Behaviourist Approach Flashcards
Who was the first behaviourist?
Watson
AO1 - Assumptions
> OBSERVABLE behaviour should be measured, instead of mental processes that cannot be directly & visually seen.
> Psychology is a science so behaviour must be measured in highly controlled environments to establish NOMOTHETIC laws as well as robust conclusions.
> Behaviour can be OBJECTIVELY and scientifically measured using controlled research such as a lab experiment.
> When born, our mind is a blank slate (tabula rasa)
> There is little difference between the learning that occurs in humans and in other animals. Therefore, research can be carried out on ANIMALS as well as humans.
> All behaviour is learnt from the environment, through classical conditioning or operant conditioning.
Why did Watson disagree with Wundt?
Introspection had no EMPIRICAL evidence because Wundt did not directly study observable behaviours to do with mental processes.
Introspection had no objectivity and was mostly subjective to participants’ responses.
What did Watson mean by, “behaviour is learned”?
A change in the environment (stimulus) causes a change in behaviour in response to that stimulus.
AO1- Outline classical conditioning
> Practical application of behaviourist approach can be seen through classical conditioning.
> Classical conditioning is when behaviour is the result of a stimulus. The response (e.g. all behaviour) can be reduced to a simple stimulus regardless of how complex it is.
> It is the pairing of the neutral stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus, which results in the conditioned response and conditioned stimulus.
> It was originally discovered by Pavlov, while studying salivation in dogs.
> He tested so that dogs would learn to salivate when they heard the sound of a bell.
> The bell (neutral stimulus) was associated with food (unconditioned stimulus) whenever a bell was rung (conditioned stimulus), causing the dog to salivate (conditioned response)
Who discovered classical conditioning?
Pavlov (1897)
A child is afraid of cats. One day he is in a lift and notices a cat. Now he is afraid of lifts.
Identify, using classical conditioning, what is happening.
Neutral stimulus = lift
Unconditioned stimulus = cats
Unconditioned response = fear of cats
Conditioned stimulus = lifts
Conditioned response = fear of lifts
What is the terminology linked with classical conditioning that’s bare confusing?
Neutral stimulus (NS) = thing that evokes nothing - later associated with emotion/fear.
Unconditioned stimulus (US) = thing that caused original emotion ‘old fear’
Unconditioned response (UR) = response to ‘old fear’
Conditioned stimulus (CS) = ‘new fear’
Conditioned response (CR) = reaction to the ‘new fear’
A01- operant conditioning
A type of learning in which a new voluntary behaviour is associated with a consequence.
Positive reinforcement- when a behaviour is rewarded and thus more likely to be repeated
Negative reinforcement- when a behaviour is followed by the removal of an adverse consequence and is thus more likely to be repeated.
For example, in one of Skinner’s experiments, a rat had to press a lever to stop receiving an electric shock.
What are the 3 AO3s, and explain them x
AO3: practical application (Hinkin et al. 2004) (+) hospitality 243
AO3: Classical conditioning works
(Pavlov 1890) (+) dog
AO3: Aversion therapy doesn’t always apply) Miller 1973 alcohol n shock
