Behaviourism

Question 1

Assumptions of the behaviourist approach

Answer 1

• 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

Question 2

Classical Conditioning - Pavlov’s research

Answer 2

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)

Question 3

Operant Conditioning - Skinner’s research

Answer 3

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.

Question 4

Evaluation of behaviourist approach

Answer 4

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.