Behaviourist Approach

Question 1

what does the behaviourist approach believe about behaviour?

Answer 1

all behaviour is learned and is only interested in studying behaviour that is observable and measurable

Question 2

what is the behaviourist approach not concerned about?

Answer 2

mental processes of the mind

Question 3

what does the behaviourist approach suggest about behaviour across species?

Answer 3

basic learning processes are the same across all species and thus animals can replace humans as experimental subjects

Question 4

what are the two forms of learning?

Answer 4

• classical conditioning
• operant conditioning

Question 5

what is classical conditioning?

Answer 5

learning through association

Question 6

what is the process of classical condiitoning?

Answer 6

• unconditioned stimulus(food) –> unconditioned response(saliva)
• unconditioned stimulus(food) + neutral stimulus(bell) –> unconditioned response(saliva)
• conditioned stimulus(bell) –> conditioned response(saliva)

= the dog learned to associate the sound of the bell with the food so would salivate

Question 7

what was used to demonstrate the classical conditioning?

Answer 7

Pavlov’s dog

Question 8

what is operant conditioning?

Answer 8

learning through behaviour through consequences, reinforcements and punishments

Question 9

what does reinforcements lead to?

Answer 9

the behaviour being repeated

Question 10

what is positive reinforcements?

Answer 10

receiving a reward for a desirable behaviour so it is repeated

Question 11

what is negative reinforcements?

Answer 11

removal of unpleasant stimulus so behaviour is repeated

Question 12

who proposed the classical conditioning?

Answer 12

Pavlov

Question 12

what is a punishment?

Answer 12

unpleasant consequence for a behaviour
- decreases likelihood that the behaviour is repeated

Question 13

what are the evaluations of the behaviourist approach?

Answer 13

+ research is well-controlled
+ real-world applications
- very deterministic

Question 14

what did Watson say?

Answer 14

• behaviourists like Watson rejected introspection as concepts were vague and difficult to measure
• behaviourists tried to maintain more control and objectivity and this was achieved through lab studies

Question 15

explain Skinners box.

Answer 15

• each time rat activated a lever within the box they were rewarded with a food pellet
• perform the same behaviour to avoid the electric shock