Behaviourist Assumptions Flashcards
Who is the main figure in the behaviourist approach?
John B Watson
What is the first assumption of the behaviourist approach?
Humans are born like a blank slate
What is meant by the term ‘tabula rasa’?
Blank slate
Explain the first assumption ‘humans are born like a blank slate’.
New-borns are born completely neutral and are moulded by their environment and nothing is innate
What is the second assumption of the behaviourist approach?
Behaviour is learnt through conditioning
What is classical conditioning?
Learning through association
What is the aim of classical conditioning?
To produce a behaviour
Describe the stages of classical conditioning.
Stage 1
Unconditioned stimulus (UCS) → Unconditioned response (UCR)
Neutral stimulus (NS) → No response
Stage 2
Unconditioned stimulus (UCS) + Neutral stimulus (NS) → Unconditioned response (UCR)
Stage 3
Conditioned stimulus (CS) → Conditioned response (CR)
What is the example used for classical conditioning?
Pavlov’s dogs - dogs association with bell with food
What is operant conditioning?
Learning through consequence
Explain operant conditioning.
When people behaviour in a particular way and they are rewarded, they will repeat it, if they are punished for it they will not
What is positive reinforcement and what does it do to behaviour?
A reward that increases the likelihood that a behaviour or action will be repeated
Strengthens behaviour
What is negative reinforcement and what does it do to behaviour?
An unpleasant experience is removed when desirable behaviour is performed
Strengthens behaviour
What is punishment and what does it do to behaviour?
A stimulus weakens behaviour as it unpleasant and we aim to avoid it
Weakens behaviour
What is the example used of operant conditioning?
Skinner’s rats
