Classical Conditioning & Pavlov's Research (approaches | LA: the Behaviourist Approach)

Question 1

The behaviourist approach assumes that: everyone is

Answer 1

born as a ‘blank slate’ which life writes upon (Watson, 1930)

Question 2

The behaviourist approach assumes that: all behaviour

Answer 2

is learned from the environment e.g. upbringing, neighbourhood, peers, education

Question 3

The behaviourist approach assumes that: behaviour can be understood via a

Answer 3

stimulus-response approach (classical conditioning)

Question 4

The behaviourist approach assumes that: behaviour can be understood via the

Answer 4

mechanisms of reward and reinforcement(operant conditioning)

Question 5

a stimulus-response approach is

Answer 5

classical conditioning

Question 6

the mechanisms of reward and reinforcement is

Answer 6

operant conditioning

Question 7

The behaviourist approach assumes that: behaviours

Answer 7

which can be directly observed only, can be measured

Question 8

The behaviourist approach assumes that: behaviours which can be directly observed only can be measured: imitation

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of specific aggressive behaviours can be observed and measured

Question 9

The behaviourist approach assumes that: behaviours which can be directly observed only can be measured: memory

Answer 9

cannot be measured as it cannot be directly observed

Question 10

The behaviourist approach assumes that: lab-based, scientific methods

Answer 10

are the only way that behaviour can be studied

Question 11

The behaviourist approach assumes that: animal research

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may be used as a basis for understanding human behaviour

Question 12

The behaviourist approach assumes that: repeated

Answer 12

behaviours become internalised and automatic

Question 13

The behaviourist approach assumes that: repeated behaviours become internalised and automatic e.g.

Answer 13

hearing the bell ring for the end of the lesson triggers packing away and moving to the next lesson without any real thought involved

Question 14

The behaviourist approach assumes that: classical conditioning and operant conditioning

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underpin the principles of behaviourism

Question 15

The behaviourist approach assumes that which two things underpin the principles of behaviourism

Answer 15

classical conditioning and operant conditioning

Question 16

classical Conditioning (CC) is

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learning via association and is one of the core assumptions of the behaviourist approach

Question 17

CC occurs when

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a neutral stimulus is substituted for the original unconditioned stimulus to produce a conditioned response

Question 18

An unconditioned stimulus produces

Answer 18

a natural, unforced response i.e. no animal or human has to learn how to feel hunger

Question 19

The mechanisms of CC are as follows: the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) is

Answer 19

the starting point

Question 20

The mechanisms of CC are as follows: the US is

Answer 20

a stimulus that produces an unconditioned response (UCR)

Question 21

The mechanisms of CC are as follows: the US is a stimulus that produces an unconditioned response (UCR): food is

Answer 21

an UCS as it is a natural, physiological reflexThe UCR to food being presented is to salivate/feel hungry

Question 22

The mechanisms of CC are as follows: the UCS is paired

Answer 22

with a neutral stimulus (NS)

Question 23

The mechanisms of CC are as follows: the UCS is paired with a neutral stimulus (NS): one which

Answer 23

ordinarily and on its own, does not produce a strong response (neither positive nor negative) e.g. a tone being sounded

Question 24

The mechanisms of CC are as follows: when the UCS is paired

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with the NS the response continues to be the UCR, as a result of the UCS

Question 25

The mechanisms of CC are as follows: after repeated pairings

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the NS is presented on its own and elicits the UCR e.g. salivation

Question 26

The mechanisms of CC are as follows: the NS has thus become

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the conditioned stimulus (CS) and the salivation has become the conditioned response (CR)

Question 27

The mechanisms of CC are as follows: when the CS

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is presented it will result in the CR

Question 28

The mechanisms of CC are as follows: the CR is

Answer 28

generally not as strong as the UCR

Question 29

The mechanisms of CC are as follows: after some time

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the NS must be paired with the UCS again otherwise extinction will occur

Question 30

extinction is when

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the NS fails to elicit the CR

Question 31

the mechanisms of classical conditioning were discovered accidentally by

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Pavlov (1897), a physiologist who was measuring the volume of specific enzymes in dog saliva

Question 32

Pavlov had been working with dogs in his lab:

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the dogs were attached to an apparatus which held them in place and collected their saliva

Question 33

Pavlov noticed that the dogs began to salivate before they saw or smelt their food

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they began to salivate when they heard the footsteps of the lab assistants approaching (the dogs had learned that these footsteps = food)

Question 34

Pavlov was astounded by this discovery as he believed

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the dogs should only salivate when presented with the UCS - food - rather than an NS (footsteps)

Question 35

To test what he had just discovered he set up the following procedure:

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• the dog is given food as usual (UCS)
• the dog salivates when it sees and smells the food (UCR)
• a bell is sounded (NS) every time the dog is given food (UCS)
• a bell is sounded every time the food is presented (the pairing of NS and UCS)
• after repeated pairings, the dog salivates when it hears the bell
• the bell has become the CS
• the dog salivating to the sound of the bell has become the CR
• the dog continues to salivate to the bell however when Pavlov stopped pairing the bell and the food he found that the CR decreased and gradually disappeared (known as ‘extinction’)

Question 36

Pavlov’s classical conditioning procedure diagram

Answer 36

Question 37

Evaluation of classical conditioning & Pavlov’s research
Strengths:
- The use of

Answer 37

scientific methods (e.g. lab experiments)

Question 38

Evaluation of classical conditioning & Pavlov’s research
Strengths
- The use of scientific methods (e.g. lab experiments), reliability

Answer 38

is based on the use of a testable hypothesis

Question 39

Evaluation of classical conditioning & Pavlov’s research
Strengths
- The use of scientific methods (e.g. lab experiments), hypothesis

Answer 39

testing takes place in controlled conditions using standardised, replicable procedures

Question 40

Evaluation of classical conditioning & Pavlov’s research
Strengths
- The use of scientific methods (e.g. lab experiments), the above measures produce results

Answer 40

which should show consistency over time

Question 41

Evaluation of classical conditioning & Pavlov’s research
Strengths
- The use of scientific methods (e.g. lab experiments), thus

Answer 41

research into behaviourism has good reliability

Question 42

Evaluation of classical conditioning & Pavlov’s research
Strengths
- Behaviourism takes a

Answer 42

nomothetic approach which is a strength as it seeks to establish general laws of behaviour which can be applied universally to all people

Question 43

nomothetic approach is

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an approach that aims to establish general principles and laws through quantitative research methods that involve studying large samples of individuals to identify patterns or trends across populations

Question 44

Evaluation of classical conditioning & Pavlov’s research
Limitations
- Whilst classical conditioning

Answer 44

may explain some forms of behaviour, it cannot explain all behaviour

Question 45

Evaluation of classical conditioning & Pavlov’s research
Limitations
- Whilst classical conditioning may explain some forms of behaviour, it cannot explain all behaviour, e.g. behaviour which is

Answer 45

spontaneous or original e.g. dyeing your hair bright blue

Question 46

Evaluation of classical conditioning & Pavlov’s research
Limitations
- Whilst classical conditioning may explain some forms of behaviour, it cannot explain all behaviour, e.g. behaviour which

Answer 46

resists conditioning e.g. someone who has been brought up in a strict religious environment who goes on to reject that religion

Question 47

Evaluation of classical conditioning & Pavlov’s research
Limitations
- Whilst classical conditioning may explain some forms of behaviour, it cannot explain all behaviour, this means

Answer 47

that classical conditioning has limited external validity

Question 48

Evaluation of classical conditioning & Pavlov’s research
Limitations
- Behaviourism is highly

Answer 48

deterministic (environmental determinism)

Question 49

Evaluation of classical conditioning & Pavlov’s research
Limitations
- Behaviourism is highly deterministic (environmental determinism), the assumption is

Answer 49

that people are controlled by environmental forces and have little autonomy over their destiny

Question 50

Evaluation of classical conditioning & Pavlov’s research
Limitations
- Behaviourism is highly deterministic (environmental determinism), the assumption is that people are controlled by environmental forces and have little autonomy over their destiny, this assumption

Answer 50

negates the role of free will in behaviour which reduces the usefulness of the approach, seeing people in almost mechanical terms