🔵 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
Pavlov revealed that dogs could be conditioned to salivate to the sound of a bell if that sound was given at the same time as food. Gradually pavlovs dog learned to associate the sound of the bell with the food. So after, every time they heard the bell, they would produce saliva for food
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
