Evaluation Flashcards
- What is one strength of the behaviourist approach?
Real world applications
How have behaviourist principles been applied in real life?
Classical conditioning has been used in therapies like systematic desensitisation to treat phobias.
- Operant conditioning has been used in token economies to shape behaviour in therapy and education.
- Advertising often uses principles of association and classical conditioning to influence consumers.
Why do real-world applications give the behaviourist approach scientific credibility?
Because the successful application of its principles in everyday life shows that psychological theories can have practical benefits, enhancing the credibility of psychology as a science and profession.
What is a major weakness of the behaviourist approach?
It is highly deterministic, meaning it views behaviour as entirely shaped by the environment, with no role for free will.
What does environmental determinism mean in the context of behaviourism?
It means that people are born as blank slates and it is the environment in which shapes us to the humans we are
Why is environmental determinism considered a weakness?
Because it implies people cannot be held personally or morally responsible for their actions, including criminal behaviour, which most people find unacceptable.
