Behaviourist Approach Flashcards
What is classical conditioning?
Reflexes consist of an unconditioned response(UCR) which is an innate/unlearned response to a naturally occurring unconditioned stimulus(UCS)e.g a blast or air(UCS) causes you to blink your eye (UCR).
In classical conditioning a new stimulus response link is made by the way of the following process:
a neutral(the new)stimulus(NS) is paired with the UCS so that the individual comes to expect them together.Over a period of time, the NS produces the UCR on its own.The NS is now called a conditioned stimulus(CS) and the response it produces is called a conditioned response)
What did Ivan pavlov discover during the process of classical conditioning?
He realized the dogs had learned association between the procedures of preparing the food and the imminent arrival of their food.
How did Ivan Pavlov scientifically investigate the process of classical conditioning?
-Repeated rang a bell(NS) when the dog was being presented with the food(UNS)
-He called these repeated pairings the conditioning process
-After several pairings of the bell (NS) and food(UNS), Pavlov found that when the bell alone was rung the dog would begin to salivate
-The dog had learned to associate the bell with the presentation of the food.
-After the conditioning process the bell was no longer a neutral stimulus -instead Pavlov referred to it as a conditioned stimulus(CS) producing the conditioned response(CR) of salivation.
What is operant conditioning?
-In operant conditioning,the learner’s behaviour brings about certain consequences.
-These consequences can shape/modify the behaviour to either strengthen or weaken the behaviour.
What is positive reinforcement?
When a behaviour is rewarded which makes the behaviour more likely to reoccur in the future.
What are examples of positive reinforcement?
-Receiving praise or a prize for doing a good piece of homework, means you are try to complete another good piece of work in the future.
-Getting pocket money for completing chores will increase your likelihood of carrying out chores in the future.
What is negative reinforcement?
When a behaviour means the person avoids a negative consequence,which makes the behaviour to more likely to reoccur in the future.
What are examples of negative reinforcement?
-Someone trying to quick smoking might start to experience unpleasant withdrawal symptoms and so start smoking again in order to avoid them, thereby increasing the smoking behaviour.
-Taking paracetamol(increase behaviour) to relieve(avoid) a painful headache.
What is punishment?
When a behaviour is met with a negative consequence,which makes the behaviour less likely to occur in the future .
What are some examples of punishment?
-A child being placed in time out after hitting another child,means they are less likely to hit again in the future.
-Being issued with a speeding fine for driving too fast.
What was skinners research?
He conducted several well controlled laboratory experiments predominantly using pigeons and rats.He used a special box called skinners box,which could be set up to provide different consequences to the animal
How did Skinner study positive reinforcement?
The rat pigeon is placed in the box ,first it moves /pecks randomly around then box .
Accidentally it presses a lever within the box.
Each time the lever is pressed a pellet of food appears, the food acts as a reward-a positive reinforcement for the rat/pigeon.
Skinner found that the rat/ pigeon continued to press the lever in order to receive food.
How did the positive reinforcement shape the rats/pigeons behaviour?
Showed that the more that the reward and the lever are paired the greater the likelihood of the behaviour being repeated.
How did skinner study negative reinforcement?
-Different rat /pigeon was placed in the box,this time the floor is electrified
-Animal tries to move around on natural instinct which causes it to accidentally press the lever within the box, which causes the electricity to stop.
-The termination of the shock acts to remove t remove unpleasant experience of being electrocuted-negative reinforcement.
What did Skinner discover from the studying negative reinforcement?
Skinner found on subsequent occasions when the animal was placed in the box they quickly repeated the lever pressing behaviour(as they had learned it ceases the electric shock)showing how the lever pressing behaviour had been strengthened/increased.
