Approaches Booklet 1: The Learning Approach

Question 1

What are the overall assumptions of the behavioural approach

Answer 1

-Focus on behaviour that can be observed and measured (not mental processes)
-All behaviour is learned through experience. We are born as blank slates
-We can use animal studies and apply that to humans

Question 2

Classical conditioning is learning through…

Answer 2

Association

Question 3

What is association?

Answer 3

Where we learn to associate a reflex response to a neutral stimulus

Question 4

How do phobias link to association?

Answer 4

We learn a phobia through associating a phobic object with a frightening experience or anxiety, so learn to have a phobia
This has been shown in Watson and Rayner’s Study

Question 5

Explain Watson and Rayner’s Study

Answer 5

Classical conditioning was tested on humans. Baby Albert, a 9 month old baby, given a white rat, a rabbit, cotton wool and other stimuli to see if he had any fear reaction. These were all neutral stimuli. He was then conditioned to present the natural reflex of fear to the white rat through the association of a steel bar being hit with a hammer and the white rat.

Question 6

Why did Pavlov decide to do a study?

Answer 6

He noticed dogs were salivating for food when his assistant came in the laboratory to feed them

Question 7

What was the aim, method and results of Pavlov study?

Answer 7

Aim: Wanted to see if dogs could be conditioned to salivate to the sound of bell ringing
Method: He did this by ringing a bell whilst presenting the dog with food. He repeated presenting the dog with food several times and measured saliva
Results: Dogs associated sound of bell with food and salivated to just bell

Question 8

What does operant conditioning suggest?

Answer 8

It suggests we learn through reinforcement

Question 9

Why does reinforcement make us learn behaviour?

Answer 9

Because if we are reinforced for behaviour it makes it more likely that we will repeat that behaviour

Question 10

What are the two main types of reinforcement, explained?

Answer 10

Negative reinforcement - taking something bad away
Positive reinforcement - Getting a reward for behaving in a certain way so your are more likely to repeat

Question 11

What is the one other way of learning that ISN’T a form of reinforcement but IS on the spec?

Answer 11

Punishment - Receiving a negative consequence as a result of behaviour, making it less likely you repeat

Question 12

How can reinforcement explain eating disorders?

Answer 12

If someone receive the positive stimulus of a compliment for losing weight after eating less they would repeat this behaviour and progressively eat less due to positive reinforcement

Question 13

What was the Skinner box in Skinners research?

Answer 13

A box made up of a lever which could release a food pellet, lights and speaker which were for visual and auditory signals and the floor was an electric grid

Question 14

What was the examples of positive and negative reinforcement used in skinners experiments?

Answer 14

Positive reinforcement: The rat pushed the lever and received the food pellet
Negative reinforcement: If the rat pushed the lever it stopped the electric current from the grid

Question 15

What are the two segments of the learning approach?

Answer 15

-Behaviourist approach
-Social Learning Theory

Question 16

What is the overall assumption of social learning theory?

Answer 16

SLT states all behaviour is learnt through experience. However, they believe that this learning takes place through observation and imitation of other people’s behaviour rather than association

Question 17

What two things does the SLT suggest create behaviour?

Answer 17

Observation and imitation

Question 18

What 2 reasons makes someone more likely to imitate behaviour?

Answer 18

-If the role model is being rewarded for displaying that behaviour (vicarious reinforcement)
-If they identify with the role model, they need to be significant and similar to the person and have a higher status than them in society. For example, the parent of the same sex or celebrity they look up to

Question 19

What is the name of the process where a child identifies with and imitates an individual?

Answer 19

Modelling

Question 20

What are the evaluations of the behaviourist approach?

Answer 20

😊Scientific
😊Has practical applications
😒Uses animals (ethical issues)
😒Problems generalising animals to humans
😒Deterministic

Question 21

What does the role of mediational processes mean in SLT?

Answer 21

-SLT takes into account learning but also takes into account internal mental processes. Which mediate and determine whether a response is learnt

Question 22

What are the four mediational processes in SLT?

Answer 22

Attention
Retention
Reproduction
Motivation

Question 23

What does the mediational process: attention mean?

Answer 23

This is the extent to which a person pays attention to what they are observing, in order to imitate they need to pay attention to the behaviour

Question 24

What does the mediational process: Retention mean?

Answer 24

This is how well the behaviour is remembered, a person has to remember what they have seen to repeat it

Question 25

What does the mediational process: Reproduction mean?

Answer 25

This means that the behaviour has to be realistic so the person can physically be able to repeat the behaviour. Unrealistic behaviour e.g.

Question 26

What does the mediational process: Motivation mean?

Answer 26

To imitate the behaviour there must be some motivation, for instance vicarious reinforcement increases chance of imitation, or if role model is punished then the opposite.

Question 27

What was the aim, method and results of Bandura’s research?

Answer 27

Aim: Bandura wanted to see if children observe and imitate aggression
Method: Two groups children, one saw aggressive model, one saw non-aggressive model. Children made to wait outside room full of toys
Results: Those who saw aggressive model more aggressive, those who saw non-aggressive were not aggressive towards bobo doll

Question 28

What are the evaluations of the SLT?

Answer 28

😊It has practical application (Ulrich)
😊Empirical evidence to support principals (Sprafkin)
😊Less deterministic than behaviourist approach
😒Many of its principles are based on ideas from lab experiments (DC)
😒/😊Reductionist/scientific

Question 29

What happened in evaluation study “Sprafkin”?

Answer 29

6 year olds were made to watch an episode of Lassie, one group watched puppy rescue, one group watched no rescue, children who then watched puppy rescue scene more comforting to distressed puppies