Psychology A2 - behaviourist

Question 1

behaviourist approach:
healthy behaviour

Answer 1

-behaviours that promote good physical, mental, emotional wellbeing
-reduce development of illnesses and disease
-example, exercising

Question 2

behaviourist approach:
unhealthy behaviour

Answer 2

-behaviours that cause physical, mental and emotional harm
-increase development of illnesses and diseases

Question 3

1. role of cues

Answer 3

-stimulus, event or object, guides behaviour
-retrieval cues – triggers initiation of addictive/healthy behaviour
-example, walk into a cinema and opt for popcorn even though you aren’t hungry

Question 4

2. classical conditioning and healthy or unhealthy behaviours

Answer 4

-individual learns to associate a healthy/unhealthy trait with stimulus
-example, consume meal in front of TV, greater chance of associating activity with eating

Question 5

3. operant conditioning

Answer 5

-learning through rewards and punishments
-rewarded for engaging in healthy/unhealthy behaviour
-reinforced, maintain it, praised for losing weight (maintenance)
-punished for certain behaviours, less likely repeated, disowned for alcoholism

Question 6

reinforcement and punishment

Answer 6

-positive - add something (PRAISE)
-negative - take away (XBOX)
-reinforcement - encourage behaviour

-positive - add something (NAGGING)
-negative - take away
-punishment - decrease likelihood

Question 7

token economy
(evaluation)

Answer 7

-token economy = behaviour modification, increase good behaviours/decrease bad behaviours, tokens - given after showing good behaviour
-example, rehab centre for alcoholism, receive tokens for staying sober

Question 8

eriksson et al. (1975)
(evaluation)

Answer 8

-placing token economy into a drug ward of 52 addicts for 17 days
-lowered drug intoxications on ward compared to those not part of the programme

Question 9

strohacker et al.
(evaluation)

Answer 9

-reviewed studies into the use of incentives (cash) to encourage exercise
-both ‘+’ and ‘-‘ reinforcement increased exercise compared to non-incentive groups
-reinforcement = effective way of encouraging healthy behaviours

Question 10

limited use
(evaluation)

Answer 10

-application of operant conditioning to health = limited
-rewards for healthy behaviours may take a long time to appear (weight loss)
-OC may be less effective way of encouraging behaviours compared to other approaches (cognitive)