Behaviourism Flashcards
What are the key assumptions of the behaviourist approach?
All behaviour is learned, known as learning theory.
Tabula rasa -> ‘blank slate’ idea.
Experience and interactions with our environment make us what we are.
Only observable behaviour is measurable scientifically and only these behaviours should be studied.
Nurture not nature.
When did Pavlov conduct his study?
1897.
What did Pavlov find?
A NS can be paired with an UCS, and through association allow a CS to produce a CR.
Who investigated Little Albert? When?
John Watson (1920).
What was the aim of Watson’s 1920 study?
To condition a 9-month old child (Albert) to fear a white rat.
Outline the procedure of Watson’s 1920 study.
Presented Albert with objects that he liked e.g. monkeys, dogs, white rat.
It was observed that Albert liked the white rat.
When he touched the rat, a cymbal was hit with a hammer. The loud noise was scary for Albert and caused him discomfort.
Before the conditioning, the cymbal clashes are an example of an unconditioned stimulus, this UCS produces the unconditioned response of fear (UCR). At this point, the neutral stimulus (NS) of the white rat has no effect on Little Albert.
During the conditioning, when Albert engaged with the white rat the cymbal was hit at the same time. This shows the UCS partnering together with the NS to elicit the UCR.
After the conditioning, Albert had been classically conditioned into producing a conditioned response (CR) of fear when a conditioned stimulus (CS) of a white rat was near him.
What did Watson find from his 1920 study?
Comforting items can be feared when paired with scary environments.
What did Watson concluded from his 1920 study?
Fear is a direct result of conditioning.
Outline issues of generalisation in Watson’s 1920 study.
Albert also became scared of other objects similar to the white rat e.g. Santa beard, white fur coat.
Evaluative Watson’s 1920 study.
The psychologists didn’t fully brief Little Albert’s mother so she quickly removed him from the investigation. This meant that the psychologists weren’t able to reverse his fears of white/ fluffy objects, leaving him potential fearful for the remaining 63 months he was alive. A Santa mask was previously enjoyed by Albert but after he was very frightened of him. This could have been detrimental to his childhood upbringing - however he died at age 6 from acquiring hydrocephalus.
Doesn’t mention the reverse effects.
Child, so cannot generalise to a wider population.
Couldn’t carry on the study, so long-term results not studied.
Outline the key assumptions in operant conditioning.
Reinforcement.
Rewards and punishments.
Any response followed by a positive effect will strengthen the behaviour.
Any response followed by a negative effect will stamp out the behaviour.
Outline and explain the two types of rewards in operant conditioning.
Positive Reinforcement: The addition of something pleasurable to encourage a behaviour.
Negative Reinforcement: The removal of something unwanted to encourage a behaviour.
Outline and explain the two types of punishment in operant conditioning.
Positive Punishment: The addition of something unwanted to discourage a behaviour.
Negative Punishment: The removal of something pleasurable to discourage a behaviour.
Who influenced Skinner?
Influenced by the work of Edward Thorndike and his worked on cats, leading Skinner to work on rats.
Who was Skinner? What was his work like? What did he investigate?
A major force in the behaviourism movement.
His work focused around laboratory work on animals, although he did conduct some human research.
He investigated the role of reward and punishment in shaping behaviour.
