The Behaviourist approach Flashcards
what are the two types of conditioning
classical (Pavlov dog, learning by association) and operant (Skinner rat)
positive + negative reinforcement
anything that strengthens a response and increases the likelihood that it will occur again in the future
punishment
unpleasant consequence following the behaviour
decreases the frequency of behaviour.
key points of behaviourist approach
- rejects vagueness of introspection (Wundt)
- focuses on observable effects in order to follow the scientific method
-focuses on how people learn, sometimes referred to as the ‘learning theory’
-believe that you learn through conditioning: stimuli -> response
behaviourist - John Watson 1913
people who believe that human behaviour can be explained in terms of conditioning, without the need to consider thoughts or feelings
classical conditioning
when a neutral stimulus is consistently paired with an unconditioned stimulus so that it eventually it produces a conditioned response
by associating one thing with another
operant conditioning
learning through reinforcement or punishment.
if a behaviour is followed by a desirable consequence then that behaviour is more likely to occur again in the future
by the consequences of what we do
assumptions
- tabula rasa - a nurture argument - all behaviour is learnt through experience in the environment after birth
- behaviour is determined by reinforcement or punishment of past learning experiences; a stimulus creates a response - when studying behaviour, the focus should be on the laws of learning (conditioning)
- only observable behaviour should be studied; behaviourism uses the scientific method
- the laws of learning are universal, applying the same to both non-human animals and humans
introspection
the process of looking inwards at out own mental experiences in order to break them down into parts and analyse them
maladaptive
behaviour which does not help a person or animal to function and survive in its environment
basics of the behaviourist approach (learning theory)
who: John Watson in 1913 (Little Albert), until the 1950s (cognitive approach started to take over).
said: ‘purely objective… introspection forms no essential part of its methods’
social learning theory
observing and imitating others
methodology
- very scientific
–uses laboratory experiments
–mainly on animals
–can use strengths and weaknesses of the experimental method
-strength: can strictly control variables
-weakness: lack ecological validity as humans may change their behaviour due to being in a lab
freewill v determinism debate
takes the extreme view that freewill is an illusion, we learn all behaviour from environment
reductionism
assumes that complex behaviour is the sum of all past learning
nature-nurture debate
we learn everything; falls completely on the nurture side of the debate
strengths (SEAA)
- very scientific approach: methods which are objective, controlled and replicable
- many practical applications
- provides arguments against the nature side of the nature-nurture debate
- can explain many types of behaviour with just a few simple principles
weaknesses (RAGD)
-reductionist, explaining behaviour only in terms of simple learning principles and ignoring mental processes (emotions, thinking)
- tabula rasa: ignores genetic factors in behaviour (nature), such as high testosterone
- discounts the qualitative differences between animals and humans
- deterministic, viewing all behaviour as determined by environment and past experiences, and disregards free will
- other researchers show learning can occur without reinforcement, e.g. SLT where ppl learn behaviours by watching and copying role models
applications (TUP)
- advanced understanding of behaviour, e.g. language learning and development of mental disorders
-operant condition can be used to train animals
- practical applications - treatments for mental disorders
–aversion therapy (classical conditioning). when someone does an undesirable behaviour they are presented with an aversive stimulus at the same time, until they learn that something bad happens when they do that certain behaviour. only targets symptoms, rather than causes
– systematic desensitisation (classical conditioning). replaces maladaptive behaviours with adaptive behaviours. e.g. treating a phobia: fear response is replaced with a new response, such as relaxation. very gradually. provides little insight into the causes of the problem.
–token economy: positive reinforcement for appropriate/ good behaviour
Bobo doll
Bandura, Ross and Ross
1961
- whether young children learnt aggression through observing and imitating adults
-the children exposed to aggressive adult models copied their actions almost exactly, boys were more aggressive as the adult was male
Little Albert
Watson and Rayner
1920
- whether a child could learn to fear something through classical conditioning
- white rat whilst simultaneously hitting the steel bar behind his head
- 7 times overall, in 2 sessions held a week apart
- when presented with the rat (and even fur coats), he began to cry
Superstition in pigeons
Skinner
1928
- 8 pigeons in Skinner boxes were given a food pellet at set intervals, regardless of behaviour
- after several days observers noted the pigeon’s behaviour as the time intervals increased
- noted that 6 pigeons performed many repetitive behaviours (hopping, head tossing) before the food was given (despite it not depending on behaviour)
unconditioned stimulus (UCS)
one that unconditionally, naturally, and automatically triggers a response
unconditioned response (UR)
is the unlearned response that occurs naturally in reaction to the UCS
