Topic 2- Learning and Cognitive Aprroaches (Introducing Behaviourism)

Question 1

What does the term learning approaches mean and give 3 examples?

Answer 1

The term for a number of theories
which are based on the assumption that our behaviour is learned
through interaction with our environment.

1. Classical Conditioning 2. Operant Conditioning 3. Social Learning Theory

Question 2

Who is associated with the behaviourism movement and what did he argue and believe?

Answer 2

The behaviourism movement in psychology is associated with the
work of J B Watson, who argued for the development of a
psychology without introspection. He believed that psychology
could only become truly objective if it limited itself to the study of
behaviour (which is public) as opposed to conscious experience
(which is private).

Question 3

What 3 advances in Biology helped early Psychologists?

Answer 3

By the time Wundt established his laboratory in 1879, great
advances had been made in understanding

1. The nervous system
2. Linking the production and comprehension of language to specific areas of the brain
3. In measuring the speed of nervous
   conduction.

Question 4

Why was Darwin’s evolutionary theory such a great influence and what did it make possible?

Answer 4

1. For the first time, a
   degree of continuity between man and other animals was
   suggested.
2. It seemed possible therefore to investigate fundamental
   processes such as learning in other species and to generalise the
   knowledge back to man.

Question 5

Why did early behaviourists study animals?

Answer 5

The early behaviourists chose to use
animals, such as rats and pigeons, for their investigations because
they expected important aspects of human behaviour to be present
in a simpler form in other animals.

Question 6

What did Darwin bring attention to?

Answer 6

Darwin brought to
attention the variation of characteristics within species and so gave
impetus to the study of individual differences in humans.

Question 7

What are the 4 main assumptions of Behaviourism

Answer 7

1. Behaviour is learned from experience.
2. Only observable behaviour is measured.
3. Non-human animals are valid subjects of study since they share
   the same principles of learning.
4. We are born a blank slate and so there is no influence of
   genetics on our behaviour.