Approaches: The Behaviourist Approach Flashcards
What are the assumptions of the behaviourist approach?
- all behaviour is learned and aquired through experience
- all behaviour can be explained in terms of classical conditioning and operant conditioning
- only observable behaviour is relevant
- human behaviour is built of stimulus - response links, just like animals
Why are animals often used by behaviourists?
- it is assumed that we learn in the same way as animals
- it is more convenient to study
What is classical conditioning?
learning by association the association of two stimuli, where the response elicited by the original stimulus is transferred onto the new stimulus, and one learns to produce the existing response to a new stimulus
Key study on classical conditioning:
Pavlov’s dogs
Describe Pavlov’s experiment:
- A: to investigate why the dogs he was studying would salivate before food was given, using classical conditioning
- P: he first gave the dogs food, and recorded their natural response salivation. he then rang a bell, to which there was no response (no salivation). he then began ringing a bell every time food was given to the dogs. after a while, he would ring a bell without the food and record the dogs’ response
- F: Pavlov discovered that after pairing the two stimuli, food and the sound of a bell, for a while, the dogs would salivate to the sound of bell, even without food present
- C: Pavlov concluded that the dogs had associated the two stimuli, and learnt to respond to the bell with salivation, because the sound of the bell and food were associated together
Explain the process of classical conditioning:
- UCS → UCR the unconditioned stimulus (food) leads to an unconditioned response (salivation). this is natural a natural response to the stimulus, so both the stimulus and response have not been learnt [before conditioning]
- UCS + NS → UCR the UCS (food) is paired with a neutral stimulus (bell) and this again leads to the UCR (salivation) as this is still the natural response to the UCS. the NS is neutral because it does not lead to any response [during conditioning]
- CS → CR the NS is now a conditioned stimulus (bell) and this leads to a conditioned response (salivation). this is because the neutral stimulus, which led to no response previously, now has been associated with the UCS, so will lead to the conditioned response. conditioned means learnt [after conditioning]
What are the three key things about classical conditioning?
- generalisation: the conditioned response is spontaneously transferred to stimuli similar to but different to the original conditioned stimulus
- discrimination: the conditioned response is not generalised to stimuli very different to the original conditioned stimulus
- extinction: if the conditioned stimulus is continuously presented without the unconditioned stimulus, the conditioned response will fade
Evaluation of Pavlov:
- strength: pavlov’s research has been successfully applied to humans. Watson and Rayner conditioned a boy name Albert into developing a fear of rats. they did this using the same technique as Pavlov, by pairing a loud noise (UCS) with a rat (NS). Albert associated the loud noise with the rat, and the UCR fear to the loud noise became the CR to the rat. Albert learnt to fear the rat by associating it with a loud noise. this supports Pavlov’s research, and knowing that classical conditioning also applies to humans can be useful in explaining things like phobias
- weakness: using animals
What is operant conditioning?
learning from consequences the likelihood of future behaviour is determined by the consequences of past behaviour
What is reinforcement? What are the types of reinforcement? Give an example of each:
- reinforcement = causes behaviour to be repeated in the future
- positive reinforcement = a pleasant consequence (a reward) encourages a behaviour to be repeated
- e.g. money given after doing chores encourages a child to do the chores in the future
- negative reinforcement = removal or avoidance of an unpleasant consequence encourages a behaviour to be repeated
- e.g. doing the chores to avoid being nagged by parents encourages a child to do the chores in the future
What is punishment? Give an example:
- causes behaviour to stop/be reduced in the future
- an unpleasant consequence decreases the likelihood that a behaviour is repeated
- e.g. cheating in a test leads to detentions, so this discourages and stops children from cheating in tests
Key research on operant conditioning:
Skinner’s Rats
Describe Skinner’s research:
- A: to demonstrate the principle of learning via operant conditioning
- P: a rat was placed in a box a lever. this leaver, when pressed, would give the rat a pellet of food. this was also done in a different box, where the leaver would remove a loud, unpleasant noise. in the third box, the leaver, when pressed, would shock the rat
- F: in box one, the food pellets lead to the rat to increase its pressing of the leaver - positive reinforcement. in box two, the loud noise led the rat to increase its pressing of the leaver, so the loud noise would be removed - negative reinforcement. in box three, the shocks after pressing the lever led the rat to decrease its pressing of the leaver - punishment
- C: Skinner concluded that the rats learnt to increase or decrease a certain behaviour based on the consequences. this is operant conditioning
What is meant by extinguishment in terms of operant conditioning?
Skinner suggested learning by operant conditioning could be extinguished - if reinforcement is no longer provided, the the connection between behaviour and the consequences are unlearnt, and the behaviour stops (is no longer reinforced)
How do schedules affect reinforcement?
unpredictable reinforcement is more successful for conditioning behaviour than continuous reinforcement
What is successive approximation in terms of Skinner’s research?
where complex behaviour is broken down into a series of simple behaviours, and these are then taught one by one using reinforcement and punishment until the desired complex behaviour is achieved - this is also known as shaping
Evaluation of Skinner:
- strength: the high control over variables means that cause and affect can be inferred
- strength: contribution to society - used to teach behaviours to children (e.g. reinforcing good behaviour in school) and reinforce good behaviour in society (e.g. needing to pay for plastic bags negatively reinforces people to bring reusable ones)
- weakness: use of animals - cannot generalise as easily to humans
- weakness: ethics - shocking rats
