Approaches (P2) Flashcards
Behaviourist approach assumptions
- studying behaviour than can be observed and measured
- rejected introspection (too vague and hard to measure)
- control and objectivity
- lab studies
- all behaviour is learned
- baby mind = blank slate
behaviourist approach - Pavlov’s dogs
- tube placed in dogs mouths to collect saliva
- rung a bell every time they were presented with food
- generalised bell with food so produced saliva when bull was rung regardless of if food was present.
Bell: Neutral stimulus
Food: unconditioned stimulus
Salivation: unconditioned Response
Bell: Conditioned stimulus (CS)
Salivation: Conditioned response (CR)
describe the little albert study
- White rat (NS) → no fear of rats
(before conditioning) - A loud bang (UCS) → causes fear
and anxiety (UCR) (before
conditioning) - White rat (NS) and loud bang
(UCS) → causes fear (UCR)
(during conditioning) - White rat (CS) → fear (CR)
what is timing in classical conditioning?
if the NS is presented after the UCS,
or it is presented before but there is a big time gap between the NS and UCS, conditioning does not take place.
what is extinction in classical conditioning?
a CR is not permanent. If the CS is
presented enough times without the UCS, it loses its ability to produce a CR.
what is spontaneous recovery in classical conditioning?
following extinction, if the CS and UCS are paired together again, the association between them is made much quicker.
behaviourist approach - Skinner’s research
behaviour shaped by consequences
skinners box
mechanisms of positive and negative
reinforcement.
Positive reinforcement was
shown when the rats pressed down on a lever
to receive food as a reward, and subsequently learnt to repeat this action to increase their
rewards.
Negative reinforcement was shown when the rat learnt to press down on the lever
to avoid the unpleasant consequence of an
electric shock
behaviourist approach - positive reinforcement
receiving a reward when a certain behaviour is performed
behaviourist approach - negative reinforcement
avoid something unpleasant. Outcome is a positive experience
behaviourist approach - positive punishment
The consequence is receiving something unpleasant which decreases the probability of the behaviour being repeated (e.g.
the behaviour leads to an electric shock or a smack).
behaviourist approach - negative punishment
The consequence is removing something desirable and decreases probability of the behaviour being repeated.
evaluate behaviourist approach
strengths
real world application - token economy systems have been successful in institutions (prisons, psych wards). Work by rewarding desired behaviour with tokens that can be exchanged for rewards.
use of lab studies
limitations
environmental determinism - sees all behaviour as conditioned by past conditioning experiences. Skinner suggested everything we do is the sum total of our reinforcement history. Ignores free will.
use of animal studies
ethical issues - protection from harm.
- skinners box caused physical harm to rats
- little albert study caused psychological harm as well as not offering the right to withdraw
HOWEVER as a result of these breached guidelines it may be worth it for knowledge gained from them
social learning theory assumptions
- behaviour learned with experience
- behaviour learnt through observation + imitation of others
- learning occurs directly through classical and operant conditioning but also indirectly
social learning theory - vicarious reinforcement
reinforcement which is not directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced for a behaviour.
observes behaviour and consequence of behaviour
social learning theory- role of mediational processes
- mental (cognitive) factors are involved in learning. These mental factors mediate (intervene) in the learning process to determine whether a new response is acquired.
4 mediational processes in learning were identified by Bandura:
1. Attention - extent to which we notice certain behaviors
2. Retention - how well the behaviour is remembered
3. Motor reproduction - ability of the observer to perform the behaviour
4. Motivation - will to perform the behaviour which is often determined by whether the behaviour was rewarded or punished
first 2 relate to learning of behaviour. Last 2 relate to performance of behaviour.
Observed behaviours may be stored by the observer then reproduced at a later time.
social learning theory - identification
a desire to be associated with a particular person or group often because the person/group possess certain desirable characteristics
people (especially children) are more likely to imitate people they identify with.
individual they identify with called a role model
social learning theory - what is modelling
process of imitating a role model
social learning theory - bandura bobo doll aim
what affect does role models behaviour have on observers
social learning theory - bandura bobo doll procedure
36 boys and 36 girls,
aged between 3 and 6 years old, were tested. There were three experimental groups, 3
with the first being exposed to real-life aggressive models, a second group observing
the same models displaying aggressive acts on film and a third group viewing an
aggressive cartoon character.
-
social learning theory - bandura findings
The researchers found that the children who’d observed an aggressive role model behaved more aggressively themselves towards the Bobo doll compared to the non-aggressive role model control group. Links can be made to
the process of social learning theory.-
social learning theory - evaluate bobo doll
strengths
explains human behaviour effectively = Human cognitive and decision-making
processes may be considered as more complex than that of animals. SLT has the advantage, over behaviourism, that it recognises the role of mediational processes as the conscious and cognitive insight that humans have into their behaviour
limitations
environmental determinism = Bandura ignored the finding that “boys, in relation to girls, exhibited 4 significantly more imitative aggression, more aggressive gun play, and more nonimitative aggressive behaviour”. This may be explained due to boys having higher levels of the
hormone testosterone, which has been linked to increased aggressiveness. Therefore, this suggests that SLT may not be a complete explanation for gender differences in
behaviour, due to not accounting for the biological and hormonal differences between the
sexes.
Demand Characteristics = Bobo doll is specifically designed to be hit. y not represent or measure how children would be
aggressive in day-to-day situations, perhaps towards objects or people that are not
meant to be struck. participants may have deliberately acted more
aggressively towards the doll in order to please the experimenter.
evaluate social learning theory
strengths
cognitive factors
recognises importance of cognitive factors in learning. Thus a more comprehensive explanation and a more interactionist approach.
real world application
can explain cultural differences in behaviour. modelling imitation and reinforcement explain how children learn from others including the media allowing understanding of how cultural norms are transmitted. Can account for real world behaviour.
limitations
environmental determinism
Bandura believes learning was determined by environment. However recent research suggests that observational learning may be result of mirror neurons allowing us to empathise and imitate others. Biological influences under emphasised.
contrived lab study
demand characteristics. Main purpose of bobo doll is to strike it meaning children were simply behaving in expected way.
cognitive approach - assumptions
- internal mental process can and should be studied scientifically
- these processes ares studied indirectly by making inferences about what is going on in individuals minds on the basis of their behaviour.
cognitive approach - schema
a mental framework of beliefs and expectations that influence cognitive processing. Developed from experience
