Behaviourism

Question 1

What is behaviourism

Answer 1

It is primarily concerned with observable behaviour

Question 2

What is behaviourism also know as

Answer 2

Social learning theory

Question 3

What is a stimulus

Answer 3

anything internal or external that brings about a response

Question 4

What is a response

Answer 4

any reaction in the presence of the stimulus

Question 5

What is reinforcement

Answer 5

this is process by which a response is strengthen

Question 6

What are the three main assumptions of behaviourism

Answer 6

Nearly all behaviour is learnt

Animals and humans learn in the same way

The mind is irrelevant

Question 7

What are the research methods for the main three main assumptions of behaviourism

Answer 7

• Nearly all behaviour is learnt

Understanding the main principals of learning

• Animals and humans learn in the same way

Animals can be used as research methods as what is true for them is probably also true for us

• the mind is irrelevant

Behaviourist only observe quantifiable behaviour - which is behaviours which can be measured through time or repetitions

Question 8

What is study based around classical conditioning and who conducted it

Answer 8

This is the experiment conducted by Pavlov, When Pavlov gave his dog food he would also ring a bell.

After repeating this procedure several times pavlov then tried ringing the bell without giving the dogs any food and found the bell alone caused salvation.

Question 9

What is a unconditioned stimulus and response in relation to Pavlovs dogs

Answer 9

This is an unlearned and automatic response - reflex. When dogs see food they salivate. The food is the unconditioned stimulus and the salivation is unconditioned response.

Question 10

What is a conditioned stimulus and conditioned response in relation to Pavlovs dogs

Answer 10

When the dog heard the bell and in response would salivate. This is because the bell had become conditioned stimulus and the salivation had become a conditioned response.

Question 11

What are the five principles of classical conditioning and what do they entail

Answer 11

Generalisation - when stimuli similar to the CS produce the CR

Discrimination - when stimuli similar to the original CS DONT produce the CR

Extinction - when the CR isn’t produced as a result of the CS. This occurs as a result of overuse of the UCS with no CS

Spontaneous recovery - when a previously extinct CR is produced in response to the CS. This happens when the CS is presented agai after a period of time where it is not presented

Higher order conditioning - when a new CS produces the CR because the animal associates it with the original CS. This can be achieved by consistently presenting the new CS before the original CS

Question 12

What is operant conditioning

Answer 12

This is how animals can learn from the consequences of their own actions

Question 13

What is positive reinforcement

Answer 13

This is when something desirable is obtained in response to doing something

Question 14

What is negative reinforcement

Answer 14

This is something undesirable is removed when something happens

Question 15

What was the methods of skinners study

Answer 15

Skinner created a Skinner box with a floor which gave shocks, speakers and a food dispenser which released food when a lever was pressed. A hungry was then pressed in the box and time taken for the rat learn that pressing the lever realised food was recorded.

Question 16

What where the results of skinners study

Answer 16

The rat would run around until it triggered the lever and food was released. The more the rat was put in the box the quicker they got a learning where the lever was.

Question 17

What was the conclusion of skinners study

Answer 17

Rats can learn behaviour through operant conditioning

Question 18

What is some evaluation of skinners study

Answer 18

Experiment was very influential in behavioural psychology. However, his experiment did use animals, which means results might not be generalisable to humans. His sample size was also small, reducing the reliability of his results.

Question 19

How did I skinner present negative reinforcement

Answer 19

He carried out a variation of the Skinner box where the rat could press the lever when the light came on to avoid electrocutions

Question 20

What are some weakness of conditioning in behaviourism

Answer 20

• Lots evidence suggests both animals and humans can learn by conditioning but is cannot explain all human behaviours as we also learn from social learning.
• Most Research has involved animals, meaning generalisation to humans need to be made
• different species have different capacities for learning by conditioning
• genetics seem to influence and limit what differences species can learn by conditioning
• Lots of the expiration includes animals which is unethical

Question 21

What was the method used in watson and rayner study

Answer 21

The participant was an 11 month old boy called little Albert. He showed no fear of white fluffy objects such as rabbits and rats. Researchers try to condition this response into him by placing a rabbit in front of him and when he reached out for it they would strike a metal bar behind his head. This was repeated twice then five times a weak later.

Question 22

What where the results of Watson and rayner

Answer 22

When little Albert was shown a rat he would start to cry. This also extended to all white fluffy objects such as santas beard

Question 23

What was the conclusion Watson and rayner

Answer 23

A fear response to white fluffy objects had been conditioned into little Albert showing that abnormal behaviour can be learned

Question 24

What was some positive evaluation of Watson and rayner

Answer 24

The results are in favour of Pavlov’s idea of classical conditioning

Question 25

What is social learning theory

Answer 25

A way of explaining behaviour that included both direct and indirect reinforcement. It suggests we can learn from reinforcement but also role models

Question 26

How to do we learn through modelling

Answer 26

Modelling involves learning through the observation of other people which may lead to our imitation of the

Question 27

What is vicarious reinforcement

Answer 27

Seeing others being rewarded for a behaviour influences someone in wether they chose to imitate the behaviour

Question 28

What are the four conditions for social learning

Answer 28

Attention - the extent to which we notice certain behaviours

Retention - the individual remembers what they have observed

Motor reproduction - The individual replicates the behaviour shown by the model

Motivation - The individual seeks to demonstrate the behaviour that they have observed

Question 29

What was the method of Bendura’s study

Answer 29

36 girls and 36 boys with mean age of 52 months. Each child was matched on aggressive behaviour ranking at their nursery.

Condition 1 - children observed aggressive adult models playing with a bobo doll hitting it with a mallet

Condition 2 - Children observed non aggressive models playing with other toys and ignoring the bobo doll

Condition 3 - children had no exposure to the models for 20 minutes in a room containing aggressive toys and non aggressive toys

Question 30

What was the result of Bandura’s study

Answer 30

Children exposed to aggressive models imitate a lot of their aggressive behaviour.

Children in the non aggressive and control conditions showed barely any aggressive behaviour

Aggressive behaviour was slightly higher in control group than non aggressive

Question 31

What was the conclusion of Bandura’s study

Answer 31

Aggressive behaviour is learned though imitation of others behaving aggressively

Question 32

What is some positive evaluation of Bandura

Answer 32

This provides evidence for social learning theory. There was strict control of the variables, so it reliable and replicated.

Bandura shows reinforcement is not needed for learning

Question 33

What are some negative evaluations for Bandura’s study

Answer 33

Study had low egolocal validity

Small sample so hard to generalise

It is difficult to conclude observational learning has taken place as it can occur far after it is witnessed

Bob dolls are supposed to be for aggressive play.

The children where shown to play with the doll which may just show obedience

Question 34

What is some negative evaluations for SLT

Answer 34

The theory igornes reinforcement. Depending on the reinforcement a model receives the may have an effect

Question 35

How is the process of learning applicable to human development

Answer 35

Having its needs dealt with and gaining comfort naturally makes a baby’s happy. This isn’t leant it is an inborn reflex

Question 36

What is some negative evaluation of Watson and rayner

Answer 36

The experiment was unethical and could not be repeated today

Question 37

Positive evaluation of strengths of the behaviouralist approach

Answer 37

Behaviourism is very scientific with the theories being very testable

The tests performed are very replicable e

Have useful real world effects such as understanding phobias and helping with child rearing

It holds strong arguments for the nature side of the nature nurture

Question 38

Positive evaluation of operant conditioning in real life application

Answer 38

Token economy systems in prisons and psychiatric hospitals
Appropriate behaviour is rewarded which tokens that can be exchanged for privileges

Question 39

Negative evaluation for mechanistic view of behaviour for behaviourism

Answer 39

Animals are seen are seen as passive and machine like responder to their environment with little or no conscious insight into their behaviour
SLT and cognitive approach empahised the important of mental events at learning
Applies less to humans than animals

Question 40

Negative evaluation of environment determinism for behaviourism

Answer 40

All behaviours are determined by past experiences that have been conditioned
Skinner says free will is an illusion
Past history determines the outcom when something happens

Question 41

Positive evaluation of real world SLT

Answer 41

Probabliltiy of someone engaging in criminal activity increases when they are exposed to models who commit crime and identify with them

Question 42

Negative evaluation for behaviourism and of the importance of cognitive factors in learning

Answer 42

• niether classical or operant conditioning can offer an adequate account of leaning on their own
• humans and many animals store information about the behaviour of them and use this to make judgments
• more comprehensive explanation of human learning by recognising the role of meditational processes

Question 43

Negative evaluation for social learning theory of underestimating the influence of biological factors

Answer 43

• boys where more aggressive in the bobo doll expirment than girls. Perhaps as a result of higher testosterone.
• a group of 35 female to male and 15 male to female people completed a survey before and after receiving hormone treatment. Female to male increased aggression and decreased in Male to female.

Question 44

Positive evaluation for social learning theory of cultural difference in behaviour

Answer 44

• study found in two cultures one where aggression is not admired or reinforced by adults and one where the amount of aggression shown decides status.

Question 45

How can video nasties play a role in social learning theory

Answer 45

Psychologists said that video nasties are more likley to frighten children than to make aggressive towards others. They argue social deprivation, child abuse and early exposure to violence at home leads to violent personality.
However crime such as the Jamie burger incident and columbine shootings may have been influenced from media such as clock work orange and Marilyn Manson.