History of Learning (2)

Question 1

How did Watson believe behaviour could be analysed?

Answer 1

In terms of stimulus and response (S-R).

Question 2

What did Watson believe about theories?

Answer 2

That they should be kept simple.

Question 3

What kind of process did Watson believe learning to be?

Answer 3

A mechanistic one.

Question 4

What did Watson believe about reflexes and basic emotions?

Answer 4

That few of them are inherited.

Question 5

What was Watson’s goal with his methodological behaviourism concept?

Answer 5

To break down behaviour into irreducible constructs.

Question 6

What is operant conditioning (also known as trial-and-error learning)?

Answer 6

A type of associative learning in which a voluntary motor behaviour is strengthened or weakened, depending on its favourable or unfavourable consequences.

Question 7

What type of learning is linked to associationism?

Answer 7

Trial-and-error learning

Question 8

Which three laws of learning did Thorndike (1874 - 1949) propose?

Answer 8

• The law of exercise
• The law of effect
• The law of recency

Question 9

To what does Thorndike’s law of exercise refer?

Answer 9

To the idea that practice increases stimulus-response links.

Question 10

To what does Thorndike’s law of effect refer?

Answer 10

To the idea that behaviours with outcomes that are positive are more likely to occur in the future, and that behaviours with outcomes that are negative are less likely to occur in the future.

Question 11

To what does Thorndike’s law of recency refer?

Answer 11

To the idea that recent behaviours are more likely to re-occur.

Question 12

How did behaviourists respond to the allegation that apes do not seem to exhibit trial-and-error learning patterns?

Answer 12

By combatting that thinking essentially consists of covert internal mediational behaviours.

Question 13

With which philosopher’s approach did Hull disagree in line with his discovery of neobehaviourism?

Answer 13

With Watson’s approach.

Question 14

Which of Watson’s ideas did Hull reject?

Answer 14

With the idea that unobservable events were unable to be studied.

Question 15

Why did Hull refute Watson’s idea that unobservable events couldn’t be studied, using the example of measuring thirst based on the number of minutes since someone last had a drink?

Answer 15

Because there are potential processes that could mediate between environment and behaviour (having a drink).

Question 16

With which three concepts of Watson’s did Hull agree?

Answer 16

• With the idea that mentalism must go.
• With the stimulus-response (S-R) approach to learning (that behaviour manifests itself as a result of the interplay between a stimulus and a response).
• That learning is a mechanistic process (a machine-like process).

Question 17

With which two philosophers did Tolman disagree?

Answer 17

With both Watson and Hull.

Question 18

How did Tolman’s analysis of behaviour differ from that of Watson and that of Hull?

Answer 18

Tolman analysed behaviour more holistically, rather than simply a series of stimulus-response (S-R) connections.

Question 19

How did Tolman view behaviour?

Answer 19

As “goal-directed”.

Question 20

Which school of thought was influenced by Gestalt psychologists?

Answer 20

Tolman’s cognitive behaviourism

Question 21

Which two concepts did Tolman apply to his analysis of behaviour?

Answer 21

• That a whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
• That internal cognitive processes (such as expectations and hypotheses) guide behaviour, as well as physiological processes.