The Behaviourist Approach

Question 1

Who are the key figures of the behaviourist approach, and were they concerned with classical or operant conditioning?

Answer 1

Ivan Pavlov (classical)
John B. Watson (classical)
B.F. Skinner (operant)

Question 2

What are the main assumptions of the behaviourist approach?

Answer 2

-Humans are born as “tabula rasa” (or “blank slate”)
-Human behaviour is learnt through experience
-Only observable behaviour can be studied scientifically
-It is valid to study animals and extrapolate the data to humans
-Introspection is not a valid tool

Question 3

Describe classical conditioning in terms of different types of stimuli and responses.

Answer 3

1. Unconditioned stimulus = unconditioned response
2. Unconditioned stimulus + neutral stimulus = unconditioned response
3. Repeat step 2 until an association is formed between UCS and NS.
4. NS—>Conditioned stimulus, CS = CR.