🔵 Approaches - The Behaviourist Approach Flashcards
Behaviourist approach
A way of explaining behaviour in terms of what is observable and in terms of learning
Classical conditioning
Learning by association. Occurs when 2 stimuli are paired together - unconditioned (unlearned) stimulus and a new ‘neutral’ stimulus. The neutral stimulus eventually produces the same responses that was first produced by the unlearned stimulus alone
Operant conditioning
A form of learning in which behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences. Possible consequences of behaviour include positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement or punishment
Reinforcement
A consequence of behaviour that increases the likelihood of that behaviour being repeated, positive or negative
How is the behaviourist approach different to introspection
The behaviourist approach is only interested in studying behaviour that can be observed and measured. Not concerned with investigating mental processes of the mind
Why did early behaviourists reject introspection
Early behaviourists such as John B Watson 1913, rejected introspection as it involved too many concepts that were vague and difficult to measure. As a result, behaviourists tried to maintain more control and objectivity so they relied on lab experiments
Why was the behaviourists approach tested on different species
Following Darwin, the behaviourists suggested that the basic processes that govern learning are the same in all species
What did Pavlovs experiment hold
- unconditioned stimulus (food)
- unconditioned response (SALIVA)
- neutral stimuli (Bell)
AFTER - conditioned stimulus (bell)
- conditioned response (saliva)
established the bell does)t cause the dog to salivate
Then presented the tone with the food and after a number of trials, the dog salivates to the sound of the bell
What did Palvlovs experiment show
It showed how a neutral stimulus, in this case the bell, can come to elicit a new learned response (conditioned response) through association
What did BF skinner (1953) suggest
He suggested that learning is an active process whereby humans and animals operate on their environment
3 types of consequence
Positive reinforcement
Negative reinforcement
Punishment
What is positive reinforcement
Receiving a reward when a certain behaviour is performed, for example, praise from a teacher for answering question correctly
What is negative reinforcement
Occurs when an animal or human avoids something unpleasant. For example a student handing in an essay to avoid punishment
What is punishment
Unpleasant consequence of behaviour, for example being shouted at by a teacher
What is punishment
Unpleasant consequence of behaviour, for example being shouted at by a teacher
How does behaviourism gain scientific credibility for psychology
- Behaviourism was able to bring language and methods from natural sciences into psychology
- this method focused on measurement of observable behaviour within highly controlled lab settings
- emphasised important of scientific processes such as objectivity and replication
Examples of behaviourism in relation to real life
Principles of c9nditioning = applied to broad range of real world behaviours and problems.
- token economy system
Where does the token economy system work?
This has been used at institutions like prisons and psychiatric systems. They reward people for appropriate behaviour with tokens and they can be exchanged for privileges
What does the behaviourist approach see all behaviour as a consequence of
Skinner suggested that everything we do is the sum total of our reinforcement history.
Skinners ideas of free will
Skinner suggested that any sense of free will is simply an illusion. When something happens, we impose a sense of having made the discussion but according to skinner, out past conditions)in history determined the outcome
Practical issues in experiments
Many saw the experiments with the rats and pigeons as harmful
Skinner’s box experiment (1930s)
Skinner demonstrated using a rat, the mechanisms of positive and negative reinforcement.
Positive reinforcement shown when rats pressed down on a lever to receive food as a reward, learnt to repeat action to increase their rewards.
Negative reinforcement shown when the rat learnt to press down on their level to avoid an unpleasant shock
Watson and Rayner (1920)
Little Albert experiment
9 month old baby exposed to a white rat, which he initially showed no fear of.
They then began pairing the presence of the rat with a loud, frightening noise (striking a metal bar behind his head)
After several pairings, Albert began to cry just at the sight of the rat without the noise.
Learned to associate the noise with the rat and became scared of the rat
Concluded that behaviour is learnt
Who and when was the behaviourist approached founded by
JB Watson in 1915
