behaviourist Flashcards
What does the behaviourist approach focus on?
observable behavior that can be scientifically measured in highly controlled environments
Assumptions?
when we are born our minds are blank slates.
all behavior is learned from the environment.
behavior is result of stimulus response.
Who was behind classical conditioning?
Pavlov
What did Pavlov claim about how behavior is learned?
by association
What did Pavlov use to investigate CC?
With dogs
What was the UCS in Pavlovs experiment?
meat
What was the UCR
salivation
What was the NS?
The bell/tone
What was the CR?
Salivation
What was the CS?
The sound of the bell/tone
What is the process for classical conditioning?
-Establish that UCS elicits the UCR
-Establish that the NS does not elicit the UCR
-Present the UCS with the NS
- After enough pairings the NS becomes the CS and will elicit the CR which is the same as the UCR
Which abbreviations are the same ?
UCR and CR
NS and CS
What type of conditioning does the Little Albert Experiment show?
Classical Conditioning
What was each stimulus/response for Little Albert?
CR= fear
CS= mice
NS= mouse
UCR= loud sound
UCS= fear
Who studied Little Albert?
Watson and Rayner
Who studied Operant Conditioning?
Skinner
What did Skinner claim about Operant Conditioning?
Claimed all behavior is learnt as a result of consequences in our environment
What is reinforcement?
A consequence that increases the likelihood of the behaviour repeating
What is positive reinforcement?
Giving the person/animal something desirable
What is an example of positive reinforcement?
pocket money, stickers, treats
What is negative reinforcement?
taking away something negative
What is an example of negative reinforcement?
Getting up from bed to avoid the noisy alarm, giving a dog a bone to avoid it from barking (you are being reinforced)
What is a punishment?
A consequence that reduces the likelihood of the behaviour repeating?
What is positive punishment?
Receiving something unpleasant
What is an example of positive punishment?
Fine, detention
What is a negative punishment?
Having something positive taken off you
What is an example of negative punishment?
Phone taken away, favourite toy taken away
How was Operant Conditioning investigated?
-With pigeons
- Pigeons kept underweight to make sure they ha incentive
- Pigeons had to peck at certain spot (e.g a button) and after a successful push/ a couple successful pushes, they would be given food.
- This is an example of positive reinforcement
What are the strengths of the behaviourist approach?
-real world applications
-based on well-controlled/ reliable research
What are the limitations of the behaviourist approach?
-unethical experiments
-oversimplified learning process
Explain the strength of the Behaviourist Approach that there is real-world applications
-Operant conditioning has real-world applications in settings such as prisons and psychiatric wards.
-Operant conditioning is used for token economy, in which is a prisoner etc shows good behaviour, then they receive a token which can be exchanged for certain privileges.
-This is an example of positive reinforcement.
Explain the strength of the Behaviourist Approach that it is based on well controlled research.
-Behaviourists focused on the measurement of observable behaviour within highly controlled lab settings.
-By breaking down behaviour into basic stimulus-response, all other possible extraneous variables were removed, allowing cause-and-effect relationships to be established.
-For instance, Skinner was able to clearly demonstrate how reinforcement influenced an animal’s behaviour.
-This suggests that behaviourist experiments have scientific credibility.
Explain the limitation of the Behaviourist Approach that experiments may be seen as unethical.
-For example, Little Albert, (who was conditioned to have a phobia of mice and other similar things such as cotton wool) was never de-conditioned which could have caused severe psychological harm especially as he grew up.
-Another example is how Skinner’s pigeons were also kept underfed and below weight. This shows failure to protect subjects from physical harm, and could have caused the pigeons severe problems.
Explain the limitation that the behaviourist approach may have oversimplified the learning process
-By reducing behaviour to such simple components, behaviourists may have ignored an important influence on learning - that of human thought.
-Other approaches, such as social learning theory and the cognitive approach have drawn attention to the mental processes involved in learning.
-This suggests that learning is more complex than observable behaviour alone, and that private mental processes are also essential.
