Behaviourist Approach

Question 1

What did behaviourists rely on to achieve the aim of their studies ?

Answer 1

Lab studies to maintain control and objectivity.

Question 2

What did early behaviourist Watson reject ? Why ?

Answer 2

Introspection as it involved many vague concepts that were not measurable.

Question 3

What do behaviourists believe in regard to behaviour?

Answer 3

That all behaviour is learned and that baby’s mind is a blank state written by experiences.

Question 4

What were the two important forms of learning identified by behaviourists ?

Answer 4

Classical Conditioning and Operant Conditioning

Question 5

What is the meaning of classical conditioning?

Answer 5

Where behaviour is learnt via association

Question 6

What is the meaning of classical conditioning?

Answer 6

Where behaviour is learnt via association

Question 7

Who first demonstrated research into classical conditioning ?

Answer 7

Pavlov (1927)

Question 8

What is a neutral stimulus ?

Answer 8

A stimulus that does not elicit a particular response or reflex action

Question 9

What is an unconditioned stimulus ?

Answer 9

A stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response without any learning needed.

Question 10

What is a conditioned stimulus ?

Answer 10

This is previously a neutral stimulus that after repeatedly being associated with an unconditioned stimulus comes te trigger a conditioned response.

Question 11

What is a conditioned response ?

Answer 11

This is a learned response to the conditioned stimulus , resembled the unconditioned response but instead is triggered by conditioned stimulus instead of the unconditioned stimulus.

Question 12

What is an unconditioned response ?

Answer 12

This is an automatic , innate reaction to an unconditioned stimulus. It does not require any learning.

Question 13

What did Pavlov want to show through the dogs.

Answer 13

Showed that dogs can be conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell if that sound was constantly presented at the same time as food was given.

Question 14

Describe the procedure of Pavlov’s study ?

Answer 14

• Firstly the dogs were presented with the food( the unconditioned stimulus) and thus they salivated (innate unconditioned response)
• Next Pavlov began the conditioning procedure, whereby clicking the Metronome (neutral stimulus as produced no reaction on it’s own) was introduced just before he gave the dogs food.
• After a number of repeated trials of this procedure he presented the metronome on it’s own
• This caused salivation ( conditioned stimulus caused conditioned response)

Question 15

How does Pavlov’s study show classical conditioning ?

Answer 15

As the dog had learned to associate between the metronome and the food which caused a new behaviour to be formed.

Question 16

What is operant conditioning ?

Answer 16

Is the process by which behaviour is shaped and maintained by consequences.

Question 17

Who did research into operant conditioning ?

Answer 17

Skinner

Question 18

Why did Skinner believe that classical conditioning was too simplistic to fully explain behaviour ?

Answer 18

He believed that the best way to understand behaviour is to examine its causes and consequences.

Question 19

What is positive reinforcement ?

Answer 19

A reward that increases the frequency of behaviour when applied.

Question 20

What is negative reinforcement ?

Answer 20

When an animal or human avoids something unpleasant and thus makes the outcome a positive experience.
Increases the frequency of behaviour when removed

Question 21

What is a punishment ?

Answer 21

Is an unpleasant consequence of behaviour which decreases the frequency of behaviour.

Question 22

What study did study did Skinner conduct for operant conditioning ?

Answer 22

Skinner’s box - Rats

Question 23

Describe the process of Skinner’s study ?

Answer 23

• A rat or pigeon would be put into the Skinner box in which temperature, light and noise could be kept constant.
• On one wall of the box, there would be a lever and a hopper that could deliver a food pellet to the animal when the lever was pressed.
• Initially, the rat is likely to wander around the box aimlessly until it accidentally presses the lever and receives a food pellet.
• Skinner would leave the animal in the box and measure how frequently the animal pressed the lever over time.
  -The frequency should indicate the strength of the conditioning of the behaviour. This would then be repeated with other animals.

Question 24

How positive reinforcing displayed in Skinner’s study ?

Answer 24

• A rat experiencing positive reinforcement may be given a food pellet every time they pressed the lever - leads them to press the lever more often (behaviour was rewarded and thus repeated )

Question 25

How is negative reinforcement presented in Skinner’s study ?

Answer 25

A rat 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. - (negative outcome avoided warrants repeated behaviour)

Question 26

How is punishment displayed in Skinner’s study?

Answer 26

A rat in Skinner’s box that had its heat turned off when it pressed the lever would be receiving negative punishment, and should learn to avoid the lever.

Question 27

Strength of behaviourist approach

Answer 27

EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE
- behaviourist approach has strong empirical support due to the laboratory experiments conducted by behaviourists such as Pavlov and Skinner.
This strengthens the credibility of the approach as it provides visible data for behaviours, showcasing the cause and effect relationship.
-establishing causality

Question 28

Another strength of behaviourist approach

Answer 28

REAL-WORLD APPLICATION
-The principles of conditioning have been successfully applied in real-life situations, like behaviour modification programmes and behavioural therapies.
-For example, systematic desensitisation, based on the principles of classical conditioning, is widely used in treating phobias and anxieties.
- increases ecological validity

Question 29

Limitation for behaviourist approach ?

Answer 29

OVER-RELIANCE ON ANIMAL RESEARCH
-A lot of the experimental research in behaviourism is conducted using animals
- For example Pavlov’s dogs and Skinner’s rats and pigeons.
- the human mind and behaviour is complex and might not be accurately represented in animal studies.
Lacks mundane realism

Question 30

Another limitation of the behaviourist approach ?

Answer 30

LACK OF FREE WILL

• behaviourism too adamantly advocates determinism, disregarding the concept of free will altogether.
  -This strict stance may not fully encapsulate individuality in human behaviour, which is influenced not just by the environment but also by our capacity to make conscious decisions.
  -lacks external validity