Approaches- Behaviourist Approach

Question 1

What is the behaviourist approach?

Answer 1

A way of explaining behaviour in terms of what is observable and in terms of learning.

Question 2

What is classical conditioning simply?

Answer 2

Learning by association.

Question 3

What is operant conditioning simply?

Answer 3

Learning by reinforcement (rewards and punishment)

Question 4

Explain classical conditioning in detail

Answer 4

This occurs when an unconditioned (unlearned) stimulus (UCS) and a neutral stimulus (NS) are paired.
The neutral stimulus eventually produced the same response that was first produced by the unlearned stimulus alone (now a CS).

Question 5

What is operant conditioning in detail?

Answer 5

A form of learning in which behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences. Possible consequences of behaviour include positive reinforcement negative reinforcement or punishment.

Question 6

What is reinforcement?

Answer 6

A consequence of behaviour that increases the likelihood of that behaviour being repeated. Can be positive or negative.

Question 7

What are the assumptions of behaviourism?

Answer 7

Behaviourism is primarily concerned with observable and measurable behaviour (as opposed to external event like thinking an emotion. Observable i.e. external behaviour can be objectively un scientifically measured).

Psychology is a science (behaviour must be measured in highly controlled environment to establish cause and effect behaviour have tried to maintain and controlled objectivity within their research and have relied on lab experiments to do this.

When our mind is a blank slate ((the mind is a ‘tabula rasa’) and all behaviour is learned from the environment. We learn new behaviour through classical or operant conditioning).

There is little difference between the learning that takes place in humans and that in other animals (therefore research can be carried out on animals as well as humans).

Behaviour is the result of stimulus – response .(or behaviour no matter how complex can be reduced to a simple stimulus – response association.

Question 8

Who founded classical conditioning?

Answer 8

Classical conditioning was founded by Watson in 1915. The behaviourist approach emerged at the beginning of the 20th century rejecting the vagueness of introspection instead focusing on how we are product of learning experience and environment.

Question 9

What Pavlov dog experiment?

Answer 9

Step one: Food was used as the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) and the dog drooling towards the food was the unconditioned response (UCR).

Step two: the bell was used as a neutral stimulus (NS). This was paired with the food (UCS) and therefore the dog drools (UCR).

Step three: the bell is now the conditioned stimulus (CS) and this makes the dog drool which is now the conditioned response (CR).

Question 10

What did Skinner do?

Answer 10

BF skinner 1953 used wrapped in pigeons in his Skinner box to suggest that we learn through reinforcement/consequences.

Question 11

What is positive reinforcement?

Answer 11

Receiving a reward when certain behaviour is performed so the behaviour is continued. (More frequent).

Question 12

What is negative reinforcement?

Answer 12

Because when an animal continues doing a certain behaviour to avoid something unpleasant.

Question 13

What is punishment in operant conditioning?

Answer 13

Is an unpleasant consequence given to stop a behaviour.

Question 14

What did Skinner experiment consist of?

Answer 14

Can you created the Skinner box to examine operant conditioning in rats and pigeons. The animal would move around the cage and when it pressed the lever (by accident) it would be rewarded with a food pellet. The animal would learn to be positive reinforcement each time it press the lever it would be rewarded with food. Therefore learn a new voluntary behaviour which is repeated to receive the reward again.

Question 15

What is environmental determinism?

Answer 15

Behaviour argue that humans have not in their behaviour and our behaviour is simply the product of environmental learning. This is known as environmental determinism.

They argue that free will is an illusion.

Question 16

[AO3 PEEL]
What is one strength of behaviourism in a peel structure?

Answer 16

AO3: SCIENTIFIC CREDIBILITY
P: a strength of behaviourism is that it has scientifically contributed to the still developing recognition of psychology as a science.
E: the experimental method used in animal studies by Pavlo and Skinner rejected the earlier emphasis in psychology on introspection and encouraged research that focused on more objective dimensions of behaviour.
E: according to behaviourist this emphasis on the scientific method has led to an increasingly valid and reliable understanding oFhuman behaviour.
L: these methods have also helped psychology gain credibility and status as a scientific discipline which intern attract more funding and research opportunities.

Question 17

[AO3 PEEL]
What is a strength of a behaviourist approach in a peel structure?

Answer 17

AO3: REAL WORLD APPLICATION
P: a strength of the behaviourist approach is that it is a powerful theory that has great expansion power as it can explain multiple theories and has made important contributions to our modern understanding of human behaviour.
E: for example, many phobias are thought to be the result of unpleasant learning experiences. Consequently this understanding has helped psychologist develop therapy such as systematic desensitisation their attempt to recondition a patient’s fear response.
E: also some addictions such as gambling can be understood through operant conditioning as the reward of gambling could be seen to reinforce the destructive behaviour.
L: this demonstrates the behaviour approach as applications in the understanding treatment of atypical behaviour.

Question 18

What is reductionism?

Answer 18

Explaining complex behaviour into smaller components such as depression is caused by low serotonin.

Question 19

[AO3 PEEL]
What is a limitation of the behaviourist approach in a peel structure?

Answer 19

AO3: TOO REDUCTIONIST
P: a limitation of the behaviourist approach is that it has been criticised for it limited view regarding the origins of behaviour and being too reductionist.
E: argue that human behaviour is simply a stimulus response link. This ignores alternative levels of explanation including the role of commission emotion and biological factors which influence behaviour.
E: Skinner counted this argument by stating that for behaviour to be investigated scientifically it had to be directly measurable and observable which cognitions are not.
L: he also argued that even the most complex of human interactions could be explained using operant conditioning principles.

Question 20

[AO3 PEEL]
What is a limitation of classical and operant conditioning in a peel structure?

Answer 20

AO3: ISSUES WITH ANIMAL EXTRAPOLATION
P: another limitation of classical and operant conditioning is that most of the research has been conducted on animals such as rats, pigeons and dogs, etc.
E: it is assumed that the principles of learning identified in these animals can be equally applied to humans.
E: however human are qualitatively different to non-human animals and humans are conscious beings who can think about how to behave rather than mechanically respond to a stimulus or reinforcement or punishment.
L: this means that due to issues with extrapolation the results from non-human animals need to be generalised with caution to humans.