Behaviourist Approach Flashcards
What is classical conditioning
Learning through association
What ids operant conditioning
Learning through past consequences
What is positive reinforcement
Providing something pleasant
Results in the behaviour being repeated
What is negative reinforcement
Taking away something unpleasant
Results in yet the behaviour being repeated
What is spontaneous recovery
The sudden reappearance if the CR after a period of time
What is an unconditioned stimulus
An environmental stimulus that naturally causes a reflex response in humans/animals
What is a conditioned stimulus
A NS that has been paired with an UCS multiple times,the 2 stimuli become associated with the NS until the NS automatically causes the same response as the UCS. This then becomes the CS
What is stimulus generalisation
The tendency for a stimulus simular to the CS to elicit the same response
What is an unconditioned response
Automatic and unlearned reflex response to an unconditioned stimulus
What is a neutral stimulus
Things in the environment where humans have no natural reflex response before conditioning
What is stimulus discrimination
Having a response to some stimuli but not others
Weakness: animal
I: evidence supporting approach is often based on animal research
E: findings from animal research is extrapolated to humans, critics argue that we cannot generalise these findings as humans anew more advanced
C: means behavioural approaches may not provide a valid explanation of how behaviours are learnt in human beings
Strength: practical
I: practical applications in the real world
E: can treat phobias through systematic desensitisation
Used in advertising (coca cola)
Token economies
C: behavioural approach improve the lives of people in the real world
