Approaches Flashcards
Who proposed the ‘Behaviourist approach’?
JB Watson (1915)
Describe the behaviourist assumptions.
-we’re all born tabula rasa(blank slate)
-all behaviour is learnt from environment
-we learn through classical and operant conditioning
-behaviour is the result of a stimulus
-behaviourism is concerned with observable behaviour
Is the behaviourist approach based on nature or nurture?
Nurture
Describe classical conditioning + the study.
-CC is learning by association
-study= Pavlov’s dogs(1927), he showed how dogs could be conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell if the bell is played at the time they were given food
Describe operant conditioning + the study.
-OC is learning through consequence
-BF Skinner(1953), did an experiment with rats and cages called skinner’s boxes, every time the rat activated a lever it was rewarded with a food pellet, the animal then continues to do the behaviour. However, lever doesn’t give food each time to keep rats interested
What are the 4 ways behaviour is shaped.
Positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, negative punishment.
Describe positive reinforcement with an example.
Receiving a reward when a certain behaviour is performed. E.g: praise from teacher when answering a question right.
Describe negative reinforcement with an example.
When someone avoids something unpleasant resulting in a positive outcome. E.g: car buzzer turns off when you put on your seatbelt.
Describe positive punishment with an example.
Consequence is receiving something unpleasant which decreases the probability of it occurring again. E.g: drivers speeding results in a ticket and a fine.
Describe negative punishment with an example.
Consequence is removing something desirable and decreases probability of it occurring again. E.g: toys taken away from a child when they are throwing a tantrum.
