Behaviourist Approach

Question 1

Assumption of behaviourist?

Answer 1

• Regard all behaviour as a response to a stimulus
• What we do is determined by the environment which provides stimuli which we respond to, and the environments in the past which has caused us to learn to respond to stimuli in particular ways
• Unnecessary to speculate about internal processes it is enough to know about stimuli elicit responses
• We are born a blank slate and a persons complex behaviours are the result of learning through environment

Question 2

Strengths of behaviourist?

Answer 2

• Based on objective data (scientific), theories able to be tested under lab conditions and replicable
• assumes tat all behaviour can be learned and unlearned which means we can control and change behaviour using behaviourist techniques. (Watson Raynor phobic response learned) therefore offers number of treatments for phobias (systematic desensitisation based on conditioning)

Question 3

Limitations of behaviourist?

Answer 3

• ignores biological explanations that some behaviours are inherited (gottesman and shields - lower RH seek arousal fearless temperament)
• early research centred on animals can not always be generalised to humans as complexity of human thought feeling behaviour is more sophisticated than thought (skinners study on rats used operant conditioning do rats pulled lever to get food)

Question 4

Similarities between behaviour and bio approaches?

Answer 4

• reductionist as ignore other factors and believe that one causal factor is responsible for behaviour (genetics and S-R) Maguire hippocampus responsible for navigation spatial awareness. Type of model caused behaviour in bandura when observing.

Question 5

Differences between behaviour and bio approaches?

Answer 5

Bio that behaviour is caused by nature genetics (gottesman)

Behav enviro little albert fear through

Question 6

How has behaviourism helped our understanding of evry day life?

Answer 6

-changed our understanding of what young children should be exposed to
-social learning theory where are behaviour is learnt by watching others
-bandura aggressive model = aggressive
-children simply model what they see, has had an influence on our attitude to violent tv and video games
-Some born more aggressive bio/ignores mental processes so theres a lot more factors that cause probs not just enviro
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