The Behaviourist Approach

Question 1

What is Behavioursm?

Answer 1

=> A school of psychology started by John Watson
=> Believed all behaviour is learnt

=>A baby’s mind is a blant slate - written on by experiences
=>Basic processes that govern learning are the same in all species - so animals replace humans as experimental subjects

Question 2

Assumptions of the Behaviourist Approach

Answer 2

(1) Psychology should study observable events (NOT introseption like Wundt)
(2) Human behaviour can be explained in terms of learning/conditioning

(3) The two key forms of conditioning are:
=> Classical: learning through association
=> Operant: positive + negative reinforcement as well as punishment

Question 3

Classical Conditioning - studied by Pavlov

Answer 3

• Through looking into natural reflexes + neutral stimulus, Pavlov managed to conditioned dogs to salivate to bell ringing through repeated association w/ food

=> Bell (NS) + Food (UCS) which had UCR of drooling
Salivation is now CR to Food CS

Question 4

Operant Conditioning - Skinner’s Research

Answer 4

Suggested learning is an active process whereby humans and animals operate in their environment => behaviour is shaped by consequences

Question 5

Positive reinforcement

Answer 5

Receiving a reward when a certain behaviour is performed

Question 6

Negative reinforcement

Answer 6

Occurs when an animal avoids something unpleasant where the outcome is a positive experience

Similarly a rat may learn through negative reinforcement that pressing a lever leads to avoidance of an a electrical

Question 7

Punishment

Answer 7

An unpleasant consequence of behaviour

Question 8

(S) Well Controlled Research - AO3

Answer 8

• Behaviourists focused on the measurement of observable behaviour which highly controlled lab settings
• Behaviour is broken down into basic stimulus response units
• No extraneous variables cause + effect relationships

Question 9

(L) Counter to Well controlled research - Oversimiplified Learning

Answer 9

• reduced behaviour to simple components they ignored on important influence of human thought
• Approach like social learning theory and the cognitive approach draws attention to mental processes

SUGGESTS learning is more complex

Question 10

(S) Real World Application

Answer 10

e.g operant conditioning - basis of token economy use successfully used in institutions such as prisons and psychiatric wards

Increases value of behaviourist approach because of widespread application

Question 11

(L) Environmental Determinism

Answer 11

Suggesting all behaviour is caused by past experiences ignores possible influence of free will on behaviour and conscious decision-making processes (cognitive processes)

Question 12

(L) Ethical Issues

Answer 12

Despite procedures such as the Skinner box allowing behaviourists a high degree of control over subjects

=> Animals were harmed in harsh cramped conditions and deliberately kept below natural weight so they were always hungry