approaches- learning approaches: behaviourist approach

Question 1

focus on observable behaviour only

Answer 1

-only concerned w studying behaviour that can be observed and measured
-introspection rejected as its concepts vague and difficult to measure

Question 2

use of controlled lab studies

Answer 2

-tried to maintain more control and objectivity w research, relied on lab studies for this

Question 3

who did they use as experimental subjects?

Answer 3

non-human animals, suggest processes that govern learning are same in all species so animals can replace humans in experiments

Question 4

classical conditioning

Answer 4

learnt by association

UCS –> UCR
NS –> no response

NS + UCS

CS –> CR

Question 5

Pavlov’s research- procedure and what did it show

Answer 5

-conditioned dogs to salivate when a bell rings
-pavlov showed neutral stimulus (bell) can come to elicit a new learned response (CR) through association

Question 6

Pavlov’s research- before conditioning

Answer 6

UCS= food
UCR= salivation
NS= bell

Question 7

Pavlov’s research- during conditioning

Answer 7

bell and food occur at same time

Question 8

Pavlov’s research- after conditioning

Answer 8

CS= bell, CR= salivation

Question 9

operant conditioning

Answer 9

-active process whereby humans and animals operate on their environment
-behaviour shaped and maintained by its consequences

Question 10

skinner’s research

Answer 10

-rats and pigeons, in specially designed cages
-when rat activated a lever it was rewarded with food pellet
-desirable consequence led to behaviour being repeated
-if pressing lever meant animal avoided an electric shock the behaviour would also be repeated

Question 11

positive reinforcement

Answer 11

receiving a reward when behaviour is performed

Question 12

negative reinforcement

Answer 12

avoiding something unpleasant when a behaviour is performed

Question 13

punishment

Answer 13

an unpleasant consequence of behaviour

Question 14

what affect do negative and positive reinforcement have on the likelihood of behaviour repeating?

Answer 14

-positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement increase the likelihood behaviour repeated
-punishment decreases it

Question 15

ao3 of behaviourism: well-controlled research

Answer 15

-approach focused on the careful measurement of observable behaviour within lab controlled settings
-behaviourists have broken behaviour down into stimulus- response units and studied causal relationships
-suggests behaviourists experiments have scientific credibility

Question 16

ao3 of behaviourism: behaviourism is a form of environmental determinism.

Answer 16

-approach sees all behaviour as determined by past experiences that have been conditioned, ignores any influence that free will may have on behaviour
-skinner suggested free will was an illusion. when something happens we may think ‘I made the decision to do that’ but out past conditioning determined the outcome
-extreme position and ignores the influence of conscious decision-making processes on behaviour

Question 17

ao3 of behaviourism: laws of learning have real-application

Answer 17

-principles of conditioning have been applied to board range of real-world problems and behaviours
-token economy systems reward appropriate behaviour with tokens that are exchanged for privileges (operant conditioning). successfully used in prisons and psychiatric wards
-increases the value of behaviourist approach bc it has widespread

Question 18

ao3 of behaviourism: ethical issues

Answer 18

-procedures such as skinners box allowed to maintain a high degree of control over their experimental ‘subjects’
-however the animals were housed in harsh, cramped conditions and deliberately kept below their natural weight so they were always hungry
-so theres a q of benefits vs costs- some would argue that there have been enormous benefits (e.g. application to therapy) which offsets the harm animals experienced