The Learning Approach: Behaviourism Flashcards
What are the key assumptions of the behavioural approach?
- Behaviour is concerned with observable behaviours (objectively and scientifically measured)
- When born our mind is a blank state
- Little difference between humans and animals
- Behaviour is the result of a stimulus
- All behaviour is learnt from the enviroment
When was the behaviourist approach founded?
1915
Who found the behaviourist approach?
Watson
Why was the behaviourist approach formed?
In rejection of introspection
Who supported the behaviourist approach with classical conditioning?
Pavlov
Who supported the behaviourist approach with operant conditioning?
Skinner
What are behaviourism two main forms of learning?
- Classical conditioning
- Operant conditioning and reinforment
Classical conditioning is learning through…
association
Who investigated into classical conditioning?
Pavlov
Who was Pavlov’s participants?
Dogs
What is classical conditioning?
- Learning by association
- Conditioning reflexes and involves associating new stimulus with innate bodily reflex
What was the neutral stimulus before conditioning in Pavlov’s experiment?
The bell
What was the unconditioned stimulus before conditioning in Pavlov’s experiment?
Food
What was the unconditioned response before conditioning in Pavlov’s experiment?
Salivation
What was paired during conditioning in Pavlov’s experiment?
Neutral stimulus and unconditioned stimulus
What was the response during conditioning in Pavlov’s experiment?
Unconditioned salivation
What occurred after conditioning in Palvov’s experiment?
- Bell became conditioned stimulus
- Salivation became conditioned response
What case study provides support of classical conditioning?
Case of Little Albert investigated by Watson
Who investigated into operant conditioning?
Skinner
What is operant conditioning?
Learning through consequence
What did Skinner claim?
All behaviour is learnt as a result of consequences in our environment
Can consequences be positive or negative or both?
Both
Who was Skinner’s participants?
Animals (Rats)
What is positive reinforcement?
Increases the likelihood of a response occurring because it involves a reward for the behaviour
What are example of positive reinforcement?
-Workers get paid bonus for hard working
What is negative reinforcement?
Increases the likelihood of a response occurring because it involves the removal of, or escaping from, unpleasant consequence
What is an example of negative reinforcement?
-The car buzzer turns off when you put on your seatbelt
What is positive punishment?
The consequence is receiving something unpleasant which decreases the probability of the behaviour being repeated
What is an example of positive punishment?
-The driver’s speeding results in a ticket and a fine.
What is negative punishment?
The consequence is removing something desirable and decreases probability of the behaviour being repeated
What is an example of negative punishment?
-Toys being taken away from a child when they are throwing a tantrum
In operant conditioning the association between responses and consequences must be as far or close together for learning to occur?
Close
What can operant conditioning be applied to?
- Social skills training for offenders
- Token economy systems
What did Skinner discover about when is best to apply reinforcements?
At an unpredictable time for conditioning behaviours
What are the strengths of behaviourism?
- Very scientific = testable and establishs cause and effect
- Replicable = High control so can be repeated
- Quantitative data = easy to analyse
- Real-life application = Phobias
What are the limitations of behaviourism?
-Can not fully explain different forms of learning e.g insight learning
-Ignores mental processes
Reductionist=only takes into account nurture, rules out any influence of anything else
-Lack of ecological validity = issues with generalisability
