approaches: behaviourism

Question 1

what is behaviourism?

Answer 1

the theory that all behaviour is learned through interactions with the environment and that it can be modified through rewards and punishment.

Question 2

who were the leading theorists of the behaviourist approach?

Answer 2

• Ivan Pavlov (classical conditioning -> learning through association
• B.F Skinner (operant conditioning -> learning through positive + negative reinforcement and punishment)

Question 3

why do behaviourists believe in stimulus-response mechanisms?

Answer 3

• they argue that it is only possible to scientifically investigate what can be directly observed and measured.
• this includes what you do to a creature (stimulus) and the resulting behaviour (response)

Question 4

why do behaviourists reject internal mental processes?

Answer 4

• as the mind cannot be directly observed, behaviourists argue that it is a ‘black box’ not suitable for scientific study
• reject introspection as it involved too many concepts that were vague and difficult to measure

Question 5

what is environmental determinism?

Answer 5

• argue that behaviour is the result of experience
• believe behaviour can be predicted and controlled by manipulating the environment

Question 6

key assumptions of behaviourism:

Answer 6

• humans are born as tabula rasa (blank slates)
• all behaviour is learned from the environment and controlled by stimulus-response conditioning
• behaviour is learnt through association, punishment and reinforcement

Question 7

what did Pavlov investigate to discover classical conditioning?

Answer 7

Pavlov showed that dogs could be conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell if that sound was repeatedly presented at the same time that they were given food.

Question 8

what is classical conditioning?

Answer 8

• argues that an unconditioned response (e.g. salivating to food) can be triggered by a neutral stimulus (e.g. sound of footsteps) through repeated pairing
• eventually, the neutral stimulus alone produces the conditioned response (e.g. salivating to the metronome’s sound)

Question 9

procedure of Pavlov’s research:

Answer 9

1. Pavlov paired the neutral stimulus (sound of a bell) with the unconditioned stimulus (food) over many trials
2. the neutral stimulus was presented just before the unconditioned stimulus
3. Pavlov recorded the dog’s salivary responses

Question 10

results of Pavlov’s research

Answer 10

• the dogs began to salivate not only in response to the food (US) but also in response to the bell (NS), even when food was not presented
• indicated that the dogs had learned to associate the neutral stimulus with the food (leading to a conditioned response)

Question 11

equations for conditioning process

Answer 11

neutral stimulus (NS) –> neutral response (NR)
unconditioned stimulus (UCS) –> unconditioned response (UCR)
UCS + NS –> UCR
NS –> CR

Question 12

aim of John Watson’s research:

Answer 12

to show that emotions such as fear are learnt

Question 13

procedure of Watson’s research

Answer 13

• Watson and Rayner presented Little Albert with a white rat, rabbit and inanimate objects like a santa hat and he showed no fear
• this suggested that fear of the rat and other objects was not innate
• Watson then presented the rat (NS) with a bang (UCS) that startled Little Albert and made him cry

Question 14

findings of Watson’s research

Answer 14

• after the continuous association of the white rat and the loud bang, Albert was classically conditioned to experience fear at the sight of the rat which had become a conditioned response
• Albert’s fear generalised to other similar stimuli to the rat including: a fur coat, some cotton wool and a Santa Christmas mask

Question 15

what is operant conditioning?

Answer 15

learning through positive and negative reinforcement and positive and negative punishment

Question 16

what is positive reinforcement?

Answer 16

when a behaviour is followed by a reward and more likely to be repeated

Question 17

what is negative reinforcement?

Answer 17

when performing an action stops something unpleasant from happening and is more likely to be repeated

Question 18

what is punishment (positive/negative)

Answer 18

• punishment is when behaviour is followed by an unpleasant consequence + less likely to be repeated
• negative punishment: taking away something good (pleasant stimulus)
• positive punishment: adding something bad (unpleasant stimulus)

Question 19

how did Skinner research operant conditioning?

Answer 19

Skinner created an operant conditioning chamber known as the ‘Skinner Box’

Question 20

procedure of Skinner’s research:

Answer 20

Animals (rats) were placed in the Skinner Box and observed how they learned to operate levers to receive and award (food) or avoid punishment (electric shock)

Question 21

findings of Skinner’s research:

Answer 21

• demonstrated that behaviour is influenced by the consequences that follow
• behaviours followed by rewarding consequences are more likely to be repeated (reinforced) while those followed by undesirable consequences are less likely to occur

Question 22

what is extinction?

Answer 22

if the reinforcing consequences stop, then the person or animal will stop repeating the behaviour

Question 23

what is behaviour shaping?

Answer 23

• it is possible to train animals to perform complex behaviours through operant conditioning
• first, simple behaviours are rewarded, then behaviours that are closer to the desired behaviour are rewarded

Question 24

evaluating behaviourism: scientific credibility (FOR)

Answer 24

• attempted to conform to the principles of the natural sciences within psychology
• conducted lab experiments which studies objectively observable behaviour and measurable stimulus-response mechanisms
• highly controlled conditions + standardised procedures enabled the replication of Pavlov + Skinner’s work which increased reliability
• established a cause-and-effect relationship, developing psych as a scientific discipline

Question 25

evaluating behaviourism: mechanistic view of behaviour (AGAINST)

Answer 25

• the attempt to explain behaviour due to simplistic stimulus-response links is overly reductionist
• ignores other explanations for behaviour e.g. social learning, unconscious mind, biological factors
• Pavlov + Skinner’s use of animal subjects may not be generalisable to human behaviour -> complex social + cultural forces influence humans + they possess greater intelligence so simple stimulus-response mechanisms may not adequately explain human behaviour
• SLT + cognitive approach mediate between stimulus and response, suggesting that people may play a much more active role in their own learning

Question 26

evaluating behaviourism: real-life application (FOR)

Answer 26

• several practical applications e.g. effective counter-conditioning treatments.
• operant conditioning as the basis of token economy systems used successfully in prisons + psych wards
• conditioning techniques used for classroom management
• classical conditioning applied to treatment of phobias
• the fact that these applications are effective helps reduce maladaptive behaviour + suggests the behaviourist principles they are based on are valid.