HUMANS ARE BORN A BLANK SLATE

Question 1

starting sentence for this paragraph

Answer 1

One assumption of the behaviourist approach is how humans are born like a blank slate

Question 2

what do behaviourists believe in this assumption -explain

Answer 2

Behaviourists believe we are born with a “tabula rasa” (blank slate), meaning we have no in-built mental content. They argue that behaviour is learned from interactions with the environment, not driven by internal thoughts or emotions. This emphasises nurture over nature, suggesting environmental factors shape behaviour more than innate biological ones. This is called environmental determinism.

Question 3

what is an example of this in psychology

Answer 3

An example of this in psychology is criminal behaviour. Children learn behaviour through observation
and imitation.

Question 4

example-criminal behaviour

Answer 4

Children learn behaviour through observation and imitation. If they grow up in an environment with criminal behaviour, they are more likely to imitate it. Criminal behaviour can also be learned through vicarious reinforcement if a child sees a peer rewarded for a crime (e.g., praise), they may imitate it to receive the same reward. This also explains why some avoid crimes to escape punishment.