THE BEHAVIOURST APPROACH- Behaviourist approach assumptions

Question 1

what’s the essence of the behaviourist approach

Answer 1

the focus on environment and learned behaviour

Question 2

in the early 20th century, what did the American psychologist John B. Watson propose psychologists should do and why

Answer 2

study observable behaviour because it’s the only way we would be able to measure human behaviour in a scientific way

Question 3

when did behaviourist psychology dominate psychology

Answer 3

for the first half of the 20th century

Question 4

ASSUMPTION 1; HUMANS ARE BORN LIKE A —– —–. fill in the gap

Answer 4

BLANK SLATE

Question 5

Behaviourists believe that when we are born our mind is a ‘tabula rasa’ [Latin] what does this mean in english

Answer 5

blank sate

Question 6

According to the traditional behaviourist approach, what are we not born with

Answer 6

in- built mental content

Question 7

According to the traditional behaviourist approach, do internal events such as thinking and emotion drive our behaviour

Answer 7

no

Question 8

what does the traditional behaviourist approach believe our behaviour is learned from

Answer 8

interactions with the environment

Question 9

what do we passively respond to

Answer 9

environmental stimuli

Question 10

does the blank slate assumption support the idea of nurture over nature or nature over nurture

Answer 10

nurture over nature

Question 11

does the blank slate assumption support the idea of nurture over nature or nature over nurture

Answer 11

nurture over nature

Question 12

what does the nurture over nature view mean

Answer 12

social and environmental factors have the greatest influence on our behaviour, over innate [natural] and biological factors

Question 13

what spectrum of he nature- nurture debate does the traditional behaviourist theory lie at

Answer 13

extreme end

Question 14

what 3 nature examples of nature does the tradional behaviourist theory ignore in explaining behaviour

Answer 14

genetics, physiology [studies of bodily functions] and evolution

Question 15

what is environmental determinism

Answer 15

believing our behaviour is determined by the environment we grew up in

Question 16

give 2 examples of environmental determinism in early life that pre- determine our later reactions to other people and situations

Answer 16

association [ e.g. dentists= pain] … rewards/ punishments rewarded [e.g. getting smacked for bad behaviour

Question 17

ASSUMPTION 2; BEHAVIOUR LEARNED THROUGH ————. Fill in the gap.

Answer 17

conditioning

Question 18

for the bahaviourists, we learn through 2 types of conditioning. what are they called

Answer 18

cassical and operant

Question 19

in classical conditioning, what is new behaviour learned through

Answer 19

association

Question 20

who first described the process of classical conditioning in 1902

Answer 20

Ivan Pavlov

Question 21

what observation did Ivan Pavlov use in 1902 to describe the process of classical conditioning

Answer 21

salivation in dogs

Question 22

Before conditioning, what type of stimulus is food

Answer 22

unconditioned stimilus [UCS]

Question 23

before conditioning, what type of response is salivation

Answer 23

unconditioned response [UCR]

Question 24

During conditioning, what is the neutral stimulus [NS]

Answer 24

the sound of a bell

Question 25

when does association occur during the conditioning

Answer 25

when the dog hears the sound of the bell

Question 26

after conditioning , what type of stimulus is the bell

Answer 26

conditioned stimulus [CS]

Question 27

what does the conditioned stimulus [bell sound] produce

Answer 27

a conditioned response [salivation]

Question 28

in operant conditioning, what is new behaviour learned through

Answer 28

reinforcement

Question 29

what is a reinforcement

Answer 29

something that will increase the chance that the behaviour will occur again

Question 30

what two types of reinforcement are there

Answer 30

positive and negative reinforcement - both will shape behaviour

Question 31

What did B.F. Skinner in 1930 demonstrate via the Skinner box

Answer 31

that an animal ]e.g. pigeon or rat] can learn to behave in certain ways due to being rewarded [positively reinforced] with food

Question 32

via the Skinner box, what may the animal accidently do

Answer 32

accidently perform an action that results in a food pellet being given [e.g. pressing a lever]

Question 33

as the behaviour of the animal has been reinforced [rewarded] what is the animal likely to do again

Answer 33

repeat this behaviour

Question 34

does negative reinforcement strengthen or weaken behaviour

Answer 34

strengthens

Question 35

how does negative reinforcement strengthen behaviour

Answer 35

because it involved escaping something unpleasant

Question 36

name an example of negative reinforcement in school

Answer 36

completing your homework may result in you avoiding detention or avoiding making your teacher angry, so you will be more likely to complete your homework next time

Question 37

in operant conditioning, what is behaviour also learned through besides positive and negative reinforcement

Answer 37

punishment

Question 38

does punishment weaken or strengthen behaviour

Answer 38

weaken - should decrease the likelihood that the behaviour will reoccur again

Question 39

what is punishment the opposite of

Answer 39

reinforcement

Question 40

via the Skinner box, explain an example of punishment and its result

Answer 40

if the rat received a shock following pressing the ever rather than a food pellet, they were less likely to press the lever again

Question 41

ASSUMPTION 3; —— AND ANIMALS LEARN IN SIMILAR WAYS. Fill in the gap.

Answer 41

humans

Question 42

what law is the same for both humans and non- human animals

Answer 42

the law of learning

Question 43

what does studying animal behaviour in a laboratory environment allow us to do about human behaviour

Answer 43

make generalisations

Question 44

Pavlov, for example, developed the principles of classical conditioning with dogs, where he showed how they could be conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell, applying the principles to humans … what therapies has the same principle been applied in and what do these therapies do

Answer 44

behaviourist therapies, to help people overcome problems such as phobias

Question 45

an example of a behaviourist therapy is systematic desensitisation. what is done here

Answer 45

the client will learn to associate the phobic object [e.g. having an injection] with feelings of relaxation, instead of anxiety

Question 46

similarly, operant conditioning principles that were developed in the confinements of a laboratory with animals [e.g. Skinner’s research with rats] are applied in many contexts to shape human behaviour. name two examples

Answer 46

education and in prisons

Question 47

token economy systems are a classic example of operant conditioning being used in education and prison. what happens within token economy systems

Answer 47

desirable behaviour is reinforced with tokens that can be exchanged for rewards such as sweets and cigarettes

Question 48

As behaviourists believe that all behaviour is learned from the environment, what factors would they believe will be most influential in the formation of relationships

Answer 48

external factors

Question 49

According to operant conditioning principles, what two things drive our behaviour

Answer 49

reinforcements and punishments

Question 50

how may a new relationship be positively reinforcing

Answer 50

the attention someone gives us , their compliments or even having the company of someone we like is rewarding

Question 51

For the the reasons of feeling rewarded by the good qualities of relationship, what are we likely to do

Answer 51

repeat the behaviour, i.e. spend more time with them

Question 52

how does negative reinforcement play out when being with somebody else

Answer 52

may help us avoid feelings of loneliness and rejection and successfully avoiding these feelings is also reinforcing [negative reinforcement]

Question 53

besides avoiding feelings of loneliness and rejection through relationships [negative reinforcement], how may having no relationship be a punishment

Answer 53

being on the receiving end of nasty comments from others or excluded from events where only couples are invited

Question 54

what will the punishments coming from not having a relationship increase the likelihood of

Answer 54

us wanting to form a relationship

Question 55

As well as liking people with whom we share a pleasant experience, we also like people who are associated with what

Answer 55

pleasant events

Question 56

if we meet someone when we are feeling happy [positive mood], are we much more or less inclined to them than if we meet them when we are feeling unhappy [negative mood]

Answer 56

much more

Question 57

in this case, what’s an example of a previously neutral stimulus

Answer 57

someone we had not previously met therefore have no real feelings about

Question 58

in this case, what can a previously neutral stimulus become and why

Answer 58

they can become positively valued because of their association with a pleasant event [i.e. we learn to like people through the process of classical conditioning]

Question 59

in modern days, what are the principles of operant conditioning used in and what does this help form

Answer 59

in pet training and these help form good pet- owner relationships

Question 60

give an example of how operant conditioning can be used in pet training

Answer 60

training dogs usually involves rewarding good behaviour with a treat, such as waiting until a dog sits and giving a reward, or walking without pulling on its leash

Question 61

because these rewards will increase contentment in both the owner and dog, is the behaviour more or less likely to be repeated

Answer 61

more likely

Question 62

what have studies shown within the link of per owners and depression

Answer 62

pet owners are less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets

Question 63

what have studies shown within the link of blood pressure in stressful situations ad pet owners

Answer 63

people with pets have lower blood pressure in stressful situations than those without pets.

Question 64

because of what studies have shown, how does the presence of a pet link with classical conditioning

Answer 64

the presence of a pet is generally associated with positive feelings such as companionship and loyalty.