Textbook Ch 3: The Behaviourist Approach Flashcards
1
Q
what does the behaviourist approach emphasise links between?
A
the environment and behaviour
2
Q
describe what happened w/ psychologist israel goldiamond (1973) relating it to this approach
A
- he was in hospital recovering from a car accident
- met a patient who had suffered brain damage
- peed on walls and muttered abt Panama
- instead of focusing on the brain goldiamond focused on environment
- noticed he wasn’t disorientated in the hospital cafeteria, figuring it was b/c they’re quite universal but a rehab ward isn’t
- also place was on a large lake and had a naval pier which could be seen from the window explaining his Panama qs
- suggested man could be rewarding for peeing appropriately w/ cigs. it worked
- proves that looking solely at the brain doesn’t always fully explain behaviour
3
Q
the behaviourist approach emphasises the role of environmental stimuli in determining the way we act. this means focusing a lot on _______?
A
learning
4
Q
the study of what has contributed to our understanding of learning?
A
operant and classical conditioning
5
Q
emphasises observable behaviour (______) and environmental events (______)
A
responses
stimuli
6
Q
briefly explain how the behaviourist approach came about
A
- at the beginning of the 20th cent, psychs either focused on experimental study of physiological processes or the introspective analysis of experience
- experimental -> issues w/ limited tech e.g. no x rays
- introspectionism -> problems of subjectivity in describing sensory experience
- W.J. said u shld focus on how behaviour relates to purpose (functionalism) as the others weren’t an overall success
7
Q
define parsimony, one of behaviourism’s most basic principles
A
in the philosophy of science. favours seeking the simplest possible explanation for any event
