Behaviourist Approaches Ao3

Question 1

Strength - uses well controlled research

Answer 1

E- measurement of observable behaviour takes place within a controlled lab setting
E- behaviourists break down behaviour into stimulus response units and studied casual relationships
E- this suggests that behaviourist experiment can have scientific credibility

Question 2

Strength - principles of conditioning have applied to a broard range of real world behaviours and problems

Answer 2

E- token economy system reward good behaviour with tokens that can be exchanged for privileges
E- this is shown to work in prisons and psych wards
E- this therefore increases the value of the behaviourist approach because it has wide spread application

Question 3

Limitation - approach is ethical issues

Answer 3

E- producers such as the skinner box allowed behaviourists to maintain a high degree of control over their experimantal subject
E- however the animals were housed in harsh, cramped conditions.
E- therefore there is a question of benefits versus costs which some would argue that there have been enormous benefits (application of theory) which offsets the harm the animals experience

Question 4

Limitation - behaviourism is a form of environmental determinism

Answer 4

E- the approach sees all behaviour as determined by past experiences that have ben conditioned and ignores any influnce that free will may have on behaviour
E- skinner suggests free will was an illusion, when something happens we may think ‘i made that decision to do that’ but our past conditioning determined the outcome.
E- this ignores the influence of conscious decision making processes of Behaviour