Behavioural Approach Flashcards
What are the assumptions of the behaviourist approach?
> only study behaviour that can be observed /measured
possible to do in lab experiment
principle of learning same in all species
-we can use animals to study behaviour
What is Pavlov’s dog study ?
Before Conditioning
Bell(NS) -> No response
Food(UCS)-> Salivation (UCR)
During Conditioning
Bell(NS)+ Food(UCS) -> Salivation (UCR)
After Conditioning
Bell(CS) ->Salivation (CR)
^Called Salivation Reflex
What is the Little Albert study?
Loud band (UCS) -> Fear (UCR)
White rat (NS) -> No response
Loud bang (UCS) + White Rat (NS) -> Fear (UCR)
White rat (CR) -> Fear (CR)
All white fluffy things (CS) -> Fear (CR)
What is extinction ?
If CS is presented often without the UCS the CR will begin to fade away.
What is spontaneous recovery?
If the UCS and CS are paired again the CR returns immediately.
What is generalisation?
Once conditioned we respond to stimuli similar to the CS in the same way.
What are the strengths of the behavioural approach?
Real life applications
>therapies have been developed from CC
>systematic desensitisation
>flooding
Scientific
> studies are lab experiments+well controlled +can be replicated >scientific credibility/validates psychology as a science.
What are the weaknesses of the behavioural approach?
> suggests we have no free will to choose to respond on a different way>nomothetic theory
nurture theory> disregards biological causes of behaviour >oversimplified
What is classical conditioning?
Learning by association
< according to JB Watson conditioning is important in humans and can be responsible for extreme reaction
What is operant conditioning?
Learning through trail and error+ pos and neg reinforcement
e.g token economy
What is reinforcement?
Consequence of behaviour, increases likelihood that it will occur again.
What is reward?
Something pleasant - increases chances of it happening against
What is punishment?
Something pleasant
What is positive reinforcement ?
Pos consequence of behaviour increases likelihood it will occur again in future.
What is negative reinforcement?
Neg consequence of behaviour increase likelihood it will not occur again in future to avoid punishment.