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Psychology unit 1 > Behaviourist approach > Flashcards

Behaviourist approach Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the 3 assumptions of the behaviourist approach?

A

Humans are born like a blank slate, behaviour is learned through conditioning, and humans and animals learn in the same way

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2
Q

What is tabula rasa

A

We have no ideas or goals when born. Start of as a clean slate.

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3
Q

What experiment proves humans are born like a blank slate?

A

Bandura Bobo Dolls experiment

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4
Q

What is the bandura bobo dolls experiment?

A

METHODOLOGY: children between 3-5. Separated in 2 groups. Put in a room with a doll and watch a video of an adult either hitting an identical doll or playing nicely with it.
FINDINGS: All children copied the video they watched. Proves they had no ideas before they were influenced into it

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5
Q

Ethical issues of bandura bobo dolls

A

The children may not have been counter conditioned so their future behaviour may have been influenced : could be violent person.

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6
Q

What is the experimental group in bandura bobo dolls experiment?

A

Those who watch them hit the doll

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7
Q

What is the control group in bandura bobo dolls experiment?

A

Those who watched them play nicely with the doll.

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8
Q

What is classical conditioning?

A

Occurs when an association is made between a previously unlearned response and a neutral stimulus. Eventually, the neutral stimulus will produce the unlearned response.

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9
Q

Explain Pavlov’s experiment

A

BEFORE: Food (UCS) = Salivation (UCR)
Bell (NS) = no response

DURING: Bell (NS) + Food (UCS) = Salivation (UCR)

AFTER: Bell (CS) = Salivation (CR)

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10
Q

What is operant conditioning?

A

Learning through consequences. Rewards and punishments. More voluntary than classical because consequence comes after response, unlike stimulus coming before the response

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11
Q

What is positive punishment?

A

Something undesirable is GIVEN to PREVENT behaviour.
E.g. Detention

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12
Q

What is negative punishment?

A

Something desirable is TAKEN to PREVENT behaviour.
E.g. Taking phone

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13
Q

What is positive reinforcement?

A

Something desirable is GIVEN to CONTINUE behaviour.
E.g. Reward like sweets

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14
Q

What is negative reinforcement?

A

Something undesirable is TAKEN to CONTINUE behaviour.
E.g. lifting a punishment like being grounded

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15
Q

Explain the assumption that humans and animals learn the same way

A

Believe there’s no difference in how animals and humans learn. Can generalise information gotten from animals to humans, e.g. how conditioning works.

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16
Q

What kind of operant conditioning is used in schools and prisons?

A

Token economy

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17
Q

How is token economy used in prisons

A

Uses operant conditioning by providing a reward for desirable behaviours: positive reinforcement.

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18
Q

What experiment proves that humans and animals learn the same way?

A

The Skinner Box by BF Skinner.

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19
Q

Explain the Skinner box experiment

A
  • Put a rat/pigeon in a box with a lever to press food to be delivered.
  • When rat/pigeon went closer to the lever, food would be dispensed. So, the animal would be conditioned to press the lever more often (positive reinforcement).
  • Then, change the rules so food is only dispensed when red light is on, the animal would again change their behaviour to only press the lever when red light is on.
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20
Q

Behaviourist view of phobias

A

Phobias, just like behaviours, come about through learning. People aren’t born with them but develop them through negative experience

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21
Q

Show equation for phobia of dogs

A

BEFORE:
Attack (UCS) = Fear (UCR)
Dog (NS) = no response

DURING:
Attack (UCS) + Dog (NS) = Fear (UCR)

AFTER:
Dog (CS) = Fear (CR)

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22
Q

What is the therapy for phobias?

A

Systematic desensitisation

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23
Q

What is counterconditioning

A

Process of producing a new stimulus response link by replacing fear with relaxation

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24
Q

Counterconditioning of phobia of dogs

A

BEFORE:
Dog (CS) = Fear (CR)
Relaxation techniques (UCS)= relaxed (UCR)

DURING:
Dog (CS) + Relaxation techniques (UCS) = relaxed (UCR)

AFTER:
Dog (CS) = Relaxed (CR)

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25
Q

What is the desensitisation hierarchy?

A

A way to relearn the stimulus response. Gradually move through steps through a desensitisation process least to most fearful.

26
Q

Process of SD

A
  1. training in relaxation techniques.
  2. therapist and client conduct hierarchy of fear
  3. patient works through hierarchy while doing relaxation techniques.
  4. Therapy moves at client’s pace.
  5. Eventually reach end and master fearful situations
27
Q

What are the two types of SD

A

In vivo and in vitro

28
Q

What is in vivo desensitisation

A

Has to relax while directly experiencing feared stimuli. E.g for spiders, heights, small spaces…

29
Q

What is in vitro desensitisation

A

Has to visualise feared stimuli. E.g. for fear of vomiting, cancer, dead things, thunderstorms…

30
Q

How does humans born like a blank slate assumption apply to systematic desensitisation?

A

Behaviourist approach assumes all behaviour learned from environments, so we can unlearn conditioned responses (like fear) by manipulating the environment

31
Q

How does behaviour is learned through conditioning assumption apply to systematic desensitisation (CLASSICAL CONDITIONING)

A

Uses classical conditioning to counter condition fears so the fear stops.
Also uses generalisation - relaxation responses learned in response to one set of stimuli should be generalisable to other similar stimuli

32
Q

How does behaviour is learned through conditioning assumption apply to systematic desensitisation (OPERANT CONDITIONING)

A

SD uses operant conditioning. Success in therapy will be rewarding for client and encourage them to make further progress

33
Q

Research supporting SD

A
  • LANG AND LAZOVIK (1963): help students with snake phobias. Hierarchy from writing “snake” to “treating on dead snake”. Their fear rating fell and improvement was still evident 6 months later.

-MCGRATH (1990): SD successful for anxiety disorders, with 75% patients with phobias responding to treatment

34
Q

Evaluate NEGATIVES of SD effectiveness

A
  • takes time to see process (6-8 sessions average).
  • may cost to get equipment (e.g clowns)
  • in vitro won’t work for non-imaginative people.
  • not appropriate for all phobias.
  • symptom substitution
35
Q

Why isn’t SD effective for all phobias

A

Biological preparedness

36
Q

What is biological preparedness

A

Phobias which couldn’t have been learned/conditioned as they were never encountered. We’re predisposed to have phobias of certain things. Martin Seligman argues we’re more likely to fear animals like snakes since it’ll provide a survival advantage. Some phobias are biological so can’t be counter conditioned

37
Q

Evidence of biological preparedness

A

Martin Seligman (1971) showed pictures of various animals to participants while giving electric shocks to try to induce fears. Only 2-4 shocks necessary to induce fear of snakes and spiders but more needed for flowers.

38
Q

Why does biological preparedness contrast SD

A

SD is based on the theory that a phobia is learned through behaviour. If biological preparedness is correct & phobias have a biological rather than environmental cause, then attempting to unlearn behaviour may be futile

39
Q

What is system substitution

A

SD treating the symptoms of fear rather than the cause itself. Phobia may return once therapy ends, in another form

40
Q

Evaluate ethical of SD

A
  • Anxiety controlled. Compared to flooding, it doesn’t cause as much distress since the patient has the control, instead of forcing them into a room with their phobia immediately.

-Limited since it can only be used to treat phobias. Can’t treat mental illnesses like schizophrenia. However, this can be ethical positive since the only clients are able to give valid consent, which those with mental illnesses couldn’t

  • Unethical as it causes stress to a client.
41
Q

Positives of SD

A
  • most clients treated.
  • patient has control so less likely to abandon treatment.
  • long term solution - longer it takes, more effective.
  • no side effects
  • easy to do, especially in vitro
42
Q

Classical evidence of behaviourist approach

A

Watson and Rayner (1920).
Wanted to see if they could use classical conditioning to condition a baby boy to fear a neutral stimulus

43
Q

4 questions Watson and Rayner wanted to test

A
  • Can fear of a previously neutral stimulus be conditioned by presenting it simultaneously with an established negative stimulus?
  • Could this conditioned response be transferred to other animals or objects?
  • Does this conditioned response change over time?
  • If, after a period, the emotional responses haven’t died out, how can they be removed?
44
Q

METHODOLOGY participant of Watson and Rayner

A
  • Only 1 participant - Little Albert.
  • mother was a wet nurse.
  • healthy.
  • stable, so would do relatively little harm.
  • no original fears
45
Q

METHODOLOGY research methods of Watson and Rayner

A
  • not a case study because although he’s the only person, they don’t do a full depth investigation on him.
  • not an experiment because no independent and dependent variable
  • controlled observation - controlled environment and behaviour is measured
46
Q

PROCEDURES and FINDINGS of Watson and Rayner.
EMOTIONAL TESTS

A

PROCEDURES :
tested with range of stimuli to test his emotional reactions, in order to find neutral stimulus and one that caused negative reactions

FINDINGS:
white rat was neutral stimulus. Hitting metal bar with hammer was stimulus causing negative response. Crying and heavy breathing.

47
Q

PROCEDURES and FINDINGS of Watson and Rayner.
SESSION 1

A

PROCEDURES :
establishing a conditioned emotional response. Emotional responses tested again. Albert presented with rat but as he touched it bar was hit twice

FINDINGS:
Emotional responses stayed the same. Disturbed by the bar being hit - jumping violently and whimpering

48
Q

PROCEDURES and FINDINGS of Watson and Rayner.
SESSION 2

A

PROCEDURES :
testing conditioned emotional response. Reaction to rat tested with same procedure 5 times “Joint stimulation” now occurred 7 times over 2 sessions.

FINDINGS:
Acted tentative with touching rat, without joint stimulation. Fell over with joint stimulation. Almost cried with rat alone. Fell over and whimpered, cried violently with joint stimulation. Then cried with rat alone

49
Q

PROCEDURES and FINDINGS of Watson and Rayner.
SESSION 3

A

PROCEDURES :
generalisation. Test if conditioned emotional response would transfer to similar objects. Presented with range of white/fluffy objects to see response

FINDINGS:
No fear of room, blocks, or anything else. But fear transferred with a rabbit, but not as violent of a reaction

50
Q

PROCEDURES and FINDINGS of Watson and Rayner.
SESSION 4

A

PROCEDURES :
changing environment. Tested with rat, then with joint stimulation, but in a well lighted lecture room instead of small dark lab.

FINDINGS:
Response to rat still present but not as strong until joint stimulation where it became more severe

51
Q

PROCEDURES and FINDINGS of Watson and Rayner.
SESSION 5

A

PROCEDURES :
the effect of time. Tested emotional response to similar objects like rabbit, dog, and the rat. No joint stimulation.

FINDINGS:
Still showed fear response but not as severe. Torn between desire to avoid vs touch and play with rat.

52
Q

CONCLUSIONS of Watson and Rayner

A

Albert had been given a conditioned fear response. Demonstrated emotional transfer.
Conditioned fear response would “persist indefinitely unless an accidental method for removing them is hit upon. (Albert left before counter conditioning)

53
Q

What did Watson suggest could remove the fear?

A
  1. Constantly exposing Albert to stimulus.
  2. Replacing fear with another emotional response like pleasure.
  3. Recondition by pairing feared stimuli with pleasant food
  4. Encouraging the child to imitate an adult playing with the rat (like Bobo Dolls Experiment)
54
Q

Strengths of Watson and Raynor

A
  • Chose healthy baby so less side effects & other stimuli.
  • in safe space with his mothes.
  • controlled. E.g. extraneous variables controlled by being in controlled environment
55
Q

Weaknesses of Watson and Raynor

A
  • Psychological harm and long term distress
  • didn’t do full in depth study of him: only looked at physical health.
  • fear responses like falling over could cause physical injury.
  • not much sample
56
Q

What extraneous variables were controlled in Watson and Raynor’s study

A

Colours, weather, strangers, noise

57
Q

Strengths of Watson and Raynor Methodology and procedures

A
  • baseline test done to test initial emotional responses to ensure the fearful responses were because of the study and not his personality.
  • Filmed, so future psychologists can view footage and see whether conclusions were correct and truthful.
58
Q

Weaknesses of Watson and Raynor Methodology and procedures

A
  • setting lacks ecological validity so was unnatural, so results may not be able to be generalised to real life.
  • Only 1 participant. No control group to compare to. Could be that repeated exposure causes fears, not noise.
  • maybe Albert developed fear of situation he was in, not of fluffy things.
  • animals forcibly placed on him and researchers very close to him, causing stress.
  • maybe fear response was frustration of having his thumb removed from his mouth, not the animal.
59
Q

Evaluate methodology of Watson and Rayner - the sample

A
  • Maybe Albert wasn’t really a normal boy. Raised in hospital, showed NO fear which was unusual, and rarely cried before.
  • this would limit usefulness and generalisability of study if he was different
60
Q

Why is the fact that Albert’s fear had to be refreshed a problem for theory of classical conditioning

A

Doesn’t happen in real life. Phobias persist for many years

61
Q

What explains the maintenance of phobias that have been formed by classical conditioning

A

Operant conditioning. Negative reinforcement. Avoiding the fear which maintains fear

62
Q

Evaluate ethical issues of Watson and Rayner

A
  • Psychological harm, however justified by saying Albert would’ve gained the phobias anyway when he left
  • Wasn’t counter conditioned so phobia can generalise to more common things, leading to Albert not wanting to leave home
  • Lack of consent and not able to withdraw. His mother worked there so felt pressured into consenting
  • HOWEVER benefits may have outweighed the ethical costs since they learned how phobias can be conditioned

Psychology unit 1 (2 decks)

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