Approaches (behavioural)

Question 1

Who found the behavioural approach

Answer 1

JB Watson in 1915

Question 2

What is the behavioural approach

Answer 2

rejecting the vagueness of introspection instead focusing on how we are a product of our learning, experience and environment.

Question 3

What is a stimulus

Answer 3

Anything, internal or external, that brings about a response

Question 4

What is a response

Answer 4

Any reaction in the presence of stimulus

Question 5

What is reinforcement

Answer 5

the process by which a response is strengthened

Question 6

Give an example of classical conditioning

Answer 6

Pavlovs dogs

Question 7

What did Pavlov do to show classical conditioning

Answer 7

Pavlov was the first to describe this process of learning, by testing it on animals

• This is learning by association and refers to the conditioning of reflexes and involves associating a new stimulus with an innate bodily reflex
• Classical conditioning involves pairing a response naturally caused by one stimulus with another, previously neutral stimulus.

Question 8

what is unconditioned stimulus

Answer 8

An unconditioned stimulus is a stimulus that leads to an automatic response

Question 9

what is conditioned stimulus

Answer 9

a conditioned response is a learned response to a previously neutral stimulus

Question 10

what is unconditioned response

Answer 10

the innate response to a stimulus that has not been conditioned

Question 11

what is conditioned response

Answer 11

the response that occurs after exposure to the conditioned stimulus

Question 12

what does pavlov first do to the dog

Answer 12

• First Pavlov established that meat caused the dog to salivate.
• Unconditioned Stimulus (FOOD) = Unconditioned Response (SALIVA)

Question 13

second thing palvov does to the dog

Answer 13

• Then Pavlov established that a tone did not cause the dog to salivate.

Question 14

third thing pavlov does to the dog

Answer 14

• He then presented the tone with the food. Note that the dog is salivating in response to the food at this time.
• Unconditioned Stimulus (FOOD) + Neutral Stimulus (BELL) = Unconditioned
  Response (SALIVA)

Question 15

fourth thing pavlov does to dog

Answer 15

• After several pairings of the tone and food, Pavlov found that the dog would
  salivate to the tone when it was presented alone.
• Conditioned Stimulus (BELL) = Conditioned Response (SALIVA)

Question 16

what does BF skinner say about operant conditioning

Answer 16

*claimed that all behaviour is
learnt as a result of
consequences in our
environment – operant
conditioning

*This involves learning through
the consequences (positive and
negative) of behavioural
responses.

-Operant conditioning is
concerned with the use of
consequences, such as gaining
rewards or receiving
punishments, in order to modify

and shape behaviour.
-Skinner, like Pavlov, tested this
learning process on animal

Question 17

what is positive reinforcement

Answer 17

• Increases the likelihood of a response occurring because it involves a reward for the behaviour

for example:

-The worker gets paid a bonus for working hard.

-The dog gets a treat for returning when called.

-The child gets dessert for eating her vegetables (bribery!)

-Reward points are given for good work.

Question 18

what is negative reinforcement

Answer 18

• Increases the likelihood of a
  response occurring because it
  involves the removal of, or escaping from, unpleasant
  consequences (e.g. it leads to stopping or avoiding an electric
  shock)

Question 19

what is operant conditioning

Answer 19

*It important to note however that the associations
between responses and consequences have to be made close together in time for learning to occur.

*Operant conditioning has been applied to the treatment of behaviour (e.g. behaviour shaping)

• Examples included social skills training for offenders,
  and token economy systems used in institutions
  whereby tokens are given as a secondary reinforcement
  for good behaviour.

Question 20

how does positive reinforcement increase the probability of doing the same behaviour again

Answer 20

Reward
(e.g. praise, smile, sweets, etc.)

Question 21

how does negative reinforcement increase the chance of doing it again

Answer 21

Rather than delivering an aversive stimulus (punishment) or a reward (positive reinforcement), negative reinforcement works by taking away something that the individual finds undesirable.

Question 22

how does positive reinforcement decrease the change of behaviour happening again

Answer 22

Punishment
(e.g. receiving a detention for poor
behaviour, a verbal reprimand)

Question 23

how does negative reinforcement decrease the probability of the behaviour happening again

Answer 23

Penalty
(e.g. being grounded for being
late home, having something
taken away)

Question 24

strengths of approach

Answer 24

• Behaviourism is very scientific. Theories are testable and supported by rigorous experimental research – Uses the experimental method → helps to
  establish cause and effect, objective
• It influences all areas of psychology
• Replicable → can be repeated due to high control so has reliability
• Mainly quantitative data → easy to analyse
• Behaviourist explanations can be applied to the real world to explain everyday
  behaviour such as phobias and has produced many practical applications
• Useful applications to education, child rearing (i.e. super nanny)
• It provides strong counter-arguments to the nature side of the ‘naturenurture’ debate

Question 25

give real life examples of conditioning

Answer 25

• Token economy systems (OC): prisons and psychiatric hospitals
• Appropriate behaviour is rewarded with tokens that can be exchanged
  for privileges
• CC- treatment of phobias – Little Albert

Question 26

mechanistic view of behaviour

Answer 26

*Animals are seen as passive and machine like responders to their
environment with little or no conscious insight into their behaviour

• SLT and cognitive approach emphasised the importance of mental
  events at learning.
• Process mediates between stimulus and response, suggests that
  people may play a much more active role in their own learning.

*Applies less to humans than animals

Question 27

environmental determinism

Answer 27

*All behaviours are determined by past experiences that have been
conditioned.

*What about free will?

• Skinner “free will is an illusion”
• Past history determines the outcome when something happens