Behavioural AO1

Question 1

what is classic conditioning?

Answer 1

it’s a form of learning that occurs through the association of a naturally occurring instinct and a new stimuli which results in a conditioned response

Question 2

what is operant conditioning?

Answer 2

it’s a form of learning by direct consequence for a behaviour through reinforcement or punishment

Question 3

Describe Pavlov’s classically conditioned dog experiment.

Answer 3

1. dog’s natural instinct is the salivate (UCR) when given food (UCS)
2. the dog is then repeatedly given food (UCS) after the bell was rung (NS)
   3.the dog then began to associate the sound of the bell with the food which caused to salivate (CR) whenever the bell was rung (CS)

Question 4

How is abnormal behaviour learned through classic conditioning?

Answer 4

1. neutral stimuli acquires properties/the response of another stimulus
2. done through repeated association
3. creates a reflex action as the arrival of the UCS is predicted when the CS is shown

Question 5

Describe Skinner’s operantly conditioned dog experiment: (positive reinforcement)

Answer 5

1. rat put in Skinner Box
2. rat left to explore box and initial behaviour was random
3. rat found lever which provided it with a treat
4. eventually rat associates lever with receiving treat and repeatedly presses it

Question 6

Describe Skinner’s operantly conditioned rat experiment: (negative reinforcement)

Answer 6

1. rat put in Skinner Box
2. light switches on and then rat is shocked by electric floor grid
3. lever stops shock
4. rat realises this
5. rat associates light with pain and lever with stopping pain and therefore presses lever whenever the light turns on

Question 7

How is abnormal behaviour learnt through operant conditioning?

Answer 7

Whether or not a behaviour is repeated depends of if it causes a negative consequence or a positive one. This is because learning is an active process and operant on an organisms environment according to Skinner

Question 8

What is positive reinforcement?

Answer 8

the administration of a positive stimuli in order increase a certain behaviour

Question 9

What is negative reinforement?

Answer 9

a behaviour in response to a negative stimuli in order to remove said negative stimuli

Question 10

what is punishment?

Answer 10

1. when a behaviour is followed by an undesirable consequence
2. it can be positive (adding something unpleasant) or negative (taking away something pleasant)

Question 11

how does punishment affect behaviour?

Answer 11

it decreases the likelihood of a behaviour increasing

Question 12

what are the types of reinforcers?

Answer 12

1. primary
2. secondary

Question 13

what are primary reinforcers?

Answer 13

1.an essential stimuli for an organism
2. example would be food, water, etc

Question 14

what are secondary reinforcers?

Answer 14

1. a stimuli that gets reinforced due to it’s association with the primary reinforcer
2. usually used to obtain the primary reinforcer
3. an example would be money