PAPER 2 - Approaches - Learning Flashcards
Define the behaviourist approach.
A way of explaining behaviour in terms of hat is observable and in terms of learning.
What are the 3 main assumptions of the behaviourist approach?
All behaviour is learned.
Mental processes are irrelevant.
There are 2 important forms of learning.
What are the 2 important forms of learning?
Classical conditioning
Operant conditioning
What does the behaviourist John B Watson think of introspection and why?
He rejected introspection because it involved too many concepts that were vague and difficult to understand. Behaviourists tried to maintain more control and objectivity in their research and relied on lab studies and measurable observations.
Explain classical conditioning.
Learning by associating a UCS and it’s UCR with an NS, eventually leading to the NS becoming a CS and producing a CR.
Explain the research on classical conditioning.
Pavlov (1927) demonstrated that dogs could be conditioned to salivate (R) at the sound of the bell (CS) once the bell (NS) had become associated with food (UCS).
Explain operant conditioning.
Learned behaviours are maintained and shaped by their consequences which could be reinforcement or punishment.
Define reinforcement.
A consequence of behaviour that increases the likelihood of that behaviour being repeated. Can be positive or negative.
Define positive reinforcement.
Receiving a reward when a certain behaviour is performed…behaviour will continue! (e.g. answer qu. well and teachers give praise)
Explain the research on operant conditioning.
Skinner (1953) and his skinner box demonstrated that, as every time the rat activated a lever or the pigeon pecked a disc it was awarded a pellet (positive reinforcement), the animal would continue to perform that behaviour.
He also showed that rats and pigeons could be conditioned to perform the same behaviour to avoid an unpleasant stimulus - an electric shock (negative reinforcement)
Define negative reinforcement.
Avoiding something unpleasant when a behaviour is performed…behaviour will continue! (e.g. do homework and teacher won’t give you attention)
Define punishment.
An unpleasant consequence of behaviour.
What is the difference between reinforcement and punishment?
Reinforcement increase the likelihood that behaviour will be repeated. Punishment decrease the likelihood that behaviour will be repeated.
Evaluate the strengths of the behaviourist approach.
Well-controlled research - focus on measurement of observable behaviour in highly controlled lab settings so extraneous variables are well managed and cause and effect can be established = high scientific credibility.
COUNTERPOINT - oversimplified the learning process and ignores the mental processes highlight in the cognitive approach or the social learning theory = learning is more complicated than observable behaviour alone.
Real-world application - principles of conditioning can be applied in the education system, for parents and even for the treatment of phobias.
Evaluate the limitations of the behaviourist approach.
It sees all behaviour as conditioned by past conditioning experiences which is an extreme position and ignores the influence of conscious decision-making processes on behaviour.
Ethical issues - Skinner’s box…animals were housed in harsh and cramped conditions and were deliberately kept below their natural weight so they were always hungry.
Define social learning theory.
A way of explaining behaviour that includes both direct and indirect reinforcement, combining learning theory with the role of cognitive factors = bridges the behaviourist and cognitive approach.
What are the 3 main assumptions of social learning theory?
Behaviour is learned from experience.
Learning occurs through the observation and imitation of others.
Learning occurs directly i.e. conditioning, but alos indirectly.
Define imitation.
Copying the behaviour of others.
Define vicarious enforcement.
Reinforcement which is not directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced for a behaviour e.g. how someone is affected by the consequence of their actions. This is a key factor in imitation.
What are the 4 mediational processes Badura identifies?
Cognitive factors that influence learning and come between stimulus response.
They include:
Attention
Retention
Motor reproduction
Motivation
Explain Bandura’s 4 mediational processes.
Attention - the extent we notice certain behaviours.
Retention - how well the behaviour is remembered.
Motor reproduction - the ability of the observer to perform the behaviour.
Motivation - the will to perform the behaviour, which is often determined by whether the behaviour was rewarded or punished.
Define identification.
When an observer associates themselves with a role model and wants to be like the role model.
Define modelling.
From the observer’s perspective, modelling is imitating the behaviour of a role model. From the role model’s perspective, modelling is the precise demonstration of a specific behaviour that may be imitated by an observer.
Evaluate social learning theory’s strengths.
Recognises the cognitive factors in learning.
