The behaviourist approach

Question 1

What are the key assumptions of the behaviourist approach

Answer 1

• all behaviour is learned from experience/the environment and therefore can be changed
• only measureable and observable behaviour should be considered
• Its useful to study animals to understand behaviour as the same processes produce learning for both humans and animals
• When born oir mind is a blank slate
• behaviour is the result of stimulus response

Question 2

What is classical conditioning

Answer 2

learning through association. 2 stimuli are paired to rpoduce the same response

Question 3

Whats the process of classical conditioning

Answer 3

Before learning: UCS —–> UCR

During learning: UCS + NS —-> UCR

After learning: CS —–> CR

Question 4

Pavlovs dog experiment

Answer 4

Before conditioning: food —> salvation

During conditioning: food + bell —-> salvation

After conditioning: bell —-> salvation

Question 5

What is operant conditioning

Answer 5

Learning by consequence. occurs through reinforcement

Question 6

What is positive reinforcement

Answer 6

You gain reward from your bhehaviour e.g praise, compliemnt or acceptance.

Increases the frequency of a given behaviour

Question 7

What is negative reinforcement

Answer 7

Still increases the likeliness of repeated behaviour but is negative as consequence of your behaviour takes away soemthing unpleasant

Question 8

How does Skinners box support positive reinforcement (operant conditioning)

Answer 8

Everytime the rat activated a lever within the box it was rewarded with a food pellet. The rat would be positively reinforced for pressing the lever so this behaviour is likely to be repeated and becomes a learnt behaviour

Question 9

A strength of behaviourists scientifc methodology

Answer 9

• studies observable and measurable behaviour therfore is objective
• free from researcher bias and findings arent affected by personal judgement
• also carried out in well controlled lab settings and is therefore replicable

Question 10

A strength of the behaviourits approaches practical application

Answer 10

• many studies have shown how behaviour can be changed using conditioning and this knowledge has been used to change real behaviour
• e.g. systematic desensitisation for classical and token economys for operant

Question 11

A limitation of the behaviourist approach being reductionist

Answer 11

• simplifies very complex behaviour to simple stimulus responce connections
• human behaviour is best explained using a combination of behaviours
• results in only a partial understanding of the behaviour