behaviourist approach

Question 1

define behaviourist approach.

Answer 1

a way of explaining behaviour in terms of what is observable and in terms of learning.

Question 2

name the four key assumptions of the behaviourist approach.

Answer 2

controlled lab studies.
non-human animals.
focus only on observable behaviour.
all behaviour is learned.

Question 3

describe the behaviourist approach (AO1)

Answer 3

only interested in studying behaviour that can be observed and measured.

not concerned with investigating mental processes of the mind as these were seen as irrelevant. early behaviourists rejected introspection as it involved too many concepts that were vague and difficult to measure.

instead, behaviourists tried to maintain more control and objectivity within their research and relied on lab studies.

behaviourists believe all behaviour is learned. they describe a baby’s mind as a ‘blank slate’ that is written on by experience.

they suggested basic processes that govern learning are the same in all species, meaning in this approach animals replace humans as experimental subjects.

they identified two forms of learning - classical conditioning and operant conditioning.

Question 4

outline the key assumption - non-human animals.

Answer 4

behaviourists suggested basic processes that govern learning are the same in all species, meaning in this approach animals replace humans as experimental subjects.
for example, Pavlov (1927) used dogs to demonstrate classical conditioning.

Question 5

outline the key assumption - controlled lab studies.

Answer 5

behaviourists tried to maintain more control and objectivity within their research and relied on lab studies.

Question 6

outline the key assumption - focuses only on observable behaviour.

Answer 6

Behaviourism only studies observable behaviour and sees no place for hidden thought processes because they are not observable and could not be studied objectively.

Question 7

outline the key assumption - all behaviour is learned.

Answer 7

Behaviourism sees all behaviour as learned, with no genetic input.

Question 8

what is meant by classical conditioning?

Answer 8

learning by association.

Question 9

who first demonstrated classical conditioning?

Answer 9

Pavlov (1927)

Question 10

describe classical conditioning.

Answer 10

learning by association.

occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired together - an unconditioned stimulus and a neutral stimulus.

the neutral stimulus eventually produces the same response that was produced by the unconditioned stimulus alone, making the neutral stimulus a conditioned stimulus.

Question 11

outline research into classical conditioning.

Answer 11

Pavlov (1927).

showed how dogs could be conditioned to salivate to the sound of a bell if that sound was repeatedly presented at the same time they were given food.

gradually, Pavlov’s dog learned to associate the sound of a bell (a neutral stimulus) with the food (an unconditioned stimulus) and would produce the salivation response every time they heard the sound.

Pavlov was thus able to show how a neutral stimulus can come to elicit a conditioned response through association, supporting the theory of classical conditioning.

Question 12

what is meant by operant conditioning?

Answer 12

a form of learning in which behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences - reinforcement and punishment.

Question 13

who demonstrated operant conditioning?

Answer 13

B.F. Skinner (1953).

Question 14

describe operant conditioning.

Answer 14

B.F Skinner (1953) suggested that learning is an active process by which humans and animals operate in their environment. in operant conditioning behaviour is shaped by its consequences.

positive and negative reinforcement increase the likelihood that a behaviour will be repeated.

punishment decreases the likelihood that a behaviour will be repeated.

Question 15

outline positive reinforcement.
give an example.

Answer 15

receiving a reward when a certain behaviour is performed.

for example, praise from a teacher for answering a question correctly in class.

Question 16

outline negative reinforcement.
give an example.

Answer 16

occurs when an animal or human avoids something unpleasant.

the outcome is a positive experience.

for example, when a student hands in an essay so as not to be told off, the avoidance of something unpleasant is the negative reinforcement.

or, a rat may learn through negative reinforcement that pressing a lever leads to the avoidance of an electric shock.

Question 17

outline punishment.
give an example.

Answer 17

an unpleasant consequence of behaviour.

for example, being shouted at by a teacher for talking during the lesson.

Question 18

outline research into operant conditioning.

Answer 18

B.F. Skinner (1953).

conducted research with rats in specifically designed cages called skinner boxes - allowed complete control of the environment, the behaviours that were available and the reinforcement or punishment it would receive.

A rat in a Skinner’s box that was given positive reinforcement might receive a food pellet every time it pressed a lever and should learn to press the lever more often.

A rat in a Skinner’s box that was given negative reinforcement might have an electric shock turned off if they press a lever, and should also learn to press the lever more often.

both support the process of operant conditioning.

Question 19

discuss well-controlled research as a strength of the behaviourist approach.

Answer 19

one strength of the behaviourist approach is that it is based on well-controlled research.

behaviourists focused on the measurement of observable behaviour within highly controlled lab settings.

by breaking down behaviour into simply stimulus-response, all other extraneous variables were removed, allowing cause and effect to be established.

for example, Skinner was able to clearly demonstrate how reinforcement influenced an animals behaviour.

this suggests that behaviourist experiments have scientific credibility.

however, a problem with this is that behaviourists may have oversimplified the learning process.

by reducing behaviour to such simple components, behaviourists may have ignored important influences on learning, that of human thought.

other approaches such as social learning theory and the cognitive approach have drawn attention to the mental processes involved in learning.

this suggests that learning is much more complex than the behaviourist approach’s theory on only observable behaviour suggests, and that mental processes are also involved.

Question 20

discuss real world application as a strength of the behaviourist approach.

Answer 20

another strength of the behaviourist approach is that the principles of conditioning have been applied to real-world behaviours and problems.

for example, operant conditioning is the basis of token economy systems that have been used successfully in institutions such as prisons and psychiatric wards.

these work by rewarding appropriate behaviour with tokens that can be exchanged for privileges. for example, when a schizophrenic patient engages in CBT, they receive a token that can be exchanged for sweets - an example for positive reinforcement.

this increases the value of the behaviourist approach as it has widespread application.

Question 21

discuss free will vs determinism in the behaviourist approach.

Answer 21

environmental determinism.

the approach suggests that behaviour is determined by stimulus-response conditioning.

this ignores the possible influence that free will may have on behaviour - as suggested by the humanistic approach.

Question 22

discuss reductionism in the behaviourist approach.

Answer 22

environmental reductionism - reduces behaviour, no matter how complex, to simple stimulus-response associations.

It does not take into account biological factors such as the role of neurotransmitters - for example, a low level of serotonin can give rise to depression, or a high level of dopamine is involved in OCD.

It sees people as having little conscious thoughts influencing their behaviour - other approaches recognize the importance of mental events in the learning process, like the cognitive approach.

It does not explain important aspects of human behaviour such as memory and problem-solving as these are internal mental events that cannot be observed.

Question 23

outline other issues and debates in the behaviourist approach.

Answer 23

Nomothetic approach - replicable scientific research to create laws of behaviour (cause and effect, stimulus-response relationships). uses lab experiments to generate quantitative data to make generalisations.

Nurture - argues humans are born as a blank slate and behaviour is learned from the environment.