Behaviourist Components

Question 1

Perspective focusing on only observable behaviour

Answer 1

Behaviourism

Question 2

Briefly describe Pavlov’s classical conditioning

Answer 2

Form association between two types of stimuli…

Unconditioned (US): automatically provokes a response (UR)

Conditioned (CS): does not provoke the response

During conditioning, pair CS and US repeatedly

Question 3

Describe John Watson’s “Little Albert” experiment

Answer 3

Before Training:
Noise (US) -> Fear (UR)
Rat (CS) -> No response

During Training:
Noise (US) -> Fear (UR)
Rat (CS) presented at the same time

After Training:
Rat (CS) -> Fear (CR)

Second Order Conditioning:
Rat (CS) -> Fear (CR)
Cage presented at the same time

After Second Order Conditioning:
Cage (CS2) -> Fear (CR)

Question 4

Describe an extinction procedure

Answer 4

Present CS without US
Lose CR to CS

Question 5

A once-extinguished CR returns

Answer 5

Spontaneous recovery

Question 6

Why doesn’t extinction often happen naturally?

Answer 6

Avoidance

Question 7

CR appears due to a range of CS-like stimuli

Answer 7

Generalization

Question 8

The strength of the response is relative to how similar the stimulus is to the original stimulus

Answer 8

Generalization gradient

Question 9

CR is very specific to CS

Answer 9

Discrimination

Question 10

How does conditioning relate to neuroticism?

Answer 10

Neuroticism develops when its very difficult to determine the discriminant stimulus

Question 11

Describe a modern approach to systemic desensitization

Answer 11

Using VR techniques for systematic desensitization of phobias

Question 12

Describe Skinner’s operant conditioning as it relates to personality

Answer 12

Personality as a series of reinforcements

No need to consider inner structures of personality

Study of effect of environmental conditions on observable behavior

Deterministic theory (no free will)

Question 13

Describe the three main components/steps of operant conditioning

Answer 13

1) A baseline rate of behaviour is observed.

2) A consequence of the behaviour is introduced.

3) As the result of the consequence, there is a change in the rate of occurrence of the behaviour.

Question 14

Describe the types of reinforcement and punishment in terms of the stimulus and its effect on behaviour

Answer 14

Positive reinforcement: Stimulus added, behaviour increases

Negative reinforcement: Stimulus removed, behaviour increases

Positive punishment: Stimulus added, behaviour decreases

Negative punishment: Stimulus removed, behaviour decreases

Question 15

Provide examples of a pigeon displaying discrimination, extinction, and generalization behaviours (operant conditioning)

Answer 15

Generalization: teach a pigeon to peck a red key to get food; learns to peck any key

Discrimination: give food when pigeon pecks red but not yellow key; learns to peck red key

Extinction: stop delivering food for pecking key; stops pecking

Question 16

Increase of conditioned behaviour when extinction process begins

Answer 16

Extinction burst

Question 17

Reinforcing successive approximations of a ( possibly complex) desired behaviour

Answer 17

Shaping

Question 18

Describe the four key points that summarize behaviourism as it relates to personality

Answer 18

Environment is everything

Personality is simply learned behaviour (so it can be unlearned)

Any organism can have a ‘personality’

Personality is the sum of everything you do

Question 19

Describe Clark Hull’s application of behaviourism to personality

Answer 19

Learning for the purpose of drive reduction

Key difference: learning is influenced by internal state of organism.

Question 20

Describe the three key components of social learning theory and the key difference when compared to behaviorism

Answer 20

Habit hierarchy: Develops through learning (rewards and punishments)

Drive reduction (primary and secondary drives): Behaviour only increases if it satisfies a drive

Responses can generalize beyond initial setting (learned)

Key difference: learning changes internal, unobservable hierarchy of habits