The Learning Approach: Behaviourism Flashcards

1
Q

The behaviourist approach is only concerned with studying behaviour that can be

A

Observed and measured

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2
Q

The behaviourist approach is not concerned with

A

Mental processes of the mind

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3
Q

Introspection was

A

Rejected by behaviourists as its concepts were vague and difficult to measure

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4
Q

Behaviourists tried to maintain more

A

Control and objectivity within their research and relied on lab studies to achieve this

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5
Q

Behaviourists suggest the processes that govern learning are

A

Same in all species so animals can replace humans as experimental subjects

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6
Q

Who came up with classical conditioning

A

Pavlov

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7
Q

Classical conditioning is learning through

A

Association

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8
Q

UCS

A

Food

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9
Q

UCR

A

Salvation

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10
Q

NS

A

Bell

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11
Q

What did Pavlov do to dogs?

A

Conditioned dogs to salvage when a bell rings

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12
Q

UCS = UCR = NS

A

Before conditioning

No response to NS (bell)

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13
Q

NS + UCS

A

During conditioning.

Bell and food occur at the same time.

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14
Q

CS = CR

A

After conditioning.
CS = bell
CR = salvation

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15
Q

Pavlov showed how a natural stimulus (bell) can come to elicit

A

A new learning response (conditioned response) through association

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16
Q

Who came up with Operant conditioning?

A

Skinner

17
Q

Operant conditioning says that learning is an

A

Active process whereby humans and animals operate on their environment

18
Q

Operant conditioning says that behaviour is shaped and maintained by its

A

Consequences

19
Q

Skinners research AO1

A

Rats were placed into specially designed boxes.
They had to pull leavers to receive a treat.
If they pushed a leaver then they got an electric shock.

20
Q

Skinner findings

A

The animals figured out what they had to do to get a treat so they repeated the behaviour

21
Q

There are three types of consequences of behaviour

A

Positive reinforcement
Negative reinforcement
Punishment

22
Q

Positive reinforcement

A

Receiving a reward when behaviour is performed to likelihood of the behaviour being performed again is increased.

23
Q

Negative reinforcement

A

When an animal or human produces behaviour that avoids something unpleasant, increases the likelihood of that behaviour.

24
Q

Punishment

A

An unpleasant consequences of behaviour, which decreases the likelihood of the behaviour being repeated.

25
Q

Positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement increase the likelihood that

A

Behaviour will be repeated

26
Q

Punishment decreases the likelihood that behaviour will be

A

Repeated

27
Q

The approach focuses on the careful measurement of

A

Observable behaviour within controlled lab settings

28
Q

Behaviourists emphasised the importance of

A

Scientific processes such as objectivity and replication

29
Q

Scientific credibility AO3

A

Because behaviourists found scientific processes to be so important, this brought the language and methods of the natural sciences into psychology, giving the subject greater credibility and status

30
Q

Real-life application AO3

A

The principles of conditioning have been applied to a broad range of-world behaviours and problems, e.g. token economies in prisons and psychiatric wards (operant conditioning).

31
Q

Token economy is a good treatment for patients who

A

Lack ‘insight’ into their condition and are not capable of talking about their problems

32
Q

Theory might not apply well to humans AO3

A

Animals and humans are seen as passive and machine-like responders to the environment, with little conscious insight into their behaviour, other approaches, such as social learning theory and the cognitive approach have placed more emphasis on mental events that occur during learning, suggesting humans play more active role in learning, so theory might not apply well to humans.

33
Q

Deterministic AO3

A

The approach sees all behaviour as determined by past experiences that have been conditioned and ignore any influence that free will may have on behaviour. Skinner argued free will was an illusion and past conditioning determines outcome of decisions - this is extreme position that ignores influence of conscious decisioning making on behaviour. (hard environmental determinism).

34
Q

Ethical issues with Skinner AO3

A

Although experimental procedures such as the skinners box allowed behaviourists to a high degree of control over their research subjects, criteria have drawn attention to the ethical issues involved

35
Q

Issue with validity as… (AO3)

A

The animals were exposed to stressful and aversive conditions and this may have affected his they reacted to the experimental situation. The animal stress means the validity of the findings from these might be questioned because the observed behaviour was not ‘normal’.