Behavioural approach

Question 1

What does classical conditioning aim to prove?

Answer 1

that you can learn things through association.

FOOD = DOG DROOLING
UNCONDITIONED STIMULUS = UNCONDITIONED RESPONSE

BELL+FOOD=DOG DROOLING
NEUTRAL STIMULUS+U.S=U.R

BELL=DOG DROOLING
CONDITIONED STIMULUS=CONDITIONED RESPONSE

Question 2

Study to support Classical Conditioning

Answer 2

LITTLE ALBERT

in a room, interacts with fluffy white animals, calm reaction
struck a metal pole with a hammer to shock albert (c.c) when he saw a rat
albert then associated the rat with the loud noise, resulting in a fear of rats and other similar animals

Question 3

Evaluation of little Albert

Answer 3

ethical issues-protection from harm (traumatised)
informed consent (under 18-he didnt have a choice)

Question 4

Outline operant conditioning

Answer 4

Positive reinforcement-consequences that are pleasant and bring about a repetition of behaviou

Negative Reinforcement-behaviours are repeated to escape the unpleasant consequences

Punishment-if behaviours are followed by punishment, the likeliness of the behaviour being repeated decreases.

Question 5

How can operant conditioning explain psychopathology? (DEPRESSION)

Answer 5

Depression results from a lack of positive reinforcement and/or an excess of unpleasant experiences, ie punishment.

Question 6

Outline Social Learning Theory (SLT)

Answer 6

you learn behaviour through observation and imitating the behaviour

Question 7

SLT Bobo doll-Bandura

Answer 7

aimed to prove that aggression can be learned through imitation
procedure-controlled conditions, Boys & girls watched a video of male / female models behaving aggressively to the ‘bobo doll’. adults attacked it, using hammers, throwing it, yelling ‘BOOM, POW’. Shown two scenarios- 1)model punished after being aggressive
2)positively reinforced after being aggressive
RESULTS
boys showed high levels of immitation
more imitation when the same gender.
high levels of imitation with + reinforcement

Question 8

Evaluate the Bobo Doll

Answer 8

Nature/Nurture-ignores nature

Effective for some disorders eg phobias as they benefit from systematic desensitisation.

Question 9

Outline systematic desensitisation

Answer 9

scale their least and worst fears without any interaction from the phobia

put patient into deep relaxation

asked to VISUALISE the least feared situation (still in deep relaxation)

when the patient feels comfortable, they visualise the next feared situation

after few sessions they can then visualise the most feared

so the therapist may bring in a small puppy in if they had a fear of dogs and then gradually increase the size of the dog.

Question 10

evaluate systematic desensitisation

Answer 10

+ very effective- still used today, more effective for phobias than biological treatments

+ able to gain fully informed consent as they choose this treatment as drugs are usually forced upon people as the only treatment

-ethical issues- they will leave more stressed