Behaviourist approach Flashcards
What is the behavioural approach?
A way of explaining behaviour in terms of what is observed in terms of learning
What is the behavioural model?
Focused on behaviour being measured and observed and states that all behaviour is learnt and involves the same processes for animals and humans.
How is the behavioural model different from introspection?
Introspection was rejected by Watson as it was too vague and difficult to measure, behaviourism maintains more control and objectivity within research and relies on laboratory experiments
classical conditioning
a learning process that occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired; a response that is at first elicited by the second stimulus is eventually elicited by the first stimulus alone.
Who studied classical conditioning?
Pavlov (1904)
How did Pavlov study classical conditioning?
Dogs conditioned to salivate to a bell, if a bell is repeatedly presented at the same time as food is presented.
Both stimuli would be associated together so that the dog would learn to associate the sound of the bell with food and will then salivate.
At the end of the conditioning process, the dog will learn to salivate when they hear the bell (alone)
What is the unconditioned stimulus in Pavlov’s experiment?
Food
What is the unconditioned response in Pavlov’s experiment?
dog salivating
What is the neutral stimulus in Pavlov’s experiment?
bell (presented alone without food)
How does classical conditioning work?
An unconditioned stimulus is repeatedly paired with the neutral stimulus to produce salivation
What does the neutral stimulus become after conditioning?
conditioned stimulus
what does the unconditioned stimulus become after classical conditioning?
conditioned response
What are the three principles of classical conditioning?
generalisation, discrimination, extinction
generalisation
Stimuli similar to the original conditioned stimuli will cause the conditioned response
discrimination
Stimuli similar to the original conditioned stimuli will not produce the conditioned response. This can be done by withholding the unconditioned stimulus
Extinction
The conditioned response is not produced because of the stimulus. This occurs when the conditioned stimulus is presented without the unconditioned stimulus
What are the advantages of classical conditioning?
+ research evidence to support cc explaining the development of learning and phobias. Pavlov and little albert
+ model can be easily tested and scientifically measured helping objectivity and replication
+ Research has helped apply classical conditioning to treatments of psychological disorders
+ successful in explaining how learning can occur in animals and young children
What are the disadvantages of classical conditioning?
- Little albert study lacks ecological validity
- Menzies criticises it
- views humans and animals as passive recipients who have machine like responses to stimuli in the environment minimising free will, deterministic
- ignores the role of genes hormones evolution and neutral mechanisms
Menzies
criticises the behavioural model and classical conditioning because only 2% of people with hydrophobia had negative experiences with water and 50% with dog phobia had never had a bad experience so learning cannot be a factor
operant conditioning
a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcement or diminished if followed by a punishment
positive reinforcement
Receiving something positive when carrying out a behaviour for example getting a reward sticker when homework is done well so the high standard is continued
negative reinforcement
performing a behaviour in order to avoid something unpleasant and therefore the behaviour continues in the future for example doing homework to avoid a detention so you always do it
punishment
unpleasant consequences caused by certain behaviours for example you have not completed and handed in your homework so your teachers shouts at you and the solution would be to complete homework to avoid being shouted at
Skinners research
Conducted research on pigeons and rats in a device called ‘The Skinner Box’ which was a cage with loud speakers, lights, a lever, a door and a floor which could be electrified.
How did Skinners research include ‘positive reinforcement’?
One rat at a time would be placed in the skinner box and allowed to run round and a rat may accidentally press the lever and get rewarded by food
The rat would continue to press the lever to receive more food and this is learnt
How did Skinners research include ‘negative reinforcement’?
The rat could also learn that by pressing the lever they could avoid something unpleasant. An example is that by pressing a lever the rat could avoid receiving an electric shock
Extinction
the diminishing of a conditioned response
spontaneous recovery
the reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response
schedules of reinforcement
different methods of reinforcement
What are the methods of reinforcement?
continuous, fixed interval, fixed ratio
What are the advantages of operant conditioning?
+ Research evidence from Paul and Lentz and real world
+ Skinner used experimental method. High control to establish cause and effect
+ Nurture debate supports skinner
How is operant conditioning seen in the real world?
Token economy is used in prisons and hospitals and act as behaviour modification, awarding appropriate behaviour with tokens that can be exchanged for privileges
Paul and Lentz (1977)
Used token economy to treat patients with schizophrenia and their behaviour became more appropriate
What are the disadvantages of operant conditioning?
- Ignores freewill, Skinner is deterministic
- Ethical issues with animals used by Skinner
- Ignores biological approach
