behaviourism Flashcards
What are the assumptions of the behaviourist approach?
The behaviourist approach assumes that all behaviours are learned through interaction with the environment focusing on observable behaviours rather than internal mental processes.
What is classical conditioning?
Classical conditioning is a learning process where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus to produce a conditioned response.
Who conducted research on classical conditioning?
Ivan Pavlov conducted research on classical conditioning.
What was Pavlov’s experiment on classical conditioning?
Pavlov demonstrated classical conditioning by pairing a neutral stimulus (a bell) with an unconditioned stimulus (food) causing dogs to salivate at the sound of the bell alone.
What is operant conditioning?
Operant conditioning is a type of learning where behaviour is influenced by consequences such as rewards and punishments.
Who is associated with research on operant conditioning?
B.F. Skinner is associated with research on operant conditioning.
What is positive reinforcement in operant conditioning?
Positive reinforcement involves giving a reward to increase the likelihood of a behaviour being repeated.
What is negative reinforcement in operant conditioning?
Negative reinforcement involves removing an unpleasant stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behaviour being repeated.
What is punishment in operant conditioning?
Punishment is a consequence that decreases the likelihood of a behaviour being repeated.
What was Skinner’s research on operant conditioning?
Skinner used the ‘Skinner box’ to study how rewards (food) and punishments influenced animal behaviour demonstrating principles of operant conditioning.
What are examples of positive reinforcement?
Examples include giving a child a treat for completing homework or praising an employee for good performance.
What are examples of negative reinforcement?
Examples include turning off a loud alarm when a button is pressed or taking painkillers to relieve a headache.
What is a primary reinforcer?
A primary reinforcer satisfies a basic biological need such as food water or shelter.
What is a secondary reinforcer?
A secondary reinforcer is associated with a primary reinforcer such as money which can be used to obtain food or shelter.
What is extinction in operant conditioning?
Extinction occurs when a behaviour that was previously reinforced is no longer rewarded leading to a decrease in that behaviour over time.
What is spontaneous recovery in classical conditioning?
Spontaneous recovery is the reappearance of a previously extinguished conditioned response after a rest period.
What is discrimination in classical conditioning?
Discrimination occurs when a conditioned response is only elicited by a specific stimulus and not by similar stimuli.
What is generalisation in classical conditioning?
Generalisation occurs when a conditioned response is elicited by stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus.
What is shaping in operant conditioning?
Shaping is a process of reinforcing successive approximations of a target behaviour until the desired behaviour is achieved.
What is a fixed-ratio schedule in operant conditioning?
A fixed-ratio schedule provides reinforcement after a set number of responses.
What is a variable-ratio schedule in operant conditioning?
A variable-ratio schedule provides reinforcement after a random number of responses making the behaviour highly resistant to extinction.
Term
Definition
Skinner’s 1938 Experiment
B.F. Skinner conducted an experiment to demonstrate operant conditioning using rats in a ‘Skinner box.’ The rats learned to press a lever to receive a food reward or to avoid an electric shock.
Positive Reinforcement
A process in which a behavior is strengthened by the presentation of a desirable stimulus after the behavior, such as food in Skinner’s experiment.
Negative Reinforcement
A process in which a behavior is strengthened by the removal of an aversive stimulus, such as stopping an electric shock when the lever is pressed.
Skinner Box
A controlled environment used to study animal behavior, equipped with a lever, food dispenser, and sometimes an electric grid for shocks.
Strength of skinners box: Scientific Credibility
Skinner’s research was conducted under controlled experimental conditions, allowing precise measurement of behavior and cause-and-effect relationships.
Strength of skinners box: Practical Applications
Operant conditioning principles have been applied in education, therapy, and behavior modification programs.
Limitation of skinners box: Ethical Concerns
The use of animals in Skinner’s experiments raised ethical issues regarding stress and potential harm to the subjects.
Limitation of skinners box: Oversimplification
Critics argue that Skinner’s focus on external behaviors ignores the role of internal mental processes and emotions.
Generalization Issue in skinners box
Findings from animal studies may not be fully applicable to human behavior due to differences in cognitive complexity.
Who conducted the Little Albert experiment and in what year?
Watson and Rayner in 1920.
What was the aim of the Little Albert experiment?
To demonstrate that emotional responses such as fear can be conditioned.
What type of conditioning was used in the Little Albert experiment?
Classical conditioning.
Who was Little Albert?
A 9-month-old infant used in Watson and Rayner’s study.
What stimuli were used in the experiment?
A white rat, a loud noise (striking a metal bar), and other objects like a rabbit and a fur coat.
What was Little Albert’s response to the white rat before conditioning?
He showed no fear and was curious.
What was paired during the conditioning phase of the experiment?
The white rat (neutral stimulus) was paired with a loud noise (unconditioned stimulus).
What was Little Albert’s response to the white rat after conditioning?
He showed fear, crying, and trying to crawl away.
What concept does the Little Albert experiment demonstrate?
Stimulus generalisation; Little Albert showed fear responses to similar stimuli like a rabbit and a fur coat.
What are the ethical concerns related to the Little Albert experiment?
Lack of informed consent, failure to decondition fear, and potential psychological harm to Little Albert.
What is a strength of the Little Albert experiment?
It provided empirical evidence for classical conditioning of emotional responses.
What is a limitation regarding the sample in the Little Albert experiment?
The sample size was limited to one individual, reducing generalisability.
What is a methodological criticism of the Little Albert experiment?
The study lacked control over extraneous variables, which might have influenced the results.
What is a counterargument to the ethical criticism of the study?
At the time, ethical guidelines were not as established as they are today.
What is a practical application of the findings from the Little Albert experiment?
Understanding the development of phobias and informing treatments like systematic desensitisation.
