Behaviourist approach ‘blank slate’

Question 1

Define what is meant by ‘blank slate’

Answer 1

Blank slate assumption states that our behaviour is learnt and dependent upon our interactions and experiences with the environment.

Question 2

Explain what is meant by ‘blank slate’

Answer 2

Behaviourists argue that babies are born almost completely neutral, with only the most basic of responses (crying, pain, hunger) and will be moulded by the environment.​

The environment determines how we will behave based on our past experiences, new experiences, associations we make, reinforcement we receive and observations we make of other people.​

This also means that people do not have any free will over their own behaviour

Question 3

Examples of the ‘blank slate’

Answer 3

Bandura carried out research into learning behaviour with his Bobo doll study. ​

Children were either exposed to an aggressive model or a non-aggressive model.​

Those who watched an aggressive model with a bobo doll were more likely to repeat the aggressive behaviour by kicking, punching and throwing the bobo doll, as well as creating novel ways to be aggressive.​

Those who did not see an aggressive model did not display aggressive behaviour.​

This demonstrates the children had learnt aggression via their environment as opposed to it being innate