question 4

What did the behaviourist approach say all behaviour could be explained by?

Answer 4

Classical and operant conditioning

Question 5

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 5

Learning via rewards and reinforcement

Question 6

What is classical conditioning?

Answer 6

Learning via associations

Question 7

Why does the behaviourist approach say that it is ok to research animals?

Answer 7

because humans are animals and so behaviour will be directly relevant to humans so we can extrapolate/generalise

Question 8

Who discovered classical conditioning and how?

Answer 8

Ivan Pavlov while he was studying salivation in dogs

Question 9

In Pavlov’s study what was the food before conditioning?

Answer 9

Unconditioned stimulus

Question 10

In Pavlov’s study what was the salivation before conditioning?

Answer 10

Unconditioned response

Question 11

In Pavlov’s study what was the bell before conditioning?

Answer 11

Neutral stimulus

Question 12

In Pavlov’s study what was the bell after conditioning?

Answer 12

Conditioned stimulus

Question 13

In Pavlov’s study what was the salivation after conditioning?

Answer 13

Conditioned response

Question 14

What is positive reinforcement?

Answer 14

Giving a desirable consequence as a result of a specific behaviour making that behaviour more likely to occur again in the future

Question 15

What is negative reinforcement?

Answer 15

Taking away an undesirable state as a result of a specific behaviour making that behaviour more likely to occur again in the future

Question 16

What is positive punishment?

Answer 16

Giving an undesirable consequence as a result of a specific behaviour making that behaviour less likely to occur again in the future

Question 17

What is negative punishment?

Answer 17

Taking away a desirable state as a result of a specific behaviour making that behaviour less likely to occur again in the future

Question 18

How did Skinner study operant conditioning?

Answer 18

He created an experimental tool called the Skinner box

Question 19

What did the Skinner box allow Skinner to do?

Answer 19

Allowed him to have complete control of the organism’s environment

Question 20

What was Skinner trying to investigate?

Answer 20

How the type of reinforcement or punishment given and the rate of reinforcement or punishment affected the rate of learning

Question 21

What 3 things could be kept constant in the Skinner box?

Answer 21

1-temperature
2-light
3-noise

Question 22

What happened to the rats before they entered the Skinner box?

Answer 22

They were starved

Question 23

How was positive reinforcement used in Skinner’s experiment?

Answer 23

The rats received a food pellet every time they pressed a lever so they should learn to press it more often to keep receiving the food

Question 24

How was negative reinforcement used in Skinner’s experiment?

Answer 24

The rats would have an electric shock turned off if the pressed the lever so they should learn to press it more often to stock the electric shocks

Question 25

How was punishment used in Skinner’s experiment?

Answer 25

The rats would have their heat tuned off when they pressed the lever so they should learn to avoid the lever to stop their heat getting turned off

Question 26

What is a continuous reinforcement schedule?

Answer 26

In a continuous schedule, every instance of a desired behaviour is reinforced

Question 27

What is a partial reinforcement schedule?

Answer 27

In a partial schedule they only reinforce the desired behaviour occasionally

Question 28

Which type of reinforcement schedule is more effective and why?

Answer 28

The partial schedule of reinforcement because it is more effective in maintaining the responses and avoiding extinction

Question 29

Supporting evidence of the behaviourist approach (3)

Answer 29

1- Pavlov’s dogs - Classical conditioning
2- Skinner’s box - operant conditioning
3- Watson & Raynor - Classical conditioning of a phobia (little Albert)

Question 30

Practical application of the behaviourist approach (2)

Answer 30

1- classical conditioning - Treatment of phobias
2- operant conditioning - Token economy systems

Question 31

Evaluation of methodology used in the behaviourist approach

Answer 31

1- strength - experimental method = controlled conditions also objective and replicable = greater credibility and status

2- Weakness - ethics - stressful conditions may have affected how animals responded = reduction in the validity of results

3- Weakness - using animals not humans - animals passive, humans much more active role in learning, more free will = cautious in generalising to humans

Question 32

Contrast with an alternative to behaviourism

Answer 32

The nature vs nurture debate
-behaviourists extreme nurture position, behaviour learned, conditioning
-ignore roles of nature, innate and inherited
most psychologists argue that behaviour is due to am interaction between nature and nurture
-so behaviourists cannot adequately explain human behaviours on its own