Approaches : Behaviouristic Approach Flashcards
Behaviouristic approach
A way of explaining behaviour in terms of what is observable and in terms of learning.
Founded in 1915 by Watson and rejected the vagueness of introspection.
Environmental determinism
Free will is an illusion and our behaviour is a product of environmental learning.
Classical conditioning
Learning by association and it occurs when an unconditioned stimulus (UCS) and a neutral stimulus (NS) are paired and the NS eventually produces the same response that was first produced by the UCS (now a conditioned stimulus - CS)
Pavlov’s experiment - Aim
To use classical conditioning to investigate the function if the brain
Pavlov’s experiment - Method
He rang a bell shortly before feeding the dogs.
Pavlov’s experiment - Findings
Over time, the dogs would salivate whenever the bell had rung, even if there was no food present/ coming as they associated the bell with food.
Pavlov’s experiment - Conclusion
The dogs were conditioned to associate the sound of an unrelated stimulus (the bell) with the arrival of food
Pavlov and Skinner’s experiment - Advs
• scientific credibility as objective and standardised procedures were used
• real world application as their research has allowed psychologists + scientists to develop therapies and treatments to phobias, anxiety and OCD disorders, etc.
Pavlov and Skinner’s experiment - Disadvs
• too reductionist as they ignore the role of cognition, emotion, biological factors, etc
• animal extrapolation - human and animals brains differ and those differences aren’t accounted for so results must be generalised with caution
• ethical issues
Operant conditioning
learning by reinforcement where behaviour is shaped by either positive of negative consequences.
Reinforcement
Consequence of behaviour that either increased or decreases the likelihood of that behaviour being repeated
Skinner’s experiment - Aim
To use operant conditioning to investigate functions of the brain
Skinner’s experiment - Method
Rats or pigeons were put in a bad with a lever. When they moved around and pressed it (accidentally at first) they would revive a treat. The animal would learn through positive reinforcement that pressing the lever got them food - learning a new voluntary behaviour. When they did something negative, they were punished with bright lights, loud noises or electric shocks.
Skinner’s experiment - Findings
The animals learnt that through both positive and negative reinforcement, pressing the lever resulted in food
Skinner’s experiment - Conclusion
The animals were conditioned that behaving in a particular way resulted in either rewards or punishment
