behaviourism

Question 1

What is the behaviourist approach belief?

Answer 1

The behaviourist approach belief is that everything is a product of the environment.

Question 2

What are the three assumptions in the behaviourist approach?

Answer 2

1. We learn through conditioning.
2. We are born as a blank slate.
3. Animals and humans learn in the same way.

Question 3

What is negative reinforcement?

Answer 3

Something unpleasant happens repeatedly until the person gets what the want from other person. For example mum nags her child to do the dishes.

Question 4

What is positive reinforcement?

Answer 4

It is getting a reward for doing something correctly. For example a dog getting a treat for sitting.

Question 5

What is negative punishment?

Answer 5

Removing something pleasant until, you getting something that you want. For example removing a child’s toy until they start behaving correctly.

Question 6

What is positive punishment?

Answer 6

Getting something extra to stop the stimuli. For example a student getting detention for not doing their homework.

Question 7

Skinner - Positive and Negative Reinforcement (rats)

Answer 7

He put a hungry rat inside a box, and each time the rat accidentally hit the lever inside the box it would get food. So the rat learnt that each time it hit the leaver, it would get food. Then he also put the rats in another box and if they didn’t do what Skinner wanted, they would get electric shocked.

Question 8

What is punishment?

Answer 8

A change in old behaviour.

Question 9

Skinner - positive reinforcement (pigeons)

Answer 9

Skinner had also tested on hungry pigeons and when they did what he wanted they would get treated with food.

Question 10

Define what is ‘Classical conditioning’.

Answer 10

Classical conditioning is learned by association. For example one thing can be associated with another to stop a certain behaviour.

Question 11

Define what is ‘Operant Conditioning’.

Answer 11

Learning through reinforcement and punishment to change old behaviour into new behaviour.

Question 12

Describe the first stage of classical conditioning. Give an example.

Answer 12

1. Before: Unconditioned Stimulus (object that causes initial reflex response, e.g. food) -> Unconditioned Response (reflex response, e.g. salvia)

Question 13

Describe the second stage of classical conditioning.

Answer 13

During: Unconditioned Stimulus + Neutral Stimulus (Object that caused the response) -> Unconditioned Response
This stage is done several times.

Question 14

Describe the last stage of classical conditioning.

Answer 14

3. After: Conditioned Stimulus (NS causes reflex response without US) -> Conditioned Response

Question 15

Describe how Skinner’s pigeons prove that Animals and Humans learn in the same way.

Answer 15

Skinner treated his pigeons to food when they did something good, making the pigeons want to do the good behaviour again. For example children in schools can be rewarded for goof behaviour or well presented homework, which makes want to repeat the same behaviour to be rewarded again.

Question 16

How does environment shape how we behave and our memories?

Answer 16

When we born, we are born without memories and we observe what is around us and we start to behave like the people around us. Observable events around us are studied. Behaviourists aren’t bothered about thoughts, attitudes and feelings.

Question 17

What is Social Learning Theory (SLT)?

Answer 17

The Social Learning Theory is the theory that we observe and imitate role models, and if we see them getting rewarded for something, we are going to learn to copy that behaviour to get rewarded. Bandura and his Bobo doll are an example.

Question 18

What was Bandura’s experiment?

Answer 18

He showed 3 different videos to children. He showed one video to children of an adult being aggressive to a Bobo doll and getting rewarded. The next video was an adult being aggressive to the doll, but then got told off by another adult. The last video was the adult was being aggressive to the doll, and the other adult not showing any reaction. The children, when they got the doll, tended to be a lot more aggressive to it.

Question 19

Describe Pavlov’s classical conditioning experiment

Answer 19

• digestion in dogs by measuring salivation
• ringing bell (ns) + presenting food (ucs) = salivation (ucr)
• repeated pairing of ns + ucs ( no food shown but bell rang (cs) ) = dog salivates (cr)
• shows association
• stimulus generalization can occur

Question 20

Evaluate the behaviourist approach - strengths

Answer 20

+ Scientific methodology : studies observable + measurable behaviors only = objective
- Free from researcher bias + improved validity of findings
- Controlled lab studies = replicable and reliable

+ Practical applications : knowledge used to modify behaviours . e.g CC for phobias , OC for token economies to encourage behaviours

Question 21

Evaluate the behaviourist approach - limitations

Answer 21

• Extrapolation of animal research : humans are qualitatively different from animals = unsuitable
  e.g language + abstract cognitions = limiting usefulness
• Reductionist : “stimulus-response” connection doesn’t account for complex behavor
  Partial understanding, over-simplistic + incomplete explanation, ignores other factors.

Question 22

What are the 4 stages of conditioning?

Answer 22

1. All behaviour is leaned from experience - “tabula rasa” and learning occurs through classical and operant conditioning
2. Only interested in studying behaviour that can be observed or measured
3. Lab experiments to try and gain control and objectivity in their research
4. Humans can be replaced by animals for testing products

Question 23

What is vicarious reinforcement?

Answer 23

Reinforcement which is not directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced for a behaviour.

Question 24

What is motivation?

Answer 24

The will to perform a behaviour, which is often determined by whether the behaviour was rewarded or punished.

Question 25

What is motor production?

Answer 25

The ability of the observer to perform a behaviour.

Question 26

What is retention?

Answer 26

How well a behavior is remembered

Question 27

What is attention?

Answer 27

The extent to which we notice certain behaviour

Question 28

What is meditational processes?

Answer 28

Cognitive factors i.e. thinking that influence learning and come between a stimulus and response

Question 29

What is modelling?

Answer 29

Imitating the behaviour of a role model OR modelling the precise
demonstration of a specific behaviour that might be imitated by an observer

Question 30

What is a role model?

Answer 30

When an observer associated themselves with a role model and wants to be like the role model.

Question 31

What is a role model?

Answer 31

When an observer associated themselves with a role model and wants to be like the role model.