Approaches- Behaviourist approach

Question 1

What are the assumptions of the behaviourist approach

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Answer 1

• Rejected introspection
• little difference between animals and human behaviour
• behaviour is a result of stimulus response
• all behaviour is learnt (born as tabula rasa blank space)
• we are influenced by our environment

Question 2

What is classical conditioning

Answer 2

-Learning through association
-Pavlov and his dogs
-paired a neutral stimulus (bell) with a ucs (food) which gave a unconditional response (salivation)
to make a controlled stimulus with a controlled response
-Then the bell (controlled stimulus) gave the dog the response

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Question 3

What are the assumptions of classical conditioning

Answer 3

• learn through association
• learning is passive
• based on reflex behaviour
• we are a blank tablet

Question 4

Explain the process of classical conditioning

Answer 4

• Associate UCS with a NS to get USR
• found that dog salivated to sound of bell
• was conditioned
• can be reversed

Question 5

What are the strengths and weaknesses of classical conditioning

Answer 5

Strength- highly controlled
-real life application (systematic desensitisation(

Weaknesses- does not take free will into account
-Dogs have the same cognitive abilities as humans

Question 6

What are the processes of classical conditioning

Answer 6

Discrimination: only respond to certain stimulas over time

Extinction: disassociate two stimuli so you don’t respond anymore

Spontaneous recovery: previously broke the association

Generalisation: demonstrate sane response to a stimulas that was similar

Question 7

What is operant conditioning

Answer 7

Learning in which a behaviour is shaped by consequences

Question 8

What is positive and he native reinforcements

Answer 8

Positive: repeats behaviour to receive a reward e.g getting a prize for something

Negative: a behaviour that is reinforced because they behaviour reduces negative feeling ie taking paracetamol for pain

Question 9

What are the two types of reward

Answer 9

Physical: food
Intrinsic: good feeling

Question 10

What is punishment

Answer 10

A way of stopping behaviour

Can be positive: adding unpleasant stimulas
Negative: taking a way something desirable

Question 11

What are the evaluation points of operant conditioning

Answer 11

Strengths

• highly controlled (lab studies)
• real life application (token economy, used in institutions to encourage to correct behaviour)

Weakness

• mechanical view of behaviour no cognitive processes
• environmentalism determinism
• use of animals was unethical
• hard to generalise