the behaviourist approach Flashcards
behaviourst approach definition
a way of explaining behaviour in terms of what is observable and in terms of learning
classical conditioning definition
learning by association. occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired together - an unconditioned stimulus and a new ‘neutral’ stimulus. the neutral stimulus eventually produces the same response that was first produced by the unconditioned stimulus alone
operant conditioning definition
a form of learning in which behaviour is shapes and maintained by its consequences. possible consequences of behaviour include reinforcement or punishment
reinforcement definition
a consequence of behaviour that increases the likelihood of that behaviour being repeated. can be positive or negative
what is the behaviourist approach interested in
studying behaviour that can be observed and measured
what is the behaviour approach not concerned with
investigating mental processes of the mind as they were seen as irrelevant
why did early behaviourists reject introspection
early behvaiourists such as Watson rejected introspection as it involved too many concepts that were vague and difficult to measure
how do behaviourists conduct research
using lab studies
why do behaviourists use lab studies
to maintain more control and objectivity within research and relied on lab studies as the best way to achieve this
what do behaviourists believe
all behaviour is learned
behaviourist assumptions
-all behaviour is learned
-describe baby’s mind as a blank slate and this is written on by experience
-following Darwin, they believe that basic processes that govern learning are the same in all species, this meant that in research animals replace humans as experimental subjects
what 2 forms of learning have behaviourists identified
-classical conditioning
-operant conditioning
behaviourists assumptions about animals
following Darwin, they believe that basic processes that govern learning are the same in all species, this meant that in research animals replace humans as experimental subjects
research supporting classical conditioning
Pavlov
when did Pavlov conduct research
1927
learning of classical conditioning
learning through association
Pavlov’s research
-showed dogs could be conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell
-before conditioning when presented the food (unconditioned stimulus) there was unconditioned response of salivation. the bell (neutral stimulus) had no conditioned response so did not cause salivation. during conditioning the dog began to associate the bell (neutral stimulus) with the food (unconditioned stimulus). after conditioning the bell became a conditioned stimulus and produced the conditioned response of salivation
what was Pavlov able to show
a neutral stimulus can elicit a new learned response through association
who did research on operant conditioning
Skinner
learning of operant conditioning
learing through consequences
3 consequences of operant coditioning
-positive reinforcement
-negative reinforcement
-punishment
what did skinner suggest about learning process
learning is an active process whereby humans and animals operate their environment
positive reinforcement
receiving a reward when a certain behaviour is performed
negative reinforcement
occurs when something unpleasant is avoided. the outcome is a positive experience
punishment
an unpleasant consequence of behaviour
what do positive and negative reinforcement do
increase the likelihood that behaviour will be repeated
what does punishment do
decreases likelihood that a behvaiour will be repeated
strength if behaviourist approach- well controlled research
-based in well controlled research
-behaviourists focused on the measurement of observable behaviour within highly controlled lab settings. by breaking behaviour down into basic stimulus-response units, all other possible extraneous variables were removed, allowing cause-and-effect relationships to be established. for example, skinner was able to clearly demonstrate how reinforcement influenced and animals’s behaviour –> suggests behaviourist explanations have scientific credibility
limitation of behaviourist approach- counterpoint to well-controlled research (over simplified)
-problem with this is that behaviouirists may have oversimplified the learning process. by reducing behaviour into such simple components, behaviourists may have ignored an important factor on learning-human thought. other approaches such as social learning theory and cognitive approach have drawn attention to mental processes involved in learning –> suggests learning is more complex than observable behaviour alone, and that private mental processes are also essential
strength of behaviourist approach - real-world application
-strength of the behaviourist approach is the principles of conditioning have been applied to real-world behaviours and problems
-for example, operant conditioning has been used successfully in institutions such as prisons and psychiatric wards. these work by rewarding appropriate behaviours with tokens that can be exchanged for privileges. classical conditioning has been applied to the treatment of phobias –> increases the value of the behaviourist approach as it has widespread application
limitation of the behaviourist approach - environmental determinism
-limitation is sees all behaviour as conditioned by past conditioning experiences
-Skinner suggested that everything we do is the sum total of our reinforcement history. when something happens we may think i made the decision to do that. but, according to Skinner, our past conditioning history determined this outcome. this ignores any possible influence of free will on behaviour (Skinner said free will is an illusion) –> this is an extreme position and ignores influence of conscious-decision making process on behaviour ( as suggested by cognitive approach)
evaluation of behaviourist approach- ethical issues
although procedures such as Skinner box allowed behaviourists to maintain a high degree of control other experimental subjects, many have questioned the ethics of conducting such investigations. animals were housed in harsh cramped conditions and deliberately kept below natural weight so they were always hungry
Skinner box
-experiments of rates and sometimes pigeons in specially designed cages called Skinner box. every time the rat activated a lever (or pecked a disk in the case of the pigeon) within the box it was rewarded with a food pellet. from then on the animal would continue to perform behaviour - positive reinforcement
-Skinner also showed how rats and pigeons could be conditioned to perform the same behaviour to avoid and unpleasant stimulus, for example and electric shock - negative reinforcement
