Approaches

Question 1

What are the assumptions of behaviourism? [5]:

Answer 1

• Behaviour is learned from the environment
• Psychology seen as a science
• Behaviour is the result of stimulus response
• Concerned with observable behaviour instead of internal emotions
• Little difference between learning in humans and animals

Question 2

Classical conditioning [explanation]:

Answer 2

Learning through association

Question 3

When does a neutral stimulus produce a response?

Answer 3

When it is paired with the unconditioned stimulus

Question 4

Pavlov’s dogs [4]:

Answer 4

• He presented a dog with a bell, they did not salivate so NS
• Food was the UCS and salivation was the UCR so it was innate
• He repeatedly presented the dogs with the sound of the bell and then fed them
• The bell became the CS and the salivation became the CR

Question 5

Watson and Rayner 1920- Little Albert at 9 months old

[4]:

Answer 5

• Albert’s response to stimuli was tested
• He only reacted to a hammer striking a 4 foot pole above his head
• This was the UCS
• His fear reaction to it is the UCR

Question 6

Little Albert- 11 months old [4]:

Answer 6

• The rat and the UCS were presented together
• Whenever he reached out to stroke the rat, watson struck the bar behind his head
• Occurred 7 times over 7 weeks
• Rat become CS and fear became CR

Question 7

Little Albert’s fear response after experiment [2]:

Answer 7

• 5 Days after; CR produced by rat persisted

- 10 Days later; it was ‘much less marked’ but still evident a month later

Question 8

Operant condition [explanation]:

Answer 8

The consequences of a response determine the likelihood of it occurring again

Question 9

Positive reinforcement [explanation]:

Answer 9

Strengthens a behaviour by providing a consequence an individual finds rewarding

Question 10

Positive reinforcement [example]:

Answer 10

Teacher giving you £5 every time you finish your hw

Question 11

Negative reinforcement [explanation]:

Answer 11

Strengthens behaviour cus it stops/removes unpleasant experience

Question 12

Negative reinforcement [example]:

Answer 12

If you don’t do your hw you would have to give ur teacher £5. By doing ur hw ur avoiding the forfeit

Question 13

Punishment [explanation]:

Answer 13

Weakens behaviour by directly applying an unpleasant stimulus or removing a rewarding stimulus

Question 14

Positive punishment [example]:

Answer 14

If you don’t do your hw you will get a phone call home

Question 15

Negative punishment [example]:

Answer 15

You didn’t do your chores so your pocket money is taken away

Question 16

Issues with punishment [4]:

Answer 16

• Punished behaviour is not forgotten it is suppressed; behaviour returns when punishment is gone
• Increased aggression; it shows that aggression is a way to cope with problems
• Creates fear that can generalise e.g. fear of school
• Doesn’t necessarily guide to wanted behaviour; only tells you what NOT to do

Question 17

Skinner’s box - food pellet [4]:

Answer 17

• Hungry rat placed in a cage
• Every time it pulled the lever a food pellet fell out
• The rats learn to go straight to the lever after being put in the box a few times
• Shows that positive reinforcement increases likelihood of behaviour being repeated

Question 18

Extinction [definition]:

Answer 18

When a behaviour that was previously reinforced, stops being reinforced so gradually stops happening

Question 19

Primary reinforcers [explanation]:

Answer 19

Food water or sleep, don’t need to be paired up with sumn else to be reinforcing

Question 20

Skinner’s box - electricity [5]:

Answer 20

• Rat was placed in cage where there was an electrical current running through it
• This made the rat uncomfortable
• The electrical current stopped when the rat hit the lever
• The rat learned to hit the lever immediately after entering the cox
• Negative reinforcement

Question 21

Secondary reinforcers [explanation]:

Answer 21

Is when an idea or action is reinforced by a primary reinforcer (i.e: money can buy food)

Question 22

Neutral operants [definition]:

Answer 22

responses from the environment that don’t increase nor decrease the probability of a behaviour being repeated