Approaches (AS): Behaviourist Approach Flashcards
How do behaviourists study?
in the stimulus-response form to study behaviour under controlled lab conditions
What is the main belief of the behaviourist approach?
that all behaviour is acquired and maintained through classical and operant conditioning. Hence, behaviour can only be objectively measured and observed under heavily controlled conditions.
What did Watson and Skinner disagree with?
the subjective nature of Wundt’s introspective methods, and the inability to formulate general laws from his observations.
What did Skinner believe about free will?
That free will is an illusion and that all human action was the direct result of conditioning.
Why can animals replace humans in behaviourist experimental research?
the basic laws regarding learning are the same across both non-humans and humans
What is classical conditioning?
learning which occurs through associations made between the unconditioned stimulus and the neutral stimulus.
What are the advantages of Pavlov’s study? (4)
Controlled methods: giving the study credibility and reliability
Insight into the development of phobias: Pavlov’s research of learning via stimulus-response has been successfully applies to humans (Little Albert Study)
High Credibility: Elements of Pavlov’s research have been supported in Watson & Rayner’s research
Valuable contribution to society: Pavlov’s research provides powerful explanations for the development of a variety of behaviours including psychological disorders
Outline Pavlov’s study (4)
- Before conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus (food) produces an unconditioned response (salivation).
- During conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus was repeatedly paired with a neutral stimulus (a bell), to produce the same unconditioned response of salivation.
- Association made between the unconditioned stimulus and the neutral stimulus after repeated
- After conditioning, the neutral stimulus became the conditioned stimulus, producing the conditioned response of salivation
What are the disadvantages of Pavlov’s study?
The use of animals is a criticism of Pavlov’s research: human behaviour is driven by complex emotions and thought processes. Therefore, generalisations between humans and animals must be made with caution.
Much human behaviour is voluntary and therefore cannot be explained by Classical Conditioning. There must be other learning processes involved.
Classical conditioning ignores the role of cognitive and biological factors which have also been shown to play a role in learning
Give a summary of the Little Albert Study
A white laboratory rat was placed near Albert, and he was allowed to play with it. At this point, Watson and Rayner made a loud sound behind Albert’s back by striking a suspended steel bar with a hammer each time the baby touched the rat. Albert responded to the noise by crying and showing fear. He then associated fear with the white rat and any objects similar to it.
What are the advantages of the Little Albert Study?
The case of Little Albert was carefully documented.
Witnesses helped record the data and there were strict controls.
Only one variable was changed at a time.
It is evidence that classical conditioning can occur in humans.
Useful to understand how to acquire phobias.
What are the disadvantages of the Little Albert Study?
The study was unethical. He was clearly distressed, and although they let him rest between tests, they continued even though he was clearly unhappy and frightened.
The setting and tasks were artificial, so it lacks ecological validity.
The setting of a lab setting may have made Little Albert initially anxious and distressed.
What is operant conditioning?
a type of learning in which a new voluntary behaviour is associated with a consequence - reinforcement makes the behaviour more likely to occur, while punishment makes it less likely to occur.
How was positive reinforcement shown with the Skinner box?
when the rats pressed down on a lever to receive food as a reward, and subsequently learnt to repeat this action to increase their rewards.
How was negative reinforcement shown with the Skinner Box?
when the rat learnt to press down on the lever to avoid the unpleasant consequence of an electric shock.
