Lesson 2 The Behvioural Approach - Classcial Conditioning And Pavlov’s Research Flashcards
Classical conditioning - Work of Ivan Pavlov (1904) (AO1)
• This method of learning involves building up an association between two different stimuli so that learning takes place.
• Dogs can be conditioned to salivate to the sound of a bell, if the sound of a bell is repeatedly presented at the same time as food is presented.
• Both of these stimuli would be paired or associated together to cause a learning response, so that the dog would learn to associate the sound of the bell with food and will then salivate.
• At the end of the conditioning process, the dog will learn to salivate when they hear the sound of the bell (alone).
Before Classical conditioning of a dog and food (AO1)
• Food (unconditioned stimulus) produces the unconditioned response of the dog salivating
• A bell (neutral stimulus) is rung (presented alone, without the presence of food). The dog does not salivate (no conditioned response is observed)
During Classical Conditioning (AO1)
• The unconditioned stimulus (food) is repeatedly paired with the neutral stimulus (the bell ringing) to produce salivation (unconditioned response). This is classical conditioning which shows how learning takes place
After conditioning (AO1)
• We can then present the bell alone (conditioned stimulus) and the dog will then begin to salivate (conditioned response). Learning has taken place via classical conditioning and an association has been established between the bell being rung and the dog salivating
Principles of classical conditioning in relation to Pavlov’s research
1) Generalisation: Stimuli similar to the original conditioned stimuli (bell) will cause the conditioned response (salivation) e.g. a bell with a different pitch or sound will cause salivation
2) Discrimination: Stimuli similar to the original conditioned stimuli (bell) will not produce the conditioned response (salivation). This can be done by withholding the unconditioned stimulus (food). For example a similar sounding bell is rung but food is not presented at the same time. Therefore salivation will not occur
3) Extinction: The conditioned response (salivation) is not produced because of the bell being rung. This occurs when the conditioned stimulus (bell) is presented without the unconditioned stimulus of food
Advantages of Classical Conditioning (AO3)
1) There is research evidence to support the idea of classical conditioning being able to explain the development of learning and phobias. Evidence comes from Pavlov and his research on dogs, as well as the Little Albert study by Watson and Rayner. However, we must be cautious when using the research findings from Little Albert because the study was conducted in a laboratory setting and we might find that different results might be gained from a different setting. Therefore the findings might be quite weak and might lack ecological validity when considering how important and effective classical conditioning actually is (+)(-)
4) A strength of the behavioural model is that it is a model that can be easily tested and measured in a scientific way by using observations in a laboratory. The behavioural model relies on observing behaviour that can be directly seen and measured in a highly controlled setting. This helps aid objectivity and replication (+)
6) A strength of Pavlov’s research is that it has helped apply classical conditioning to treatments of psychological disorders. For example, classical conditioning has helped form treatments such as flooding and systematic desensitisation which are based on the components of classical conditioning and association (+)
Disadvantages of Classical Conditioning (AO3)
1) There is research evidence to support the idea of classical conditioning being able to explain the development of learning and phobias. Evidence comes from Pavlov and his research on dogs, as well as the Little Albert study by Watson and Rayner. However, we must be cautious when using the research findings from Little Albert because the study was conducted in a laboratory setting and we might find that different results might be gained from a different setting. Therefore the findings might be quite weak and might lack ecological validity when considering how important and effective classical conditioning actually is (+)(-)
2) Classical conditioning is successful in explaining how learning can occur in animals and young children. However classical conditioning might not be very strong in explaining how adults learn new behaviours. Therefore classical conditioning is limited to only explaining learning in young children and animals only (-)
3) The psychologist Menzies criticises the behavioural model, especially the idea of classical conditioning. He studied people that had a phobia of water (hydrophobia), and he found that only 2% of his sample had encountered a negative experience with water (due to classical conditioning and learning). Therefore, 98% of his sample had a phobia of water but had never had a negative experience involving water, which means that they had not learnt to become frightened of water. Therefore; how did these people get their phobia of water if they had not learnt it? Other findings include 50% of people who have a dog phobia have never had a bad experience involving a dog, so therefore learning cannot be a factor in causing the development of the phobia (-)
5) The behaviourial model can be criticised because it views humans and animals as passive recipients who have machine like responses to stimuli in the environment. Animals and humans can easily learn new behaviours unquestionably and apparently have little or no conscious thought at all. This minimises their free will. (-)
7) The behavioural model would be criticised by the biological approach in Psychology. The behavioural model would ignore the role of genes, hormones, evolution and neural mechanisms that are responsible for behaviour. There is very strong research evidence from a range of psychologists that behaviour is caused and determined by genes, a key example is schizophrenia, whereby genetics have been identified as the main cause of the illness (this has been identified by gene mapping). The biological approach would criticise the behavioural approach and state how it is very unlikely that someone could learn to be schizophrenic (via classical conditioning). Therefore other models in psychology should also be considered when looking at how behaviours develop (-)
8) A disadvantage of classical conditioning is that is can be viewed as being deterministic because it ignores the role of free will in people’s behavioural responses. Classical conditioning anticipates an individual will respond to a conditioned stimulus with no variation, which is not accurate. People are not passive states and they do have some control over how they might respond to an association between two stimuli. This can lead to explanations for behaviour that are incomplete and inconsistent. (-)
