Behaviourist Approach Flashcards
What are the three assumptions of the behaviourist approach?
Who founded the behaviourist approach?
Watson
What did behaviourism focus on?
Observable events
What were the assumptions of behaviourism?
Human behaviour is due to learned associations between stimuli in the environment and an organisms response
Animals could be used to research behaviourism
What are the two types of conditioning?
Classical and Operant
What is classical conditioning?
All animals are born with natural reflexes. These reflexes are made up of a stimulus and its naturally associated response. When other stimuli are consistently associated with this stimulus, then they eventually trigger the same response, with the animal then said to be classically conditioned
What was Pavlov’s research on classical conditioning?
Pavlov was investigating the salivary reflex in dogs when he noticed the animals not only salivated when food was placed in their mouths, but also reacted to a stimuli that coincided with the presentation of food ie. Seeing their food bowl.
What is the pathway of conditioning that Pavlov discovered?
The UCS (unconditioned stimulus) causes a UCR (unconditioned response) naturally.Then, a NS (neutral stimulus) which doesn’t elect the UCR is shown with the UCS. After many times, this eventually leads to the NS creating the same response as the UCS would and this is then called the CS which elects a CR (controlled response)
What is operant conditioning?
The theory that organisms spontaneously produce different behaviours, and these behaviours produce consequences for the organisms.
Who came up with the theory of operant conditioning?
Skinner
What is positive reinforcement?
When a behaviour produces a consequence that is satisfying - makes the organism repeat behaviour
What is negative reinforcement?
When a behaviour removes something aversive from the organism- makes them repeat behaviour.
What is punishment?
When a behaviour is followed by a consequence that is undesirable or unpleasant- makes them not repeat behaviour.
