The Learning Approach/ The Behaviourist Approach

Question 1

What does the specification say that the behaviourist approach includes?

Answer 1

Classical conditioning, Pavlov research, operant conditioning, types of reinforcement and Skinner’s research

Question 2

Define the behaviourist approach?

Answer 2

A way of explaining behaviour in terms of what is observable and learning

Question 3

Define classical conditioning?

Answer 3

Learning by association - occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly prepared together and an unconditioned stimulus acts as a new neutral stimulus. The neutral stimulus eventually produces the same response that was first produced by the unlearned stimulus.
(neutral stimulus when used with unconditioned stimulus the neutral stimulus becomes the conditioned stimulus)

Question 4

Define operant conditioning?

Answer 4

A form of learning in which behaviour is shaped and maintained by it’s consequences. Possible consequences of behaviour = positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement or punishment

Question 5

Define reinforcement?

Answer 5

A consequence of behaviour that increases the likelihood of that behaviour being repeated. Can be positive or negative

Question 6

What behaviour is the behaviourist approach interested in studying? (assumptions)

Answer 6

Behaviour that can be observed and measured (not concerned with mental processes)

Question 7

What was the result of Watson rejecting introspection due to its vast number of concepts that were big and difficult to measure? (assumptions)

Answer 7

The behaviourist approach implemented more control and objectivity within their research and relied on lab experiments

Question 8

Why do behaviourists often replace humans with animals in research?(assumptions)

Answer 8

It was suggested that the basic processes that cover learning are the same in all species

Question 9

What is classical conditioning and who first demonstrated it?

Answer 9

It is learning through association and Pavlov first demonstrated it by showing that dogs could be conditioned to salivate to the sound of a bell if that sound was repeatedly present when they were given food.

Question 10

What was the result of Pavlov’s experiment?

Answer 10

Dogs began to associate the sound of the bell (stimulus) with the food and would produce the salvation response every time they heard the noise

Question 11

What did Pavlov’s experiment prove?

Answer 11

A neutral stimulus can result in a learned response/conditioned response through association.

Question 12

Who and when was operant conditioning first demonstrated?

Answer 12

Skinner 1953- suggested that learning is an active process whereby humans and animals operate on their environment

Question 13

What are the three types of consequences in operant conditioning?

Answer 13

Positive reinforcement
Negative Reinforcement
Punishment

Question 14

What is positive reinforcement ?

Answer 14

Receiving an award but assertive behaviour is performed e.g praise from a teacher for answering correctly in class

Question 15

What is negative reinforcement?

Answer 15

Occurs when a human or animal avoids something unpleasant e.g a student brings in the homework so they told get told off (the voidance of something unpleasant is the negative reinforcement)

Question 16

What is punishment?

Answer 16

An unpleasant consequence of behaviour e.g being shouted at in a lesson for talking (less likely to do it again)

Question 17

What does positive/negative reinforcement and punishment do?

Answer 17

Positive/negative reinforcement increases the likelihood that behaviour will be repeated
Punishment decreases the likelihood that behaviour will be repeated

Question 18

What was Skinner’s experiment?

Answer 18

Skinner’s box- every time the rat in the box accidentally hit the lever in the box it would be rewarded with a food pellet and eventually the rat would continue to perform the behaviour on purpose

Question 19

What was Skinner’s box a display of and what else did it show?

Answer 19

Positive reinforcement
Also showed rats could be conditioned to perform the same behaviour to avoid an unpleasant stimulus (electric shock- negative reinforcement)

Question 20

What is a key strength of the behaviourist approach?

Answer 20

scientific credibility- able to print language and method of natural science into psychology
Focusing on measurement of sensible behaviour- was in highly controlled lab settings= allowed for replication

Question 21

In what ways can the approach be applied to real life?

Answer 21

Operant conditioning is the basis of token economies in places like prisons and psychiatric wards
Classical conditioning has been applied to the treatment of phobias- these treatments have the advantage pf requiring less effort from the patient as they don’t have to think about their phobia

Question 22

What is a key limitation of the approach?

Answer 22

Environmental determinism- sees all behaviour as determined by past experiences that have been conditioned. Skinner suggested everything we do is the total of our reinforcement history- therefore ignores any possible influence of free will on behaviour

Question 23

What are the ethical and practical issues in animal experiments?

Answer 23

Although experiments like Skinner’s Box allows behaviourists to maintain a high degree of control over their subjects- many critics have questioned the ethics as animals involved are exposed to stressful and adverse conditions

Question 24

What is a strength and limitation of the mechanistic view of behaviour?

Answer 24

Strength = process mediates between stimulus and response 
Limitation = sees animals as passive responders to the environment with little or no conscious insight into their behaviour however other approaches have emphasised importance of mental events during learning

Question 25

What can behaviourism help to explain and how?

Answer 25

Gambling- because Skater discovered that if an animal was rewarded every time it activated a lever the behaviour would quickly die out/ become extinct however less so when reinforcement is given after a unpredictable number of responses.

Question 26

What are the three main assumptions of behaviourism?

Answer 26

Nearly all behaviour is learnt
Animals and humans learn in the same way
The ‘mind’ is irrelevant

Question 27

Explain Pavlov’s dog experiment ?

Answer 27

When dogs see food they salivate - unlearned response
Food= unconditioned stimulus and salivation = unconditioned response

Eventually the Bell became a conditioned stimulus and the salvation a conditioned response

Question 28

What are the principles of classical conditioning?

Answer 28

Generalisation 
Discrimination 
Extinction.
Spontaneous recovery 
Higher order conditioning

Question 29

What was Watson and Rayners experiment 1920?n

Answer 29

Little Albert
A baby called Albert showed no fear to white fluffy objects like rats and rabbits
Researchers tried to create a conditioned response by placing rat infront of Albert and when he reached out loudly hitting a metal bar behind his head- this was repeated

Question 30

What were the results and conclusions of the little Albert experiment?

Answer 30

When he was shown a rat he would start to cry - this extended to other white fluffy objects

A dear response to White fluffy objects was conditioned in Albert showing that abnormal behaviour can be learned

Question 31

What is the evaluation of the little Albert experiment?

Answer 31

Very unethical
Lab study- lacks ecological validity as situation was artificial
Does support palvovs idea of classical conditioning