Evaluation Flashcards
Scientific
John B. Watson (the founder of behaviourism) recognised that Pavlov’s work on conditioned reflexes could be used to create an objective and therefore scientific psychology.
Behaviourism continues to embody the truly scientific approach, seeking to study behaviour that’s observable and directly measurable.
(Rather than study intangible constructs such as thoughts and feelings)
Behaviourists believe that through the use of scientific methods, we can analyse, quantify and compare behaviour.
A scientific approach like this is advantageous because it enables us to distinguish mere beliefs from real facts.
When it comes to treatments for mental disorders, people want evidence to show that such treatments have been successful rather than just being asked to believe that they work.
Therefore, the scientific approach is desirable.
Successful applications
Behaviourist principles have been successfully applied in the real world, most notably in the treatment of mental disorders and in education.
Examples:
Classical conditioning principles have been applied in systematic desensitisation to help people suffering from phobias.
In education, operant conditioning underlies successful teaching strategies.
Positive reinforcement and punishment have helped shape behaviour in the classroom, as well as in the school environment in general.
B.F. Skinner (1954)
Specifically applied the principles of operant conditioning to teaching, designing and a mechanical programmed instruction device.
Skinner believed that classroom teaching was often ineffective because different students learn at different rates, and reinforcements are therefore too variable to be effective.
Reinforcements are also delayed due to the lack of individual attention.
Skinner’s concept of a teaching machine meant that each student could work at his / her own pace and receive reinforcements that would encourage future learning.
Every time the answer is right, the student is reinforced, and every time the answer is wrong, further explanation is offered.
Feedback is immediate and therefore more effective. Feedback is also positive, which is more encouraging than negative feedback. The machine also breaks down the learning process into small steps so that the student receives frequent rewards.
Focus on the here and now
The behaviourist approach is not concerned with events in a person’s past. Other approaches seek to explain a person’s behaviour in terms of things that happened in childhood or in terms of innate factors.
The behaviourist approach means that the treatment of mental disorders doesn’t look for complicated causes but just focuses on the current symptoms and trying to remove them.
Systematic desensitisation
Systematic desensitisation seeks to treat undesirable behaviour by teaching a new stimulus-response link between the feared situation and relaxation.
No attempt is made to understand why the phobia might’ve developed in the first place – removal of the symptoms is the sole aim of the treatment.
Focus on the here and now - evaluation
Some people prefer such a direct approach, and the success of such therapies suggest that it’s not always necessary to look for deep meanings.
On the other hand, the approach doesn’t work for all people or all disorders. This suggests that a focus on the here and now isn’t always sufficient.
Determinist
Behaviourists believe that behaviour is influenced almost exclusively by the associations we make between certain environmental stimuli (classical conditioning), or the rewards / punishments provided by our environment (operant conditioning).
Therefore, people are controlled by external factors.
Determinist - evaluation
This determinist approach doesn’t consider the thought processes that occur before we behave in a certain way and suggests that we’re not making a choice when we behave.
This view undermines the free will that we have as human beings when making such decisions.
More relevant to animals than humans
Behaviourism has its roots in experiments with non- human animals such as the research by Pavlov and Skinner.
Wolpe (1958)
Systematic desensitisation was initially developed in research with animals.
Wolpe created a phobia in cats by placing them in cages and administering repeated electric shocks.
He then found he could reduce this learned anxiety response by placing food near a cage that was similar to the original.
The act of eating diminished their anxiety response (reciprocal inhibition), and gradually the cats could be placed in cages that were more and more similar to the original cages without symptoms of anxiety.
Nature VS Nurture
The approach focuses exclusively on the surrounding environment as a means of shaping behaviour – the Nurture side of the Nature Vs Nurture debate.
Behaviourists ignore the role of Nature.
Example:
They wouldn’t consider how our genetic make-up could influence personality and behaviour.
The role of external factors are also exaggerated.
Our behaviour is governed by many internal factors too such as motivation, emotion and innate abilities.
