Approaches

Question 1

What does the behaviourist approach focus on

Answer 1

-studying behaviour that can be observed and measure
- pioneered by John B watson
- rejects introspection as concepts were too vague and unmeasurable
- tried to maintain more control and objectivity so relied on lab studies
- believe all behaviour is learned and all start with blank slate
- animals can replace humans in experiments as basic processes that govern learning are the same in all species

Question 2

what are the two important forms of learning in the behaviourist approach

Answer 2

classical and operant conditioning

Question 3

what is classical conditioning

Answer 3

Pavlovs research (1927)
- learning through association eg pavlovs dogs learned to associate the sound of the bell (stimulus) with the food (another stimulus). This shows the neutral stimulus so bell can be a learned conditioned response through association
Before conditioning - food=unconditioned stimulus, salivation=unconditioned response , bell= neutral stimulus , no salivation= unconditioned response

During - bell+food produces salivation = unconditioned response

After conditioning- bell=conditioned stimulus ,salivation=conditioned response

Question 4

what is operant conditioning

Answer 4

Skinners research (1953)
-a method of learning that used punishments and rewards to modify behaviour
- skinner suggested learning is an active process whereby humans and animals operate on their environment

Question 5

what is positive and negative reinforcement (with example)

Answer 5

positive reinforcement- receiving reward and praise when a certain behaviour is performed e.g every time rat activated a lever in the box it was rewarded with a food pellet

negative reinforcement - occurs when animal/human avoids something unpleasant and the outcome is a positive experience e.g to avoid unpleasant stimulus (electric shock) rat activated a lever

Question 6

what is punishment and what does it do

Answer 6

unpleasant consequence of behaviour that decreases likelihood that behaviour will be repeated

Question 7

what are the ethical issues with skinners research

Answer 7

all though skinners box allowed behaviourists to maintain high degree over their experimental subjects
- animals were housed in harsh cramped conditions
- deliberately kept below natural weight so always hungry

Question 8

What is a strength of the behaviourist approach? ( well- controlled…)

Answer 8

P- based on well controlled research

E- behaviourists focused on observable behaviour being measured in highly controlled lab setting. They broke down behaviour into basic stimulus and response units so all extraneous variables were removed so cause and effect relationship was established

L- This suggests that behaviour experiments have scientific credibility

Question 9

what is the counterpoint of the behaviourist approach being based on well controlled research?

Answer 9

P- behaviourists may have over- simplified this learning process

E- by reducing behaviour to simple components they may have ignored an important influence on learning which is human thought (mental processes in learning)

L- Thus suggests that learning is more complex than observable behaviour alone and private mental processes are also essential

Question 10

What is another strength of the behaviourist approach

Answer 10

P- the principles of conditioning have been applied to real world behaviours and problems

E- e.g operant conditioning is the basis of token economy systems used successfully in institutions like prisons by rewarding appropriate behaviour with tokens that can be exchanged for privileges

L- This increase the value of the behaviourist approach as it has wide spread application

Question 11

What is a limitation of the behaviourist approach

Answer 11

P- sees all behaviour as conditioned by past conditioning experiences

E- Skinner suggested that everything we do is a sum total of our reinforcement history. Our past conditioning history determined outcome and this ignores any possible influence free will may have on behaviour

L- This is an extreme position and ignores influence of conscious decision making processes on behaviour

Question 12

Why was Wundts lab significant in the origins of psychology?

Answer 12

-Opened first ever lab in 1879 dedicated to psychological enquirer in a little town called Leipzig, Germany
-marked beginning of scientific psychology
-his aim was to analyze the nature of human consciousness under controlled conditions and his pioneering method became known as introspection

Question 13

What is introspection?

Answer 13

First systematic experimental attempt to study the mind by breaking up conscious awareness into basic structures of thoughts images and sensations

Question 14

What was wundts main objective?

Answer 14

To develop theories about mental processes eg language , perception and to do this he used standardized procedures and his co workers recorded experience of various stimuli and divided observations into thoughts,images and sensations (structuralism-isolating structure of consciousness)

Question 15

What was a strength of Wundts research?

Answer 15

P-His methods were systematic and well controlled(scientific)

E- All introspections were recorded in a controlled lab so possible extraneous variables were not a factor. All procedures were standardised so all participants were tested in the same way.

L- Wundts research can be considered a forerunner to later scientific approaches eg behaviorist approach

Question 16

What is a limitation of Wundts research?

Answer 16

P-Other aspects on Wundts research would be considered unscientific today

E- Wundt relied on participants self reporting their mental processes. This is subjective and influenced by personal perspective and participants may have hidden their thoughts so it would be difficult to establish meaningful ‘laws of behavior’ from data.

L- Some of Wundts early efforts to study the mind were flawed so would not meet the criteria of scientific enquiry.

Question 17

How did psychology emerge as a science throughout history?

Answer 17

1900s John B Watson, skinner - should only study phenomena that can be o served objectively and measure and can’t generalize law as to people as it’s too subjective

1950s Rogers and Maslow- likened human mind to a computer and ensured study of min was highly scientific aspect of the discipline , tested predictions about memory and attention

1960s Bandura- SLT

1980s- uses technology to investigate psychological processes eg FMRI and EEG , new methods eg genetic testing allowed us to understand relationship between genes and behavior

Modern psychology - cognitive neuroscience, it’s scientific and uses controlled and unbiased experiments

Question 18

What are the assumptions of SLT?

Answer 18

-learning through observation and imitation of others
- learning occurs directly through classical and operant conditioning but also indirectly

Question 19

What is vicarious reinforcement?

Answer 19

observing someone else being reinforced for their behavior and imitation occurs only if behaviors is rewarded and observes consequences of behavior too.

Question 20

What is the mediational processes?

Answer 20

Identified by Bandura , the mental factors that mediate in learning process

1. Attention - extent to which we notice certain behaviors
   2.Retention-how well behavior is remembered
   3.Motor Reproduction - ability of observer to perform behavior
   4.Motivation- will to perform behavior (often determined by if behavior was rewarded or punished)

Observed behaviours may be stored by observed and reproduced at a later time

Question 21

What is identification?

Answer 21

When an observer associates themselves with a role model and wants to be like the role model as they possess similar characteristics, attractive , high status etc

Question 22

What is modeling?

Answer 22

Imitating behaviour of role model

Question 23

Bandura’s research 1961

Answer 23

Children were shown a video of an adult behaving aggressively towards the Bobo doll.
-One group of children saw the adult praised for their behaviour and a second group saw the adult punished for aggression towards the doll.
-The third group (control) saw aggression without any consequence.
-When given their bobo doll to play with the first group showed much more aggression followed by third group and then second.

Question 24

One strength of SLT (stresses role of…)

Answer 24

P- SLT stresses role of cognition (thinking) in learning and importance of cognitive factors.

E- Bandura claimed that natural biological differences influenced our learning potential and that neither classical or operant conditioning can offer an adequate account of learning on their own and will be hazardous if we first learn directly. Humans and animals store info about behaviour of others and use this to make judgements about when it’s appropriate to perform certain actions.

L- This suggests that SLT provides a more comprehensive explanation of human learning by recognizing the role of mediational processes.

Question 25

What is a counterpoint of SLT that it recognises importance of cognitive factors in learning?

Answer 25

P- SLT has been criticised for making too little reference to the influence of biological factors on social learning.

E- Although Bandura claimed natural biological differences influenced our learning potential, he thought that learning itself was determined by the environment. However, recent research suggests that observational learning may be the result of mirror neurons in the brain, which allow us to empathise with and imitate others.

L- This suggests that biological influences on social learning were under emphasised in SLT.

Question 26

What is a limitation of the SLT?

Answer 26

P- One limitation of SLT is that the evidence on which it is based was gathered through lab studies.

E- Many of Bandura’s ideas were developed through observation of young children’s behaviour in the lab. Lab studies are often criticised for their contrived nature where participants may respond to demand characteristics. It has been suggested in the Bobo doll research that because the main purpose of the Bobo doll is to strike it, the children were simply behaving in a way they thought was expected.

L- This suggests that the research may tell us little about how children actually learn aggression in everyday life.

Question 27

What is another strength of SLT?

Answer 27

P- SLT principles have been applied to a range of real world behaviours.

E- SLT has the advantage of being able to explain cultural differences in behaviour. SLT principles eg modelling, imitation and reinforcement, can account for how children learn from those around them including the media and this can explain how cultural norms are transmitted through particular societies. This has proved useful in understanding a range of behaviours eg how children come to understand their gender role.

L- This increases the value of the approach as it can account for real world behaviour.