Learning Approaches: The Behaviourist Approach

Question 1

Define the Behaviourist Approach

Answer 1

An approach to psychology that explains behaviour through learning, specifically through conditioning in the environment

Question 2

When did the Behaviourist Approach start?

Answer 2

Early 1900s

Question 3

Who ‘started’ the Behaviourist Approach?

Answer 3

Watson - wrote ‘Psychology as the Behaviourist sees it’

Question 4

Why did the Behaviourist Approach emerge?

Answer 4

Rejected the current position of psychology, with a focus on introspection
Wanted to increase objectivity, looking at observable behaviour to find a cause-effect relationship

Question 5

Who are the key figures in the Behaviourist Approach?

Answer 5

• Watson
• Pavlov
• Skinner

Question 6

Outline the key assumptions of the Behaviourist Approach

Answer 6

• Babies begin as a ‘tabula rasa’
• All behaviour is learned through classical + operant conditioning
• Animals can be studied, because behaviour is learnt similarly
• Psychology should be objective + scientific by looking at observable behaviour in a controlled environment
• All behaviour can be reduced down to a simple stimulus-response

Question 7

What is a ‘tabula rasa’?

Answer 7

A blank slate

Question 8

What are the two types of conditioning?

Answer 8

• Classical conditioning

- Operant conditioning

Question 9

Define classical conditioning

Answer 9

Learning by association. 
Two stimuli (unconditioned + neutral) are paired together until they both produce the same (conditioned) response.

Question 10

Outline the process of classical conditioning

Answer 10

BEFORE CONDITIONING:

• Neutral stimulus -> No response
• Unconditioned stimulus -> Unconditioned response

CONDITIONING
- Neutral stimulus + unconditioned stimulus -> unconditioned response

AFTER CONDITIONING
- Conditioned stimulus -> Conditioned response

Question 11

What happens to the neutral stimulus in classical conditioning?

Answer 11

It is paired with the unconditioned stimulus repeatedly until it elicits the same response even without the unconditioned stimulus
(It becomes the ‘conditioned stimulus’ eliciting the ‘conditioned response’)

Question 12

Define generalisation of stimuli. What type of conditioning does it occur in?

Answer 12

When stimuli similar to the conditioned stimuli begin to elicit the same conditioned response
(E.g. Santa mask elicits same fear response as rat - Little Albert)

(Classical)

Question 13

Define discrimination of stimuli. What type of conditioning does it occur in?

Answer 13

The opposite of generalisation of stimuli.
Generalisation doesn’t happen, so similar stimuli to the conditioned stimulus don’t elicit the conditioned response.

(Classical)

Question 14

Define higher order conditioning. What type of conditioning does it occur in?

Answer 14

When a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an old conditioned stimulus (instead of unconditioned stimulus) + is conditioned to produce the same response

(Classical)

Question 15

Define extinction. What type of conditioning does it occur in?

Answer 15

When the learnt behaviour/association is lost

Classical + operant

Question 16

Define spontaneous recovery. What type of conditioning does it occur in?

Answer 16

When an extinct behaviour/association returns (+ is learnt faster, for the second time)

(Classical + operant)

Question 17

Who theorised classical conditioning?

Answer 17

Pavlov (1927)

Question 18

How was classical conditioning theorised?

Answer 18

Pavlov conditioned dogs to associate the sound of a bell (neutral) with food (unconditioned) so that they would produce the same response of salivation when the bell was rung but there was no food

Question 19

Outline the process of Pavlov’s dogs being classically conditioned

Answer 19

BEFORE CONDITIONING

• Bell (neutral stimulus) -> No response
• Food (unconditioned stimulus) -> Salivation (unconditioned response)

CONDITIONING
- Bell (neutral stimulus) + Food (unconditioned stimulus) -> Salivation (unconditioned response)

AFTER CONDITIONING
- Bell (conditioned stimulus) -> Salivation (conditioned response)

Question 20

What experiment was completed that involved the conditioning of a human + generalisation of stimuli?

Answer 20

Little Albert (completed by Watson + Raynor)

Question 21

Outline the Little Albert experiment

Answer 21

• Little Albert presented with a rat + showed no fear (neutral)
• Little Albert played a loud banging noise + showed fear (unconditioned)
• The rat continuously presented with the loud banging noise
• Little Albert was classically conditioned to associate the rat with the loud banging + elicit a conditioned fear response when seeing the rat
• This fear response was generalised to stimuli that looked like the conditioned stimulus (rat), e.g. Santa mask

Question 22

Define operant conditioning

Answer 22

Learning through consequences.

Positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement + punishment allow for the learning of a behaviour.

Question 23

Define positive reinforcement

Answer 23

Behaviour is increased, in hope of receiving a positive consequence/reward

Question 24

Define negative reinforcement

Answer 24

Behaviour is increased, in hope of avoiding a negative consequence

Question 25

Define punishment

Answer 25

Behaviour is decreased, in hope of avoiding a negative consequence

Question 26

Who theorised operant conditioning?

Answer 26

Skinner (1953)

Question 27

How was operant conditioning theorised?

Answer 27

Skinner used ‘Skinner Boxes’ to train rats/pigeons to increase/decrease certain behaviours as they learnt through consequences

Question 28

Outline how Skinner used positive reinforcement

Answer 28

Rats discovered that pushing a lever resulted in release of a food pellet (positive reward).
Rats were positively reinforced to increase the behaviour of pushing a lever.

Question 29

Outline how Skinner used negative reinforcement

Answer 29

Rats placed in box with loud unpleasant noise + discovered that pushing lever resulted in noise stopping (avoid negative consequence).
Rats negatively reinforced to increase behaviour of pulling lever.

Question 30

Outline how Skinner used punishment

Answer 30

Rats discovered that pushing a lever resulted in electric shock (negative consequence).
Rats punished, so their behaviour of pushing a lever decreased to avoid the repeated punishment.

Question 31

Give 2 positive evaluation points for the Behaviourist Approach

Answer 31

Scientific methodology

• Behaviourism analyses observable behaviour in a controlled environment
• This allows more objective data to be collected that is replicable + allows the production of theories about cause-effect
• This moved away from the more subjective work of Wundt
• So, psychology was able to become more scientific, making its theories more accepted in the wider scientific community

Real world application

• Both types of conditioning can help in real world situations
• Classical conditioning: treating abnormal behaviours (e.g. phobias) in therapy by associating fears with positive or neutral feelings
• Operant conditioning: token economy systems (positive reinforcement, as good behaviour is rewarded with tokens that can be exchanged for privileges) help maintain order in prisons + the classroom
• So, conditioning has real world benefits

Question 32

Give 2 negative evaluation points for the Behaviourist Approach

Answer 32

Ethical issues with methodology

• Pavlov + Skinner (main researchers) used methodology which was highly controlled
• Arguably, using highly controlled lab settings that at times subject them to negative feelings was too harsh on animal subjects
• These animals couldn’t even give informed consent so unethical
• E.g. Skinner’s boxes - inhumane keeping animals cramped + hungry
• So, treatment of animals may have been unethical + some argue (from other approaches) this research cannot be generalised to humans anyway

Debates - Reductionist + Deterministic

• Reductionist: behaviour is reduced into simple stimulus-response chains. Some argue this is oversimplifying complex human behaviour, failing to understand all causes.
• Deterministic: behaviour is explained as a result of learning in the environment. This is environmentally deterministic. This reduces an individual’s sense of optimism + free will, saying we cannot control our own futures - just a product of our environment.