Behaviourism

Question 1

Watson

Answer 1

‘Father of behaviourism’.
Focus on overt behaviour.
Stimulus-response.
Fear conditioning ‘little albert’.

Question 2

Thorndike

Answer 2

‘The law of effect’.
Role of consequences in learning.
‘Puzzle box’- cats.

Question 3

Skinner

Answer 3

KEY FIGURE.

• Radical behaviourism.
• Experimental analysis of behaviour.
• Operant conditioning.

Question 4

Radical behaviourism

Answer 4

(philosophy)
The philosophy of behaviour analysis, based on the scientific approach to the study of behaviour, which maintains that all behaviour is a function of the interaction of ontogenic an phylogenic variables.

Question 5

Ontogeny

Answer 5

The development of an organism during its lifetime.

Question 6

Phylogeny

Answer 6

The evolutionary history of a species.

Question 7

Determinism

Answer 7

Assumes behaviour is lawful and determined. In principle behaviour can be predicted and controlled.

Question 8

Empiricism

Answer 8

Define, systematically observe, and accurately and reliably measure the phenomenon of interest.

Question 9

Experimentation

Answer 9

Identification of functional relations. Observation of the phenomenon of interest (DV) and systematic manipulation of one factor at a time (IV).

Question 10

Philosophic Doubt

Answer 10

Question what is regarded as fact- knowledge is tentative.

Question 11

Replication

Answer 11

Repeating experiments and independent variable conditions within experiments. Verify results and eliminate experimenter bias.

Question 12

Parsimony

Answer 12

The idea that simple, logical explanations must be ruled out, experimentally or conceptually, before more complex or abstract explanations are considered.

Question 13

Experimental analysis of behaviour

Answer 13

(basic research)

Study of behaviour

Question 14

Functional relation

Answer 14

Experimental demonstration of relationship between the behaviour and environmental events. (correlation not cause and effect!!).
The tendency of one event to vary in a regular way with one or more other events.

Question 15

Operant behaviour

Answer 15

Emitted behaviour which is strengthened or weakened by events that follow a response.

Question 16

Three term contingency

Answer 16

S- stimuli (environmental)
R- response (behaviour)
S- stimulus (consequence)
Behaviour shaped by consequence, but also the conditions in place when behaviour occurs.

Question 17

Applied behaviour analysis

Answer 17

(Applied research)

The scientific application of behavioural principles to issues of social importance.

Question 18

Applied

Answer 18

Behaviours of social significance and immediate importance to the participants.

Question 19

Behavioural

Answer 19

Behaviour must be in need of intervention, measurable, and if change occurs, whose behaviour has changed?
Was the intervention really needed?

Question 20

Analytic

Answer 20

Functional relations between events and behaviour.

Question 21

Technological

Answer 21

Procedures used are identified and precisely described.

Question 22

Conceptually systematic

Answer 22

Procedures reported in terms of the relevant behavioural principles.

Question 23

Effective

Answer 23

Must improve the behaviour under investigation to a practical degree.

Question 24

General

Answer 24

Behaviour change has generality if it lasts over time, appears in novel environments, or spreads to novel behaviours.

Question 25

Other characteristics of ABA

Answer 25

Accountable- demonstrate effects.
Public- easily accessed.
Doable- can be used by anyone.
Empowering- real tools that work.
Optimistic- why not? attitude.

Question 26

Mentalism

Answer 26

Appealing to initiating causes from an ‘inner’ dimension when trying to explain behaviour. Combines the mental and the physical.

Question 27

Dualism

Answer 27

The mind (non-physical dimension) is presumed to cause behaviour.

Question 28

Methodological behaviourism

Answer 28

No thoughts or feelings are considered in analysis. Behaviours are those that can be seen.
Skinner denies the existence of a mental world, assuming no kind of special mental stuff.

Question 29

Process of behaviourism

Answer 29

Environment (current and history) ->causes -> behaviour (including private events)

Question 30

Private events

Answer 30

Thoughts, feelings, emotions, attitudes etc.

Private because only the person who has them can observe them.