The behaviourist approach Flashcards
What is the behaviourist approach?
The belief that human behaviour can be solely explained by conditioning
What are the 2 types of conditioning?
Classical and Operant
Who studied classical conditioning?
Pavlov
What animals did Pavlov study?
Dogs
What is classical conditioning?
Learning via association
What are the 5 components of classical conditioning?
Unconditioned stimulus (UCS), unconditioned response (UR), neutral stimulus (NS), conditioned stimulus (CS) and conditioned response (CR)
What was Pavlov’s unconditioned stimulus?
Food
What was Pavlov’s unconditioned response?
Salivation
What was Pavlov’s neutral stimulus?
A ringing bell
What was Pavlov’s conditioned stimulus?
A ringing bell
What was Pavlov’s conditioned response?
Salivation
What must be paired together during classical conditioning?
The unconditioned stimulus and the neutral stimulus
Why is timing important for classical conditioning?
If the stimuli aren’t paired together in a short period of time, the association won’t be formed?
What is extinction with regards to classical conditioning?
When the association disappears due to the stimuli not being paired together
What is spontaneous recovery with regards to classical conditioning?
When an association between the NS and UCS is formed much quicker secondarily
What is stimulus generalisation with regards to classical conditioning?
When the CR occurs in the presence of stimuli that is similar to the CS
What is operant conditioning?
Learning via punishment and reinforcement
Who studied operant conditioning?
Skinner
What animals did Skinner study?
Rats
What was Skinner’s special rat cage called?
Skinner box
In Skinner’s study, what was the reinforcer?
The food pellet
What is reinforcement?
Something in the environment that makes a behaviour more likely to happen
What are the 2 types of reinforcement?
Negative and positive
What is positive reinforcement?
Rewarding a behaviour in the hopes it will happen again
What is negative reinforcement?
Removing something unpleasant when a behaviour occurs in the hopes it will happen again
What is punishment?
Something in the environment that makes a behaviour less likely to occur
What is positive punishment?
Adding an unpleasant consequence when a behaviour occurs in the hopes it won’t happen again
What is negative punishment?
Removing something pleasant when a behaviour occurs in the hopes it won’t happen again
