AS APPROACHES - THE BEHAVIOURIST APPROACH

Question 1

Describe the assumptions of the behaviourist approach

Answer 1

• Watson criticised introspection and came up with behaviourism
• Beh is learned env.ally, so we’re born tabula rasa (“blank slate”)
• We should only study observable and measurable beh, and animals an be used in research as they learn the same way as us

Question 2

Describe classical conditioning

Answer 2

CC: learning through association; Pavlov rang a bell every time he fed his dogs and over time they associated the bell w/ the food and salvivated at the sound of the bell even when the food wasn't present
   UCS: food 
   UCR: salivation 
   NS: bell
   CS: bell
   CR: salivation 

Time continuity: UCS and NS must be presented at the same time for association to occur
Extinction: if NS and UCS aren’t presented together over time, the association is broken so the response stops; made extinct

Question 3

Describe operant conditioning

Answer 3

OC: learning through consequences; Skinner showed that when rewarded for correct behaviour with food and punished for incorrect beh with electric shocks, rats and pigeons could be conditioned to pull the correct lever/ peck the correct disc

+ve reinforcement: being rewarded with something good
-ve reinforcement: not getting something unpleasant
+ve punishment: receiving something bad
-ve punishment: not receiving something good

Question 4

Evaluate the behaviourist approach

Answer 4

(+) Real life application; CC to systematic desensitisation for phobia treatment, and OC for token economies for schools or prisons
(+) More objective than introspection; observable, measurable behaviour
(-) Ethical issues of animal use
(-) Suggests we respond passively to env so no free will; accountability issues for legal system