Learning Approaches: The Behaviourist Approach Flashcards
Define the Behaviourist Approach
An approach to psychology that explains behaviour through learning, specifically through conditioning in the environment
When did the Behaviourist Approach start?
Early 1900s
Who ‘started’ the Behaviourist Approach?
Watson - wrote ‘Psychology as the Behaviourist sees it’
Why did the Behaviourist Approach emerge?
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
Who are the key figures in the Behaviourist Approach?
- Watson
- Pavlov
- Skinner
Outline the key assumptions of the Behaviourist Approach
- 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
What is a ‘tabula rasa’?
A blank slate
What are the two types of conditioning?
- Classical conditioning
- Operant conditioning
Define classical conditioning
Learning by association. Two stimuli (unconditioned + neutral) are paired together until they both produce the same (conditioned) response.
Outline the process of classical conditioning
BEFORE CONDITIONING:
- Neutral stimulus -> No response
- Unconditioned stimulus -> Unconditioned response
CONDITIONING
- Neutral stimulus + unconditioned stimulus -> unconditioned response
AFTER CONDITIONING
- Conditioned stimulus -> Conditioned response
What happens to the neutral stimulus in classical conditioning?
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’)
Define generalisation of stimuli. What type of conditioning does it occur in?
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)
Define discrimination of stimuli. What type of conditioning does it occur in?
The opposite of generalisation of stimuli.
Generalisation doesn’t happen, so similar stimuli to the conditioned stimulus don’t elicit the conditioned response.
(Classical)
Define higher order conditioning. What type of conditioning does it occur in?
When a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an old conditioned stimulus (instead of unconditioned stimulus) + is conditioned to produce the same response
(Classical)
Define extinction. What type of conditioning does it occur in?
When the learnt behaviour/association is lost
Classical + operant
Define spontaneous recovery. What type of conditioning does it occur in?
When an extinct behaviour/association returns (+ is learnt faster, for the second time)
(Classical + operant)
Who theorised classical conditioning?
Pavlov (1927)
How was classical conditioning theorised?
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
Outline the process of Pavlov’s dogs being classically conditioned
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)
What experiment was completed that involved the conditioning of a human + generalisation of stimuli?
Little Albert (completed by Watson + Raynor)
Outline the Little Albert experiment
- 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
Define operant conditioning
Learning through consequences.
Positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement + punishment allow for the learning of a behaviour.
Define positive reinforcement
Behaviour is increased, in hope of receiving a positive consequence/reward
Define negative reinforcement
Behaviour is increased, in hope of avoiding a negative consequence
Define punishment
Behaviour is decreased, in hope of avoiding a negative consequence
Who theorised operant conditioning?
Skinner (1953)
How was operant conditioning theorised?
Skinner used ‘Skinner Boxes’ to train rats/pigeons to increase/decrease certain behaviours as they learnt through consequences
Outline how Skinner used positive reinforcement
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.
Outline how Skinner used negative reinforcement
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.
Outline how Skinner used punishment
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.
Give 2 positive evaluation points for the Behaviourist Approach
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
Give 2 negative evaluation points for the Behaviourist Approach
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.
