Behaviourist Flashcards
Humans born a blank slate
- When we are born our mind is like a tabula rasa, meaning we are not born equipped with behaviours and learn them via the environment.
- Stands firmly on nurture side of nature vs nature debate.
- Bandura bobo doll experiment: children replicated aggressive behaviour towards a bobo doll after seeing a role model act aggressive towards bobo doll.
- The children were not born with aggressive tendencies and learnt it via what they saw.
Behaviour learnt through conditioning
- Two types of conditioning that behaviour is learnt from; Operant and Classical conditioning.
- Operant conditioning = learning behaviour through reinforcement and punishment.
- Skimmers work with rats: a rat learnt that pushing a lever would give the rat food pellets (positive reinforcement).
- Classical conditioning = learning behaviour through associations.
- Pavlov’s work with dogs: (UCS=food, UCR=salivate, NS=bell). Food causes dog to salivate, paired a bell to food, overtime dog associates the bell to salivating, dog will eventually salivate to a bell which is a condition response.
- Both examples demonstrate instance where behaviour is being learnt via conditioning.
Humans and animals learn in similar ways
- Humans and animals learn similarly when similar principles are applied, via operant and classical conditioning.
- Operant conditioning = learning behaviour through punishment and reinforcement.
- Skinner work with pigeons; pigeons rewarded with food if they’ve correctly distinguish art pieces.
Similar to prison system where prisoner awarded tokens for desirable behaviour.
- Classical conditioning = learning behaviour through associations.
X - Pavlov work with dogs;
(UCS=food, UCR=salivate, NS=bell).
Food causes dog to salivate, paired a bell to food, overtime dog associates the bell to salivating, dog will eventually salivate to a bell which is a condition response.
- Similar to Systematic Desensitisation where the therapy is to associate phobia with relaxing thoughts, instead of fear.
- Shows both humans and animals learning when operant and classical conditioning is applied.
Assumptions applied to relationships
Operant Conditioning
A relationship can be formed by operant conditioning.
- As owner trains pet and pet responds positivelyit acts as positive reinforcement for owner, leading to strengthened relationship.
relationship.
Classical conditioning
- It also can be formed by classical conditioning.
- When you are relaxed (UCS) you have positive feelings (UCR). As per is introduced (NS) you begin to associate the pet with positive feelings. This then leads to your pet (CS) to cause positive feelings (CR). This strengthens the relationship.
- Both show relationships being formed.
Appropriateness
N - Normal behaviour is through learning. Through classical conditioning = associations, and operant conditioning = reinforcement and punishment.
A - Abnormal behaviour due to faulty learning. Classically associate fear with e.g. flying. Person then avoids phobia to feel better as reinforcement.
A - The aim is for the person to re-learn a more functional response to stimuli.
N - Systematic desensitisation -> break down faulty association (fear) and replacing with more functional response (relax), this is counter-conditioning.
Progress through desensitisation hierarchy, from least to most feared, and as they progress it will be rewarding reinforcement. Continues until no more fear.
L - Appropriate as it stands firm on Conditioning ideas of behaviourist approach.
Systematic Desensitisation main components
- SD is used to treat phobias. It is based on classical conditioning principles, in particular counter conditioning where you replace negative association with positive associations.
- SD begins with teaching client relaxation technique.
- The aim is to master relaxation technique to establish new stimulus response to stimuli. Wolpe -> reciprocal inhibition as relaxation inhibits anxiety.
- Fear hierarchy developed, on the basis of (in vitro) = low and building up to using (in vivo) = high -> e.g. from imagining a spider to holding a spider.
- The client then gradually progresses up the hierarchy using relaxation techniques, the client will only progress step by step. If client is stuck, modelling may be used where client watches person coping well with feared stimuli.
- Through the exposure the client learns the new association (relaxation) and it begins to slowly take the place of the old association (fear).
