Behaviourist Approach Flashcards
1
Q
What is behaviourist approach?
A
Way of explaining behaviour in terms of what is observable and in terms of learning, without need to consider thoughts and feelings.
2
Q
Assumptions of the Behaviourist Approach
A
- Born with a blank slate. All behaviour is learned and determined by interactions and experiences in our environment.
- Rejects vagueness of introspection. Only observable behaviour is measured scientifically and only these should be studied.
- Learning is same for all species. Animal studies valid.
3
Q
Classical Conditioning theory
A
- Behaviour is a response to stimulus.
- Born with only a handful of innate responses that don’t require learning.
- Learning by association.
- Learning occurs when 2 stimuli are repeatedly paired together (neutral and unconditioned).
- Neutral does not cause a response.
-Unconditioned causes natural response. - After repeated pairings, Neutral (now conditioned) will cause a conditioned response.
4
Q
Variables of classical conditioning
A
Timing - association only occurs if UCS and NS are presented at same time.
Stimulus generalisation - once conditioned, response to other stimuli that are similar to OG conditioned stimulus occurs.
Extinction - if conditioned stimulus is repeatedly paired without the unconditioned stimulus the conditioned response slowly disappears.
5
Q
Operant conditioning theory
A
- Learning occurs through consequences.
- If reward is given for doing something then that behaviour is likely to be repeated ( positive reinforcement).
- If (punishment) occurs after behaviour then the behaviour is less likely to be repeated.
- If something negative stops when we do a desired behaviour then the behaviour is more likely to be repeated (negative reinforcement).
Shaping - route to a target behaviour. Behaviours which lead to target behaviours are rewarded.
6
Q
Evaluation - Deterministic
A
- Can be accused of being deterministic
- Sees all behaviour as being controlled by past experiences that have been conditioned. Skinner suggests that everything we do is a sum of our reinforcement history. Any sense of ‘free will’ is an illusion.
- Weakness - people are not responsible for their behaviour - cannot choose how we behave - if someone behaves in an immoral way this approach suggests it is not their fault.
7
Q
Evaluation - Reductionist
A
-Too simple as it states that everything is learned.
- Reduces explanations of behaviour to learning.
- Phobias are created and maintained and ignores how other approaches explain behaviour such as cognitive.
- Weakness - makes us question the theory as it oversimplifies very complex human behaviour.
8
Q
Evaluation - Evidence
A
- Many pieces of supporting evidence.
- Comes from scientific lab studies. Pavlov dog supports classical conditioning. Skinner box supports operant conditioning.
- Strength - adds validity and credibility. Evidence is needed as support.
9
Q
Evaluation - Application
A
- Applied to a broad range of real world behaviours and problems.
- Operant conditioning is basis of token economy systems that have been sued successfully in prisons and psychiatric wards. Work by rewarding appropriate behaviour with tokens that can be exchanged for privileges.
- Classical Conditioning led to development of treatments for reduction of anxiety associated with phobias. Systematic desensitisation - eliminating learned anxious response (CS) with phobic stimuli (CS) and replacing it with relaxation.
- Strength - token economies have been very successful in treating prisoners behaviour. Systematic desensitisation has high success rate of treating phobic patients.
10
Q
Evaluation - Methods
A
- Much supporting research comes from highly controlled scientific animal lab experiments.
- Skinner used scientific lab experiments because it allowed him to eliminate extraneous variables to establish a cause and effect between reinforcement and the learning of behaviour.
- Strength - behaviourism has been highly influential in the development of psychology as a scientific discipline- greater credibility and status.
11
Q
Evaluation - Specific
A
- Study comes from Animal studies.
- Generalising to human behaviour.
- Ethical issues - rats electrocuted, dog had to be thirsty to gather saliva.
- Weakness - undermines credibility and validity.
12
Q
Skinners box - operant conditioning
A
- Conducted with rats and sometimes pigeons in specially designed cages call skinners boxes.
- Introduced a hungry rat to the box and inside the box with a lever.
- When lever pressed the rat was given a pellet of food as a reward. Positive reinforcement - behaviour more likely to be repeated.
- Changed the mechanism so when the lever was pressed it would give the rat an electric shock. Rat stopped pressing the lever. Punishment.
- Changed it again so that the floor had an electric current and when the lever was pressed it would stop the current. Rat jumped from the shocks and hit the lever stopping the current. Experiment repeated and rat soon learned to press lever to stop current. Negative reinforcement.
13
Q
Pavlov’s Dog - Classical Conditioning
A
- Dog presented with food(UCS) causing salivation, natural response.
- Dog presented with bell(NS) causing no response.
- Dog presented with bell (NS) and food (UCS) at the same time and the dog has a natural response to the food. Initially no association made until repeated pairing occurs.
- After repeated pairings the dog will salivate (conditioned response) to the sound of the bell (now known as the conditioned response).
14
Q
Evaluation of Research - Control over variables
A
- Lab studies have high control over IV and extraneous variables.
- Skinners study, all variables kept the same apart from type of reinforcement/ punishment.
- Pavlov used standardised procedure - step by step, reliability.
- Objective data - free from bias.
- Strength, establish cause and effect relationship between IV and DV.
15
Q
Evaluation of Research - No Demand Characteristics
A
- Using non human participants - no possibility that aim of study can be figured out.
- Skinners study - even though rats are intelligent there is no possibility that they can work out aim and demonstrate please you screw you behaviour. - same with Pavlov.
- Strength - not unrealistically nice to please you or go opposite way to screw you and demonstrate behaviour to purposefully invalidate results. Not display demand characteristics.
