Paper 2 - Behaviourist Approach Flashcards
What assumptions did behaviourists make
People are products of their environment. All complex behaviours have been learned
Learning and behaviour is under the control of the environment
Only observable and measurable behaviour should be studied. Speculation about internal and mental processes should be eliminated
All basic processes that govern learning are the same in all species. This meant animals could be used as experimental subjects for all species
What did John B. Watson believe
Rejected introspection as it was too vague and difficult to measure
Used laboratory experiments that involve objectivity and control
Define Classical Conditioning
Classical Conditioning is learning by association
Occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired together (unconditioned stimulus and neutral stimulus) to produce a conditioned response
Pavlov’s Research (Classical Conditioning)
Before conditioning - UCS (food) -> UCR (salivation)
During conditioning- NS (bell/light) -> UCS (food) -> UCR (salivation)
After conditioning - CS (bell/light) -> CR (salivation)
Define Operant Conditioning
Operant Conditioning is a form of learning whereby behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences
Possible consequences of behaviour include reinforcement and punishment
Skinner’s Research (Operant Conditioning)
In the Skinner Box, every time the rat pressed the lever it was rewarded with a food pellet (POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT)
The rat would press the lever to avoid receiving an electric shock (NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT)
An unpleasant consequence of behaviour (PUNISHMENT)
Evaluation (STRENGTH) - Based on well controlled research
E - Behaviourists focused on the measurement of observable behaviour within highly controlled lab settings. Broke down behaviour into basic stimulus-response units. All other possible extraneous variables were removed, allowing cause and effect relationships to be established. Skinner and Pavlov demonstrated how conditioning influenced animal’s behaviour
L - Influential in the development of psychology as a science - giving it credibility and status
Evaluation (STRENGTH) - The principles of conditioning have been applied to real world behaviours and problems
E - Token economy is based on operant conditioning. Principles of operant conditioning have been been used in real life situations - token economy systems have been successfully used in prisons and psychiatric wards to encourage positive behaviour. Classical conditioning can be used to treat phobias
L - Increases the value of behaviourist approach as it has widespread applications
Evaluation (LIMITATION) - Mechanistic view of human behaviour (oversimplified the learning process)
E - Suggests that animals (including humans) are passive and respond in a machine-like way to the environment. Have ignored the most important influence on human behaviour (human thought). Other approaches (e.g. Cognitive Approach and SLT) suggests that mental processes occur during learning
L - Suggests that actually people may have much more of an active role in learning than behaviourists suggest
Evaluation (LIMITATION) - Environmental Determinisms (sees all behaviour as determined by past experiences that have been conditioned)
E - Skinner suggested that everything we do is the sum total of our reinforcement history (how we were reinforced in the past). This ignores any possible influence that free will may have on behaviour. Skinner suggested that any sense of free will is an illusion
L - People do have free will over their behaviour and this approach ignores the influence of decision making on behaviour
Evaluation (LIMITATION) - Ethics in animal research
E - Animals involved were exposed to stressful conditions which may have affected how they reacted in the situation
L - Extrapolation (issue that animal studies cannot be generalised to human beings as the human mind is much more complex)
What are the differences between Classical and Operant Conditioning
NATURE OF RESPONSES -
C - automatic, involuntary, reflex. O - voluntary, spontaneous.
REINFORCEMENT -
C - occurs before response. O - occurs after response.
ROLE OF LEARNER -
C - passive. O - active.
Nature Of Learning -
C - NS becomes CS through association with a US. O - probability of making a response is altered by consequences that follow it
