the behaviourist approach

Question 1

behaviourst approach definition

Answer 1

a way of explaining behaviour in terms of what is observable and in terms of learning

Question 2

classical conditioning definition

Answer 2

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

Question 3

operant conditioning definition

Answer 3

a form of learning in which behaviour is shapes and maintained by its consequences. possible consequences of behaviour include reinforcement or punishment

Question 4

reinforcement definition

Answer 4

a consequence of behaviour that increases the likelihood of that behaviour being repeated. can be positive or negative

Question 5

what is the behaviourist approach interested in

Answer 5

studying behaviour that can be observed and measured

Question 6

what is the behaviour approach not concerned with

Answer 6

investigating mental processes of the mind as they were seen as irrelevant

Question 7

why did early behaviourists reject introspection

Answer 7

early behvaiourists such as Watson rejected introspection as it involved too many concepts that were vague and difficult to measure

Question 8

how do behaviourists conduct research

Answer 8

using lab studies

Question 9

why do behaviourists use lab studies

Answer 9

to maintain more control and objectivity within research and relied on lab studies as the best way to achieve this

Question 10

what do behaviourists believe

Answer 10

all behaviour is learned

Question 11

behaviourist assumptions

Answer 11

-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

Question 12

what 2 forms of learning have behaviourists identified

Answer 12

-classical conditioning
-operant conditioning

Question 13

behaviourists assumptions about animals

Answer 13

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

Question 14

research supporting classical conditioning

Answer 14

Pavlov

Question 15

when did Pavlov conduct research

Answer 15

1927

Question 16

learning of classical conditioning

Answer 16

learning through association

Question 17

Pavlov’s research

Answer 17

-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

Question 18

what was Pavlov able to show

Answer 18

a neutral stimulus can elicit a new learned response through association

Question 19

who did research on operant conditioning

Answer 19

Skinner

Question 20

learning of operant conditioning

Answer 20

learing through consequences

Question 21

3 consequences of operant coditioning

Answer 21

-positive reinforcement
-negative reinforcement
-punishment

Question 22

what did skinner suggest about learning process

Answer 22

learning is an active process whereby humans and animals operate their environment

Question 23

positive reinforcement

Answer 23

receiving a reward when a certain behaviour is performed

Question 24

negative reinforcement

Answer 24

occurs when something unpleasant is avoided. the outcome is a positive experience

Question 25

punishment

Answer 25

an unpleasant consequence of behaviour

Question 26

what do positive and negative reinforcement do

Answer 26

increase the likelihood that behaviour will be repeated

Question 27

what does punishment do

Answer 27

decreases likelihood that a behvaiour will be repeated

Question 28

strength if behaviourist approach- well controlled research

Answer 28

-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

Question 29

limitation of behaviourist approach- counterpoint to well-controlled research (over simplified)

Answer 29

-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

Question 30

strength of behaviourist approach - real-world application

Answer 30

-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

Question 31

limitation of the behaviourist approach - environmental determinism

Answer 31

-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)

Question 32

evaluation of behaviourist approach- ethical issues

Answer 32

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

Question 33

Skinner box

Answer 33

-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