Behaviourist Approach Flashcards
Describe the Behaviourist Assumption of ‘The Blank Slate’
Behaviourist psychologists believe that when we are born, our mind is a tabula rasa (‘blank slate’ in latin) and all we have at birth is the capacity to learn. Therefore, the associations we make in early life and the reinforcement/punishments we receive determine our behaviour and responses later in life. This is known as environmental determinism; The idea that.
Describe the Behaviourist Assumption of ‘Behaviour is Learnt Via Conditioning.’
Behaviourist Psychologists human behaviour is learn via the technique of conditioning. Two types of conditioning are Classical Conditioning and Operant Conditioning.
Classical Conditioning suggests we learn by association between a stimulus and a response. E.g. Pavlov accidentally discovered a conditioned response from his dogs. Pavlov presented his dogs with food (an Unconditioned Stimulus) which resulted in the dogs salivating (Unconditioned Response). Pavlov then introduced a bell (Neutral Stimulus) at the same time as presenting the food (Unconditioned Stimulus). Over time, the bell and the food became associated in the dogs’ minds until eventually, when Pavlov rang the bell (Conditioned Stimulus), it resulted in the dogs salivating (Conditioned Response).
Operant Conditioning suggests behaviour is learnt via positive/negative reinforcements/punishments. Positive reinforcement involves introducing a stimulus to make a behaviour more likely to be repeated (such as stickers for good behaviour), whereas negative reinforcements involve taking away a stimulus to make a behaviour more likely to be repeated (such as removal of chores). Positive punishment is the introduction of a stimulus to make a behaviour less likely to be repeated, whereas negative punishment is the removal of a stimulus to make a behaviour less likely to be repeated.
Describe the Behaviourist Assumption that “Humans Learn Like Animals.”
Behaviourist psychologists believe that the way in which humans and animals learn behaviour is fundamentally the same, the only difference between animals and humans is quantitative and regards structure such as brain size.
As a result, findings from animal studies can be generalised to predict human behaviour. For example, Pavlov used dogs to develop the concept of classical conditioning (used in both humans and animals).
Briefly describe how each assumption of the Behaviourist Approach can explain a human behaviour.
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Describe the Methodology and Procedure (combined as they are very similar) of Watson & Rayner’s study: “Little Albert”
Methodology: This investigation was a controlled observation, focusing on one male infant (9 months old) known as ‘Little Albert.’
Procedure:
- Albert was opportunity sampled from a hospital where his mother worked, he was observed to be an emotionally stable child.
- The investigation began by putting Little Albert through ‘emotional tests’ to establish an unconditioned fear response that Watson & Rayner could use in the observations. Albert was discovered to have an unconditioned fear of loud bangs, made by a steel bar being hit with a hammer behind his head.
The Sessions:
- Session 1 (11 months, 3 days old)
Watson & Rayner presented Albert with two combinations of the rat + bang.
- Session 2 (11 months, 10 days)
initial response to rat was checked, then five combinations of rat + bang.
- Session 3 (11 months, 15 days)
initial response to rat was checked. a control stimulus of wooden blocks was introduced. generalisability of phobia was checked, testing response towards other fluffy white stimuli.
- Session 4 (11 months, 20 days)
moved to a new environment, combination of rat + bang.
- Session 5 (11 months, 21 days)
initial response to rat checked, control stimulus used again, response to other fluffy stimuli checked.
Describe the Findings of Watson & Rayner’s study: “Little Albert”
Findings:
- Session 1 (11 months, 3 days old)
Didn’t cry at first, showed emotional response to second combination of rat + bang.
- Session 2 (11 months, 10 days)
Showed no initial reaction to rat. after 5x combinations of rat + bang, Albert was very emotionally distressed and crawling away.
- Session 3 (11 months, 15 days)
Showed fear towards rat, no response to wooden blocks, apprehension towards rabbit (one of the generalisation testers)
- Session 4 (11 months, 20 days)
Initial apprehension towards rat. after combination fear was stronger. no response to wooden blocks.
- Session 5 (11 months, 21 days)
Negative response to rat and other generalisation testers. no response to blocks.
Conclusions:
Phobias can be acquired through conditioning. Phobias can also be generalised.
Describe the main components of Systematic Desensitisation.
SD involves three main stages:
Step 1: SD begins with teaching the client a range of relaxation techniques – these will be applied at each stage of the therapy - that will allow the client to establish a new stimulus-response link to the phobic object, e.g. a spider. This is known as reciprocal inhibition because the relaxation inhibits (prevents) the anxiety. Over time, the client will move from responding with fear to the stimulus to a more relaxed response. This is known as counter-conditioning.
Step 2: The client and the therapist then work together to construct a desensitisation hierarchy which is a series of different scenarios, each one provoking more anxiety than the next (eg. imagining a spider to being near a real spider). This therapy would traditionally have taken place using in-vivo desensitisation – this is where the client would confront the phobic stimulus in real life (eg. holding a spider). As our understanding has developed, in-vitro desensitisation has become more common – this is where the client is asked to ‘imagine’ the phobic stimulus (eg. Imagining the spider).
Step 3: The client and therapist gradually work their way through the desensitisation hierarchy from the least anxiety-provoking step to the most. At each stage, the client masters the relaxation techniques and must demonstrate a calm, relaxed response before moving up a step.
Systematic desensitisation is only complete when the process of counter-conditioning has been successful and the client is able to reach the top step of the desensitisation hierarchy. The client has unlearnt the phobic response to the stimulant and has replaced it with a learnt response of calm.
