The Behaviourist Approach

Question 1

Assumptions of the Behaviourist Theory

Answer 1

All behaviours are learned from our environment.

They only study behaviour that is observable and measurable.

Psychology should be scientific and objective therefore behaviourists use mainly laboratory experiments to achieve this.

Animals and humans learn in the same way so behaviourists carry out experiments on animals and extrapolate the results to humans.The basic processes that govern learning are the same in all species

We are born blank slates → there is no genetic influence on behaviour

Question 2

What are the two types of conditioning?

Answer 2

Classical Conditioning
Operant Conditioning

Question 3

What is classical conditioning?

Answer 3

Learning through association

Question 4

What did Pavlov show?

Answer 4

Pavlov was able to show how a neutral stimulus (bell) can come to elicit a new learned response (conditioned response) through association.

Question 5

Describe Pavlov’s experiment

Answer 5

Pavlov revealed that dogs could be conditioned to salivate the sound of a bell if that sound was repeatedly presented at the same time they were given food

Gradually, Pavlov’s dogs learned to associate the sound of a bell (Stimulus) with the food (another stimulus) and would produce the salivation response every time they heard the sound.

Question 6

What are the strengths of classical conditioning?

Answer 6

Useful applications = CC has led to the development for treatments of phobias such as systematic desensitisation. This therapy involves eliminating the learned anxious response (CR) that is associated with a feared object or situation (CS). This fear response is replaced with another pleasant response –relaxation – this approach is useful for a range of fears, eg. aerophobia (fear of flying)

Question 7

What are the limitations of CC?

Answer 7

Fails to explain differences across species –> different species = different challenges to survive = different capabilities to learn through the process of CC.

Seligman (1970) proposed the concept of preparedness to explain this. Animals are prepared to learn associations that are significant in terms of their survival needs and unprepared to learn associations that aren’t significant.E.g. a dog will associate a smell = food easily, but less likely with sound.

Question 8

What is unconditioned stimulus?

Answer 8

stimulus that leads to an automatic response without any prior learning on the part of the subject

Question 9

What is unconditioned response?

Answer 9

Automatic response to a stimulus

Question 10

Conditioned stimulus

Answer 10

produces a reaction only after the subject has learned to associate it with a given outcome

Question 11

Extinction

Answer 11

when the conditioned stimulus is no longer paired with the unconditioned stimulus, so the conditioned response becomes extinct/disappears

Question 12

Spontaneous recovery

Answer 12

when the individual carries out the conditioned response sometime after extinction has occurred.

Question 13

Generalisation

Answer 13

occurs when slight changes in the conditioned stimulus, such as different pitches of the bell used in Pavlov’s experiment, still produces the same conditioned response

Question 14

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 14

= a type of learning where behaviour is acquired and maintained based on its consequences.

Question 15

Describe Watson and Rayner (1920) (CC NOT OPERANT)

Answer 15

LITTLE ALBERT
aimed to show how a phobia could develop through CC
White rat = no fear response
Every time he saw the white rat they made a loud noise by striking two iron bars together = got him scared = became generalised to other white stimuli e.g. cotton

Question 16

What is positive reinforcement?

Answer 16

receiving an award when a desired behaviour is performed

Question 17

What is negative reinforcement?

Answer 17

avoiding something unpleasant (handing in your homework to avoid a detention) - do this to AVOID punishment

Question 18

What is punishment?

Answer 18

unpleasant consequence of behaviour. NR is a way to avoid punishment

Question 19

Describe Skinner’s Box (1953)

Answer 19

a. A hungry rat was placed in a cage. Every time the lever was pulled, a food pellet fell in the food dispenser (positive reinforcement). The rats quickly learnt to go straight to the lever after a few times of being put in the box.

This suggests that positive reinforcement increases the likelihood of the behaviour being repeated.

b. Another rat was placed in a cage in which they were subjected to an uncomfortable electrical current as the rat moved around the cage it hit the lever - this immediately switched off the electrical current (negative reinforcement). The rat quickly learnt to go straight to the lever a few times after being put in the box.

This suggests that negative reinforcement increases the likelihood of the behaviour being repeated.

Question 20

Strengths of Behaviourist Theory

Answer 20

Scientific Credibility → the approach lends itself to scientific validation, research is generally conducted in laboratory settings with tight controls and research can be replicated, suggesting they have scientific credibility.
Research examining classical conditioning and operant conditioning focuses on observable behaviours within a controlled laboratory. Easier to replicate and assess reliability

Real World Application → Another strength of the behaviourist approach is its application to the treatment of phobias. Treatments such as systematic desensitisation have been developed using the principles of classical conditioning. These treatments have been effective in treating many people with phobias, demonstrating the positive application of behaviourist theories.
Systematic desensitisation is 75% effective when treating phobias → suggests there is a strong behavioural element to behaviour.

Question 21

Limitations of Behaviourist Approach

Answer 21

Deterministic = sees that all behaviour as determined by past experiences that have been conditioned. Ignores free will. Skinner said that free will is an illusion.

Use of animal research and determinism = Skinner’s research has used criticism because the experiments involved the study of non-human animals rather than humans which limits our understanding of humans. Criticism argues that extrapolation from animal research cannot occur as humans have free will rather than behaviour determined by reinforcement. This suggests that the hard determinism of behaviourism limits the perspective on behaviour as it ignores other levels of explanation such as the importance of cognitive and emotional states.

Ethics on animal testing = Skinner electrocuted rats

Watson & Rayner = CC experiments on Little Albert failed to protect him from psychological harm, as well as not offering him the opportunity to withdraw.