Behaviourist approach assumptions Flashcards
Humans are born like a blank state
> mind is tabularsa - absense of prolonged ideas or predetermined goals , no innate ideas.
Watson - take newborn babies, raise and raise them to be anything and exactly the same - believe nurture shapes human
Humans and animals learn in the same way
> animal studies can be applied to predict and make generalisations about human behaviour
Pavlov - Watson and Raynor’s (classical conditioning - association)
Skinner - token economy system (Hobbs and Holt)
Assumptions
- Humans are born like a blank state
2.Behaviour is learnt through conditioning - Humans and animals learn in the same way
Classical conditioning
association is made between previously unlearned response and a neutral stimulus.
Before:
UCS >UCR
NS > No response
During:
UCS + NS > UCR
After:
CS > CR
Example -
Pavlov
Example - behaviour learned through conditioning
PAVLOV
> classical association
>measured a dog’s output of saliva
> gave the dog food while playing metronome
>played metronome, no food - dog still salivated (associated the sound with food)
Operant conditioning
Learning through consequences and praise
Positive reinforcement - something desirable given = behaviour repeated
Negative reinforcement -
something undesirable taken away = behaviour repeated
Positive punishment -
undesirable = behaviour not repeated
Negative punishment -
desirable taken away = behaviour not repeated
Example -
Skinner box
Example - behaviour learned through conditioning (skinner)
> rat trained to press a leaver in order to receive food
positive reinforcement - something desirable given so behaviour is repeated
Example for - Humans are born like a blank state
Albert Bundara’s Bobo Doll experiment
> Small children
>showed them an adult violently beating a doll up
> see if child reacted the same
> Did the same with adult playing gently
> result - children immitated the adult (even more if of same gender)
Example for - Humans and animals learn in the same way
Hobbs & Holt experiment
> designed a token economy to modify the behaviour of adolescent males.
> focused on social behaviour, rule following and task completion.
> received tokens to spend or save
> Result - appropriate behaviour increased ( but no improvement in comparison cottage)
Relationship formation - Operant conditioning
Reinforcement and punishments drive our behaviour.
New relationship = +reinforcing - attention, compliments, company
so, repeat the behaviour - i.e spend more time
>avoid feelings of loneliness and rejection
feel punished - not in relationship:
nasty comments, excluded from events, decrease likelihood of wanting to be alone
Relationship formation - classical conditioning
like people who are associated with pleasant events.
- meet someone when happy = more likely to like them
Prev neutral stimulus can become + valued because of association with a pleasant event
Relationship formation - pet-owner
pet owners = less likely to suffer from depression, lower blood pressure in stressful situations presence of pet associated with positive feelings e.g companionship and loyalty
