Approaches: The behaviourist approach

Question 1

what is the behaviourist approach?

Answer 1

The idea that personality is largely shaped by environmental factors, such as the rewards and punishments that individuals receive for their behaviours.

Question 2

what are behaviourist approach assumptions?

Answer 2

• Rejected Introspection because thought processes are subjective and difficult to test
• behaviour is learned through experience
• Only observable behaviour is measureable scientifically and only these behaviours should be studied.
• Its valid to study the behaviour of animals as they share the same principles of learning. (classical and operant)

Question 3

Explain Pavlov’s research on classical conditioning.
Then list the neutral stimuli, unconditioned and conditioned response before and after conditioning.
(blurt on whiteboard)

Answer 3

• Classical conditioning is learning through association.
• Pavlov showed how dogs would be conditioned to salivate to a sound of a bell if that sound was repeated at the same they were fed.
• Gradually Pavlov’s dogs learned to associate the sound of the bell (stimulus) with the food (another stimulus) and would produce a salivation response every time they would hear the sound.
• Thus, Pavlov shows how the neutral stimulus (the bell) can produce a conditioned response (salivation) through association.

Before conditioning:
neutral stimuli = bell sound
unconditioned stimulus = food
unconditioned response = salivation
After conditioning:
conditioned stimulus = bell sound
conditioned response = salivation
neutral stimuli = bell sound

Question 4

Explain operant conditioning.
(including listing what the various types of reinforcement)
(blurt on whiteboard)

Answer 4

• Operant conditioning is a form of learning where behaviour is shaped and maintained by consequences:

Positive reinforcement = receiving a reward when a certain behaviour is performed. (e.g. praise from a teacher for answering a question correctly)

Negative reinforcement = when an animal or human avoids something unpleasant and the outcome is positive. (e.g. if you have a phobia of spiders and you run when you see one you would feel relieved. The next time you see a spider you’ll run again)

Punishment = an unpleasant consequence of a behaviour. (e.g. being shouted at by the teacher for talking during a lesson. Finding a way to avoid that would be negative reinforcement)

Question 5

Explain Skinner’s research on operant conditioning.
(blurt on whiteboard)

Answer 5

• Followed the ‘law of effect’ that was first stated by Edward Thorndike.
• The skinner box was an experimental tool that allowed complete control of the organisms environment, the behaviours that were available to it and the reinforcement or punishment it would recieve.
• Initially the rat would wonder around the box aimlessley until it accidently presses the lever and recieves a food pellet. Skinner would leave the animal in the box and measure how frequently the animal presses the lever over time. The frequency indicated the strength of the conditioning of the behaviour.
• A rat in a skinner’s box was givin a negative reinforcement might have an electric shock turned off if they presses the lever
• A rat in a skinner’s box that had its heat turned off when it presses the lever would be receiving punishment, and should learn to avoid the lever.

Question 6

Evaluate the Behaviourist approach.
(blurt on whiteboard)

Answer 6

Point: A strength of the behaviorist approach is its well-controlled research.
Evidence: By using lab settings, behaviorists broke behavior down into simple stimulus-response units, eliminating extraneous variables. For example, Skinner’s experiments in controlled environments allowed him to clearly show how reinforcement influenced a rat’s behavior.
Explain: This control enabled behaviorists to establish cause-and-effect relationships, increasing the credibility and scientific rigor of their findings.
Counterpoint: However, the behaviorist approach may oversimplify learning by reducing it to basic components and ignoring mental processes.
Evidence: Other approaches, like Social Learning Theory and the cognitive approach, emphasize the importance of cognitive processes in learning, such as observation and attention.
Link: This suggests that learning is more complex than observable behavior alone, with private mental processes playing an essential role.

Point: A strength of the behaviorist approach is its real-world application.
Evidence: Token economy systems, based on operant conditioning, are used in institutions like prisons and psychiatric wards. These systems reward desirable behavior with tokens that can be exchanged for privileges, effectively reinforcing positive behavior. Additionally, classical conditioning principles have been applied in treating phobias through systematic desensitization, helping individuals gradually reduce their fear responses.
Explain: These practical applications show that behaviorist principles can be used to address real-life issues, making the approach highly valuable.
Link: This widespread applicability enhances the significance of the behaviorist approach in both therapeutic and institutional settings.

Point: A limitation of the behaviorist approach is its emphasis on environmental determinism.
Evidence: The approach suggests that all behavior is determined by past experiences and environmental factors, leaving little room for free will. Behaviorists argue that actions are simply responses to stimuli, conditioned through reinforcement or punishment.
Explain: This perspective is criticized for ignoring the influence of mental processes and biological factors. Other approaches, like the cognitive approach, argue that humans actively interpret their environment, and genetic influences also play a role in behavior.
Link: Therefore, the behaviorist approach may be too simplistic, as it reduces complex behaviors to mere stimulus-response patterns, overlooking the importance of free will and cognition.