The Behaviourist Approach Flashcards
1
Q
What is the Behaviourist Approach?
A
the study of behaviour that can be observed & measured
2
Q
Assumptions
A
- Our behaviour can be learnt
- Behaviour can be measured scientifically only when observable
- Learning is the same in animals & humans
3
Q
What are the 2 forms of learning?
A
Classical & operant conditioning
4
Q
What is operant conditioning?
A
a form of learning where behaviour is shaped & maintained through positive/negative reinforcement and punishment (introduced by Skinner)
5
Q
What is classical conditioning?
A
learning by association when 2 stimuli are repeatedly and the neutral stimulus eventually produced response first produced by unlearned stimulus (introduced by Pavlov)
6
Q
Evaluation: Scientific credibility
A
- behaviourism focuses on measuring observable behaviour within highly controlled lab settings
- by emphasising scientific processes replication behaviourism was important in developing psychology as a science giving it scientific credibility
7
Q
Evaluation: Real-life application
A
- conditioning has been used in many real-life behaviours & problems
- e.g. operant conditioning is the basis of token economy systems which involved rewarding certain behaviours with tokens that can be exchanged for privileges
- classical conditioning has been used to treat phobias
8
Q
Evaluation: Mechanistic view of behaviour
A
- from behaviourist POV animals (& humans) are passive and have little to no conscious thought into their behaviour
- other approaches e.g. SLT & cognitive emphasise the importance of mental events during learning
9
Q
Evaluation: Ethical & practical issues in animal experiments
A
- many critics have questioned the ethics behind experiments like Skinner’s rat box
- animals exposed to stressful conditions which may affect how they react in the experiment
10
Q
Evaluation: Environmental determinism
A
- behaviourist approach sees all behaviour as determined by past experiences that have been conditioned
- Skinner suggested any sense of free will is an illusion
- he said that our past conditioning history determines our present behaviour
