Behaviourist Approach

Question 1

What is the Behaviourist approach?

Answer 1

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

Question 2

What is Classical conditioning?

Answer 2

Is is learning through association when two stimuli are repeatedly paired together. (Ring bell, get food)

Question 3

What is Operant conditioning?

Answer 3

It is a form of learning in which behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences.

Question 4

What is Reinforcement?

Answer 4

It is a consequence of behaviour that increases the likelihood of that behaviour being repeated,
can be positive or negative.

Question 5

What are the strengths of the behaviourist approach

Answer 5

Gave psychology scientific
credibility. (Observable and measurable)
Used in real-life settings. (token economy)

Question 6

What are the weaknesses of the behaviourist approach

Answer 6

Portrays humans as acting like
machines. (humans
are seen to be passive with no
conscious thought)
Based heavily on animal research, which has ethical and practical issues. (The animals involved in Skinner’s box experiments were exposed to stressful and aversive conditions and thus may have had an impact on their behaviour.)

Question 7

What method is used for the behaviourist approach

Answer 7

Lab experiments

Question 8

What is Neutral Stimulus (NS)?

Answer 8

It is things in the environment for which we have no natural reflex response – don’t usually affect behaviour. (a random bell ringing)

Question 9

What is Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)?

Answer 9

It is an environmental stimulus that naturally causes a reflex response in humans. (Food causes natural reflex responses in humans and dogs)

Question 10

What is Unconditioned response (UCR)?

Answer 10

It is an automatic and unlearned reflex response to an unconditioned stimulus. (Like when animals salivate at food)

Question 11

What is a Conditioned stimulus (CS)?

Answer 11

If a Neutral Stimulus is paired with an Unconditioned Stimulus repeatedly, the two stimuli become associated until the neutral stimulus causes the same response as the UCS. When it does it becomes a conditioned stimulus.
(If a bell (NS) repeatedly and consistently paired with food (UCS). Eventually the bell alone (now a CS) causes a hunger response, salivation.)

Question 12

What is a Conditioned response (CR)?

Answer 12

We show the same response to the NS without the UCS being present – they have learned to respond. (If, every time a dog hears a bell (CS) they salivate (CR) – this is a conditioned response.)

Question 13

What is Positive reinforcement?

Answer 13

It is receiving a reward when behaviour is performed (e.g. praise from a teacher)

Question 14

What is Negative reinforcement?

Answer 14

It is when an person produces behaviour that avoids something unpleasant (e.g. handing in an essay to avoid teacher telling you off)

Question 15

What is a Punishment?

Answer 15

It is an unpleasant consequence of behaviour, for example being shouted at by a teacher for talking when they are. (Finding a way to avoid that would be negative reinforcement).

Question 16

What are the details for skinners rat experiment?

Answer 16

Skinner’s box for rats contained a response lever which could prompt the release of a pellet down a chute so that the rat could eat it.
There were also loudspeakers and lights which acted as visual and auditory signals when needed, which acted as cues in some of the trials.
Finally, the floor was metal and has the capacity to be electrified so that an electric shock could be administered to the rat if the experiment so required.
The electric shock provided punishment to the rats, actions to avoid the shocks would then be reinforced, an example of negative reinforcement.

Question 17

What are the details of Pavlov’s dogs experiment?

Answer 17

To test his theory, Pavlov conducted an experiment where he rang a bell shortly before presenting food to the dogs. Initially, the dogs did not salivate in response to the bell. However, as they learned to associate the sound of the bell with the arrival of food, they began to salivate at the sound alone.