Aproaches - Behaviourism Flashcards
Introduction to behaviourism
Focuses on observable, measurable behaviour
Environment shapes behaviour
Humans viewed as “blank slates” (tabula rasa)
Classical conditioning overview
Learning through association
By Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936)
Noticed dogs salivated before food presented
Pavlov’s Experiment
Goal: associate dog food with a bell
NS: Bell (no natural response)
UNC: Food (natural salivation)
Paired bell and food repeatedly
Result: dogs salivated at bell sound alone
Discrimination in classical conditioning
Ability to distinguish between similar stimuli
Dogs don’t salivate to very different sounds
Important for appropriate reasons
Extinction and spontaneous recovers
Extinction: gradual weakening of conditioned response
Occurs when CS is presented without UCS
Spontaneous recovery: unexpected return of extinguished eespomse
Applications of classical conditioning
Treatment of phobias
Advertising and marketing
Education and learning
Applications of classical conditioning
Treatment of phobias
Advertising and marketing
Education and learning
Introduction to operant conditioning
Developed by B.F. Skinner in 1930s
Focuses on how consequences shape behaviour
Operant conditioning
Voluntary behaviours affected by consequences
Applies to most everyday behaviours
Limitations of classical conditioning
Only applies to involuntary, reflex behaviours
Doesn’t explain all types of learning
Oversimplifies complex human behaviour
Reinforcement and punishment
Reinforcement: increases likelihood of behaviour
Punishment: decreases likelihood of behaviour
Both can be positive (adding) or removing (negative)
Positive reinforcement
Adding something desirable to increase behaviour
- praise, rewards, good grades
Strengthens the connection between behaviour and positive outcome
Negative reinforcement
Removing something unpleasant to increase behaviour
- taking aspirin to remove a headache, fastening seatbelt to stop car beeping
Schedules of reinforcement
Continuous: reinforcing every time
Partial: reinforcing some of the time
Partial reinforcement is more resistant to extinction
Types of partial reinforcement
Fixed ratio: after a set number of responses
Variable ratio: after an unpredictable number of responses
Fixed interval: after a set amount of time
Variable interval: after an unpredictable amount of time
Skinner box
Experimental chamber used by Skinner
Studied animal behaviour (rats, pigeons)
Allowed precise control of reinforcement
Skinner box 2
Positive reinforcement: hungry rat placed in Skinner box. Contained a lever and as the rat moved about the box, would accidentally knock the lever. When it
Generalisation in classical conditioning
Conditioned response occurs to similar stimuli
Dogs may salivate to similar bell sounds
Helps apply learned responses to new situations
