Approaches - Behaviourism (PAPER 2)

Question 1

What is the main key assumption of Learning Theory?

Answer 1

Tabula Rasa - the mind is a blank slate

Question 2

What area of psychology do BHists reject?

Answer 2

Internal mental processes

Question 3

What is Classical Conditioning?

Answer 3

Learning through assosciation - an unconditioned response is paired with a neutrol stimulus, becoming a conditioned stimulus that causes a conditioned resposnse

Question 4

What were the findings of Pavlov’s research?

Answer 4

Dogs began to drool not only in response to food but also to the sound of the metronome

Question 5

What is Operant conditioning?

Answer 5

Learning through reinforcement - Skinner Boxes

Question 6

What were the findings of Skinner’s research?

Answer 6

Learning occurs through BH being reinforced

Question 7

What is Positive Reinforcement?

Answer 7

Rewarding a behaviour to encourage it to be repeated

Question 8

What is Negative Reinforcement?

Answer 8

Removing an unpleasant stimulus to encourage repeated BH

Question 9

What is Punishment?

Answer 9

Discouraging BH by adding an unpleasant stimulus after undesired BH.

Question 10

What are positive evaluations of BHism? (AO3)

Answer 10

• Objective and scientific
• Practical application (e.g. systematic desensitisation)

Question 11

What are criticisms of BHism? (AO3)

Answer 11

• Potentially not generalisable to humans
• BH modification can be seen as unethical and manipulative in the real world
• Overly reductionist and Determinist