behaviourist approach

Question 1

positive reinforcement

Answer 1

receiving a reward when behaviour is performed - increases likelihood of behaviour being repeated

Question 2

negative reinforcement

Answer 2

avoiding something unpleasant when a behaviour is performed - increases likelihood of behaviour being repeated

Question 3

punishment

Answer 3

unpleasant consequence of behaviour - decreases likelihood of behaviour being repeated

Question 4

weaknesses

Answer 4

• oversimplifies learning and ignores important influences on behaviour, other approaches incorporate mental processes (learning is more complex than what we can observe)
• environmental determinism - lack of free will

Question 5

strengths

Answer 5

• principles of conditioning been applied to real world e.g token economies successful in psychiatric wards
• uses well-controlled research