The Behaviourist Approach

Question 1

Who was the first behaviourist?

Answer 1

Watson

Question 2

What are the key assumptions of the behaviourist approach?

Answer 2

> OBSERVABLE behaviour should be measured, instead of mental processes that cannot be directly & visually seen.

> Psychology is a science so behaviour must be measured in highly controlled environments to establish NOMOTHETIC laws as well as robust conclusions.

> Behaviour can be OBJECTIVELY and scientifically measured using controlled research such as a lab experiment.

> When born, our mind is a blank slate (tabula rasa)

> There is little difference between the learning that occurs in humans and in other animals. Therefore, research can be carried out on ANIMALS as well as humans.

> All behaviour is learnt from the environment, through classical conditioning or operant conditioning.

Question 3

Why does Watson not agree with Wundt’s introspection?

Answer 3

Introspection had no EMPIRICAL evidence because Wundt did not directly study observable behaviours to do with mental processes.

Introspection had no objectivity and was mostly subjective to pp’s responses.

Question 4

What does Watson mean by, “behaviour is learned”?

Answer 4

A change in the environment (stimulus) causes a change in behaviour in response to that stimulus.

Question 5

Outline classical conditioning (AO1)

Answer 5

> Practical application of behaviourist approach can be seen through classical conditioning.

> Classical conditioning is when behaviour is the result of a stimulus. The response (e.g. all behaviour) can be reduced to a simple stimulus regardless of how complex it is.

> It is the contiguous pairing of the neutral stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus, which results in the conditioned response and conditioned stimulus.

> It was originally discovered by Pavlov, while studying salivation in dogs.

> He tested so that dogs would learn to salivate when they heard the sound of a bell.

> The bell (neutral stimulus) was associated with food (unconditioned stimulus) whenever a bell was rung (conditioned stimulus), causing the dog to salivate (conditioned response)

Question 6

Explain classical conditioning.

Answer 6

The CONTIGUOUS (adjoining) PAIRING of the…

NEUTRAL stimulus and UNCONDITIONED stimulus which results in the…

CONDITIONED response and CONDITIONED stimulus.

Question 7

Who discovered classical conditioning?

Answer 7

Pavlov (1897)

Question 8

Pavlov’s dog experiment involved…

Dogs who were conditioned to associate the sound of a bell with food. This resulted in the dogs producing a salivation response at the sound of a bell, even when no food was present.

Identify what’s going on using specific terms.

Answer 8

Sound of bell = neutral stimulus

Food = unconditioned stimulus

Salivation = conditioned response

Sound of bell after = conditioned stimulus

Question 9

What are the types of learning in the behaviourist approach?

Answer 9

Classical conditioning

Operant conditioning

Question 10

A child is afraid of cats. One day he is in a lift and notices a cat. Now he is afraid of lifts.

Identify, using classical conditioning, what is happening.

Answer 10

Neutral stimulus = lift

Unconditioned stimulus = cats

Unconditioned response = fear of cats

Conditioned stimulus = lifts

Conditioned response = fear of lifts

Question 11

What is the terminology linked with classical conditioning that’s bare confusing?

Answer 11

Neutral stimulus (NS) = thing that evokes nothing - later associated with emotion/fear.

Unconditioned stimulus (US) = thing that caused original emotion ‘old fear’

Unconditioned response (UR) = response to ‘old fear’

Conditioned stimulus (CS) = ‘new fear’

Conditioned response (CR) = reaction to the ‘new fear’

Question 12

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 12

Type of learning where new voluntary behaviour is associated with a consequence.

3 types of OC —> Positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, and punishment.

Question 13

What is positive reinforcement? Give an example.

Answer 13

When a behaviour is followed by a desirable consequence (reward) and is therefore more likely to be repeated.

E.G.
A worker gets paid a bonus for working hard, and keeps working hard to get another bonus.

Question 14

What is negative reinforcement? Give an example.

Answer 14

When a behaviour is followed by the removal of adverse consequence and therefore more likely to be repeated.

E.G.
A worker goes to work to avoid getting fired.

Question 15

What is punishment?

Answer 15

When a negative outcome makes you less likely to repeat a behaviour.

Question 16

What is the social learning theory?

Answer 16

> Assumes that humans learn using VICARIOUS REINFORCEMENT by observing behaviour of others and the favourable outcomes associated with that behaviour.

> Rewarded observed behaviours will be repeated - aka IMITATION.

> Role model is the person whose behaviour is being imitated - the process of imitation is called MODELLING.

> Role models are typically people of similar age, gender and race.

> Learning can sometimes occur without a change in behaviour. May occur at another time or never, due to lack of opportunities or lack of motor skills.

> Mediational processes such as attention, retention, motor reproduction and motivation occur during learning.

Question 17

What’s the difference between negative reinforcement and punishment?

Answer 17

Punishment is when a negative outcome makes you less likely to repeat a behaviour,
whereas…
negative reinforcement is when removing a negative outcome is makes you more likely to repeat a behaviour.

Question 18

Outline operant conditioning (AO1)

Answer 18

> Type of learning where new voluntary behaviour is associated with a consequence.

> There are two types of operant conditioning – positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement.

> Positive reinforcement is when behaviour is followed by a desirable consequence (reward) and is therefore more likely to be repeated.

> E.G. a worker gets paid a bonus for working hard, and they are more likely to repeat the same work ethic.

> Negative reinforcement is when a behaviour is followed by the removal of adverse consequence and is likely to be repeated.

> E.G. a worker comes into work in order to prevent being fired.