The Behaviourist Approach

Question 1

The four underlying points of behaviourist approach

Answer 1

1. Psychologists should only study observable, quantifiable behaviour
2. All behaviour is learned
3. Humans are no different from animals and should not be regarded more complex
4. Research on animal behaviour is directly relevant to humans

Question 2

What did Pavlov develop and what is it

Answer 2

Classical conditioning - type of learning in which an existing involuntary reflex is associated with a new stimulus

Question 3

Describe Pavlov’s experiment

Answer 3

1. He conditioned dogs to associate the sound of a bell (neutral [no response] stimulus) with the food (unconditioned[ stimulus that leads to automatic response] stimulus).
2. Dogs produced salivation response (conditioned response) with the sound of a bell (conditioned stimulus)

Question 4

What was outcome of classical conditioning

Answer 4

Repeated exposure to an event can lead to a learned and uncontrollable behaviour (phobia and attachment)

Question 5

What is operant conditioning

Answer 5

Where voluntary behaviours are modified by association with addition of reward - behaviour is the result of learning through consequence of our actions

Question 6

Positive reinforcement

Answer 6

When a behaviour is followed by a desirable consequence and is more likely to be repeated

Question 7

Negative reinforcement

Answer 7

When a behaviour is followed by removal of an adverse consequence and is more likely to be repeated

Question 8

Punishment

Answer 8

When a behaviour is followed by an unpleasant consequence and is less likely to be repeated

Question 9

What did skinner create and why

Answer 9

Skinner box ( animal in cage pressed lever rewarded w food so learnt voluntary behaviour which is repeated) to examine operant conditioning

Question 10

Negative of behaviourist approach

Answer 10

• Influential in encouraging animals as research objects (unethical)
• Animal behaviour not generalisable to human behaviour
• Limited view regarding origins of behaviour (ignore cognitive and emotional factors In influencing behaviour)

Question 11

Positive of behaviourist approach

Answer 11

• Using non human subjects give more control
• Made important contributions to our understanding of human mental illnesses e.g phobias as a result of earlier unpleasant learning experiences
• develop systematic desensitisation
• contributed to recognition of psychology as a science e.g using objective experimental methods and scientific methods to make research more reliable

Question 12

Tabula rasa

Answer 12

(Human mind is a) blank state suggesting throughout life slate is filled while behaviour is shaped through learning

Question 13

Environmental determinism

Answer 13

The idea that behaviour is determined by forces outside the individual

Question 14

Formulas of UCR, UCS, NS, CS, CR

Answer 14

UCS—> UCR
UCS + NS—> UCR
CS —-> CR

Question 15

Important features of Pavlovs research

Answer 15

Timing (if the time interval between the NS and UCS is too great it won’t work)
Extinction (The Cs is not permanently established)
Spontaneous recover (if the bond is lost, it is quickly reestablished)
Generalisation( they will respond to stimuli similar to bell)

Question 16

Operant conditioning

Answer 16

Organisms spontaneously produce different behaviours and it has either positive or negative influences, wether or not the organism repeats depends on the nature of the consequences

Question 17

What is the neutral stimulus

Answer 17

A stimulus which doesn’t elicit a response

Question 18

What is the UcS

Answer 18

Stimulus in any reflex

Question 19

Positive of classical conditioning

Answer 19

Applied in treatment for reduction of phobias and anxiety

Question 20

Negative of conditioning/ behaviourism

Answer 20

Over reliance of non humans in research
Operant conditioning based on experimental work
Limited perspective on behaviour