Approaches- The Behaviourist Approach

Question 1

What do Behaviourist argue?

Answer 1

That behavior is learnt through experiences and interactions with the environment

Question 2

Leading theorist in that are part of the the behaviourist approach ?

Answer 2

Skinner - operant conditioning
Pavlov - classical conditioning

Question 3

Stimulus-response mechanisms

Answer 3

Behaviorists argue it is only possible to scientifically investigate what can be directly observed and measured.

This includes what you do to a organism (STIMULUS) and the resulting behaviour (RESPONSE)

Question 4

Rejection of internal mental processes

Answer 4

As the mind cannot be directly observed, BEHAVIORISTS argue it is a ‘black box’, not suitable for scientific study

Question 4

Environmental determinism

Answer 4

Behaviourists argue behaviour is the result of experience ; they believe that behavior can be predicted and controlled by manipulating

Question 5

Classical Conditioning also known as…

Answer 5

associative learning

Question 5

The dog’s in Pavlov’s research…

Answer 5

Produced saliva before seeing or smelling food, suggesting they formed an association between the sound of the bell and food

Question 6

Classical conditioning argues

Answer 6

argues an unconditioned response can be triggered by a neutral stimulus, through repeated pairing

eventually, the neutral stimulus alone produces the conditioned response

Question 6

Pavlov’s research used how many types of stimulus?

Answer 6

2
Neutral stimulus
Unconditioned stimulus

Question 7

Neutral stimulus in Pavlov’s research

Answer 7

metronome

Question 8

Unconditioned stimulus

Answer 8

food

Question 9

Reflexive response of dogs?

Answer 9

Salivation

Question 10

Pavlov
Procedure

Answer 10

-Pavlov paired the neutral stimuli (food) w/ the unconditioned stimulus over several trials

-the N stimulus was presented just before the UNC stimulus

-Pavlov then recorded the dogs’ salivary responses

Question 11

Pavlov
Findings

Answer 11

-Pavlov observed that the dogs began to salivate not only in response to the food (the metronome)

-even when the food was not presented

-this indicated that the dogs had learned to associate the N stimulus with the food

Question 12

What type of conditioning was Pavlov study?

Answer 12

Classical conditioning

Question 13

What type of conditioning was Skinner study?

Answer 13

Operant conditioning

Question 14

Operant conditioning

Answer 14

known as learning by reinforcement

Question 15

Operant conditioning on animals

Answer 15

When an organism performs voluntary response, it learns from the consequences of those actions

Consequences that are rewarding reinforce a behavior, so they are performed more frequently, and actions that result in consequences

Question 16

Skinner’s research involved…

Answer 16

involved rats and pigeons

Question 17

What is Skinner famous for ?

Answer 17

using the ‘Skinner box’

Question 18

‘Skinner Box

Answer 18

a controlled environment designed to study operant conditioning

Question 19

Skinner’s research
Procedure

Answer 19

Rats were placed in the the ‘Skinner box’ w/o prior training

Skinner then observed how animals learnt to operate levels to receive a reward (food pellet) or avoid punishment

Question 20

Skinner’s research
Findings

Answer 20

-Skinner demonstrated that behavior is influenced by the consequences that follow

-Behaviors followed by rewarding consequences are more likely to be repeated (reinforce

-while thos followed by an unddersirvbale consequece(s) are less likely to recur

Question 21

What are the types of reinforcement

Answer 21

Positive reinforcement
Negative reinforcement

Question 22

Positive reinforcement

Answer 22

is adding a pleasant stimulus to encourage a desired behaviour

Question 23

Negative reinforcement

Answer 23

removing an unpleasant stimulus to encourage the behavior

Question 24

Negative reinforcement in Skinner’s study

Answer 24

placing a rat in his Skinner box and then subjecting it to an unpleasant electric current which caused it some discomfort. As the rat moved about the box it would accidentally knock the lever. Immediately it did so the electric current would be switched off.

Question 25

Positive reinforcement in Skinner’s study

Answer 25

Pressing a lever would result in the delivery of food, which served as a positive reinforcement, encouraging the rats to continue pressing the lever

Question 26

Extinction

Answer 26

if the reinforcing consequences stop, then the person or animal will stop performing the behaviour

Question 27

Behaviour shaping

Answer 27

it is possible to train animals to perform complex behaviors through the operant conditioning

First, simple behaviors are rewarded, then behaviours that are close to the desired behaviors are rewarded

Question 28

Voluntary response

Answer 28

voluntary behaviours are controlled by the organism

Question 29

Voluntary responses produce a behavior …

Answer 29

with an understanding that consequences may follow

Question 30

Learners in voluntary response

Answer 30

The learner actively operates on the environment, so the behaviours are not reflexive but are produced to get a reward or to avoid punishment

Question 31

Which type of conditioning study is a part of voluntary response ?

Answer 31

Operant conditioning

Question 32

Maintenance of responses is part of what type of response?

Answer 32

voluntary response

Question 33

Maintenance of response

Answer 33

operant conditioning explains how behaviors are continued or modified over time based on the reinforcements or punishments organisms receive

This involves the strengthening of behaviours if they are followed by positive outcomes(reinforcement) or the weakening of behaviours if they are followed by negative outcomes (punishment)

Question 34

Real life example of maintenance of (v) responses

Answer 34

When someone later avoids their phobia, their reduction in anxiety is pleasant, acting as negative reinforcement

Question 35

Involuntary response

Answer 35

The unconditioned and conditioned reflex-like responses are considered involuntary because they are automatic, meaning they are not under the conscious control of the organism

Question 36

Examples related to Skinner’s research where voluntary responses were present ?

Answer 36

the rat decides what to do based on its experiences

Question 37

Examples related to Pavlov’s research where involuntary responses were present ?

Answer 37

Pavlov’s rs, the dog naturally drools to food, and the association that develops between the neutral and the unconditioned stimuli is AUTOMATIC; the dog does not decide to drool to the metronome

Question 38

Acquisition of responses is part of what type of response?

Answer 38

involuntary response

Question 39

Acquisition of responses

Answer 39

classical conditioning explains how automatic responses to new stimuli develop through association

THIS IS THE INITIAL LEARNING PHASE

Question 40

INITIAL LEARNING PHASE

Answer 40

where 2 stimuli are linked together to produce a new learnt response

Question 41

Real life example of acquisition of (inv) responses

Answer 41

a person gaining a phobia due to associating the phobic object with stimuli that naturally causes a fear response

Question 42

Which type of conditioning does acquisition of response link to?

Answer 42

Classical conditioning

Question 43

Which study represents involuntary response?

Answer 43

Pavlov

Question 44

Which study represents voluntary response?

Answer 44

Skinner

Question 45

Which type of response does involuntary response link to?

Answer 45

Acquisition of response

Question 46

Which type of response does voluntary response link to?

Answer 46

Maintenance of response

Question 47

Evaluation
scientific

Answer 47

A positive aspect of behaviourist approach is that it is scientific because it studies
OBJECTIVELY OBSERVABLE and measurable stimulus-response mechanisms

They establish a cause-and-effect RS through highly controlled lab experiments that manipulate variables systematically,

Such standardised procedures allowed for the replications of Pavlov’s and Skinner’s work.

These large scale studeos improve psychology scientific status,. leading to its recognition as a distinct scientific field

Question 48

Evaluation
Critical generalisability

Answer 48

One criticism of Pavlov’s and Skinner’s use of animal subjects is that their findings may not be generalisable to Human Behaviour

Complex social and cultural forces influence human behavior, and humans possess greater intelligence, so simple stimulus-response mechanism man not adequately explain human behaviour

Question 49

Evaluation
Practical applications

Answer 49

Positive aspect of the behaviourist theory is that it has several practical applications

such as effective counter conditioning treatments, token economy systems in prisons, and conditioning techniques used for classroom management

The fact that these applications are effective helps reduce maladaptive behaviour and suggests the behaviourist principles tehya dre based on are valid

Question 50

Evaluation
unethical

Answer 50

Behaviorist behavioural modification techniques developed from studying animals

have been criticised as unethical when applied to humans

using such technique to alter rhuan behaviour has been viewed as manipulative, w/ potentially harmful effects, as seen in social media’s use do likes to drive engagement and gambling companies; use of variable ratio reinforcement , leading to highly compulsive behavior

Question 51

Evaluation
Reductionist

Answer 51

Behaviorists’ attempt to explain behaviour due to simplistic stimulus-response links is overly reductionist

many human behaviours like justice, culture and self sacrifice are either too complex or challenging to describe as the result of reinforcement

-also taking an environmentally reductionist position ignores a range of other explanations for behaviour that there is evidence for such as social learning the unsocisonuhuy mind and the role of biology