APPROACHES- Behaviourist

Question 1

What are the main assumptions of the behaviourist approach?

Answer 1

-only concerned with studying behaviour that can be observed and measured
-not concerned with investigating mental processes, thoughts and opinions
-behaviour is determined by external factors
-born as tabula rasa (clean slate)
-use lab experiments and animal studies

Question 2

Does it come under nurture or nature?

Answer 2

nurture

Question 3

What did John B Watson (1913) propose?

Answer 3

-rejected Wundt’s introspection as it had too many vague concepts and was too difficult to measure

Question 4

Why do they use lab experiments?

Answer 4

to maintain control and objectivity

Question 5

How did Darwin’s ideas influence this approach?

Answer 5

basic learning processes are the same in all species so animals replaced humans in research

Question 6

What is classical conditioning?

Answer 6

when a neutral stimulus is consistently paired with an unconditioned stimulus so that eventually it takes on the properties of this stimulus and is eventually able to produce a conditioned response (learning by association)

PAVLOV’S DOGS STUDY

Question 7

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 7

learning by reinforcement

SKINNER

Question 8

What is positive reinforcement?

Answer 8

positive consequences of a behaviour so desirable behaviour is more likely to occur

Question 9

Give an example of positive reinforcement

Answer 9

given a star to put on a star chart for good behaviour

Question 10

What is punishment?

Answer 10

a negative consequence of behaviour so undesirable behaviour is less likely to occur

Question 11

Give an example of punishment

Answer 11

having to sit on the naughty step

Question 12

What is negative reinforcement?

Answer 12

avoidance of a negative consequence by changing the behaviour so desirable behaviour is more likely to occur

Question 13

Give an example of negative reinforcement

Answer 13

Not speeding to avoid a fine

Question 14

What is a primary reinforcer?

Answer 14

stimuli which are naturally reinforcing because they directly satisfy a need

Question 15

Give an example of a primary reinforcer

Answer 15

food and water to provide comfort

Question 16

What is a secondary reinforcer?

Answer 16

stimuli which are reinforced through their association with a primary reinforcer

Question 17

Give an example of a secondary reinforcer.

Answer 17

(they do not directly satisfy a need but may be the means to do so)

money,stickers,toys

Question 18

What type of conditioning did the Skinner box involve?

Answer 18

Operant

Question 19

What was the aim of the Skinner box experiment?

Answer 19

To prove that organisations spontaneously produce different behaviours and these behaviours produce consequences, some of which may be desirable (positive) and some undesirable (negative)

Question 20

What was the procedure for the Skinner box experiment?

Answer 20

-Developed a special cage called the skinner box
-The rat moves around the cage
-When it accidentally presses the lever a food pellet comes out( a reinforcer)

Question 21

What does the Skinner box conclude?

Answer 21

Rat learns how to get the food

Question 22

When was Pavlov’s dog study carried out?

Answer 22

1927

Question 23

Explain the stages in classical conditioning (Pavlov’s dog’s study)

Answer 23

Unconditioned stimulus= food
Unconditioned response= salivation
Neuutral stimulus=bell, no response
Neutral stimulus+(association)unconditioned stimulus =unconditioned response
Condiootioned stimulus (bell)=conditioned response (salivation

Question 24

What are the 2 strengths of the behaviourist approach?

Answer 24

,Skinner’s research is overly simplistic (environmental reductionism,Very scientific and usually uses controlled experiment methods- Pavlov dogs stud, can manipulate variables, increases reliability

Evidence to support it- Little Albert (Rayner and Watson) conditioned Him to be scared of rats as he associated them with loud noises, which supports classical conditioning

Question 25

What are the 2 weaknesses of the behaviourist approach?

Answer 25

rAnimal studies are used so it makes it more difficult to generalise to humans- skinner box, cannot compare to humans as they are not the same species and do not display the same behaviours
-Have more conmplex cognitive processes

Behaviourism is highly deterministic (environmental determinism)-
The assumption is that people are controlled by environmental forces and have little autonomy over their destiny
This assumption negates the role of free will in behaviour which reduces the usefulness of the approach, seeing people in almost mechanical terms