Behaviourism Flashcards

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1
Q

Assumptions of the behaviourist approach

A
  • Only interested in studying behaviour that can be observed and measured
  • favour lab experiments
  • Not concerned with investigating mental processes of the mind (Watson rejected introspection).
  • Darwin suggested that all species are the same, this means that behaviourist research can replace humans with animals.
  • Identify two forms of learning: operant and classical conditioning
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2
Q

Classical Conditioning - Pavlov’s research

A

Learning through association, Pavlov was able to show how a neutral stimulus can come to elicit a new learned response through association.

Before conditioning: 
Neutral stimulus(bell) = no conditioned response(no salvation)
Unconditioned stimulus(food) = no conditioned response (salivation)

During:
Unconditioned stimulus & unconditioned response(food and bell) = unconditioned response (salivation)

After:
Conditioned stimulus(bell) = conditioned response(salivation)
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3
Q

Operant Conditioning - Skinner’s research

A

Three types of consequences of behaviour:

Positive reinforcement: receiving a reward when s certain behaviour is performed

Negative reinforcement: avoiding something unpleasant

Punishment: is the unpleasant consequence of a behaviour.

Positive and negative reinforcement increase the likely hood of a behaviour being repeated. Punishment decreases the likely hood of a behaviour being repeated.

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4
Q

Evaluation of behaviourist approach

A

Scientific credibility: highly controlled lab setting, influential in the development of psychology as scientific. Giving it credibility and status.

Real-life application: applied to a broad range of real-world behaviours and problems.

Mechanistic view of behaviour: humans and animals are seen as passive and machine like responders with little or no conscious. Other approaches emphasise the importance of metal events during learning.

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