The Behaviourist approach and Social learning theory

The Behaviourist approach - assumptions

We are born as ‘tabula rasa’ meaning ‘blank slate’.

Nothing is innate and everything is learned, can also be unlearnt with the same processes.

Behaviourist approach is only interested in studying behaviour that is quantifiable and can be observed and measured. It ignores mental processes of the mind.

The mind is a ‘black box’ so we do not understand the inner workings. Thoughts are not important in learning because learning is an automatic process

Humans and animals has the same learning machanisms

Classical conditioning

Unconditioned stimulus produces a natural response, it leads to a natural unconditioned response

Neutral stimulus does not naturally elicit a response, does not lead to a conditioned response

Conditioning occurs when the UCS and the NS are paired multiple times

The neutral stimulus is now able to elicit a conditioned response through association

Operant conditioning

A form of learning where behaviour is shaped by reinforcement and maintained by its consequences. B.F. Skinner conducted research using rats and pigeons.

Types of reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is receiving rewards when certain behaviour is performed

Negative reinforcement is the avoidance of unpleasant things, the outcome is a positive experience

Punishment is an unpleasant consequence of certain behaviour. It decreases the likelihood that the behaviour will be repeated

STRENGTH - Well controlled research

Meausurements are focused on observable behaviour within highly controlled lab settings, it breaks down behaviour into basic stimulus- response unit which allows cause and effect relationships to be established. For example, Skinner was able to clearly demonstrate how reinforcement and punishment can influence animal behaviour. This suggest that behaviourist experiments are highly objective and has scientific creditability.

WEAKNESS - Learning process

Behaviourist might have oversimplified the learning process by reducing behaviour into simple components. They ignored the human thoughts and mental processes involved in learning. This suggest that learning is more complex than observable behaviour alone, and that private mental processes are also essential.

STRENGTH - Applied to real world behaviours

Operant conditioning is the basis of token economy systems that have been used successfully in institutions such as the prison. It rewards appropriate behaviour with tokens that can be exchanged for privileges. This increases the values of behaviourist approach because it has widespread application.

SLT assumptions

Albert Bandura agree with behaviourists that behaviour is learned through experience, however he also believe that behaviour is learned through observation and imitation from others. Learning occurs directly and indirectly through classical and operant conditioning.

Vicarious reinforcement

Reinforcement that is not directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced for a behaviour

Imitation

Copying the behaviour of others, only occurs if the behaviour is seen to be rewarded rather than punished. For indirect learning to take place an individual observes the behaviour of others as well as its consequences

Mediational processes

Attention - The extent to which we notice certain behaviours

Retention - How well the behaviour is remembered

Motor reproduction - The ability of the observer to perform the behaviour

Motivation - The will to determine the behaviour, often determined by its consequences

Identification

Occurs when an individual relates to a role model because they see similarities between themselves or admire their qualities. This makes them more likely to imitate the role model's behaviour.

SLT weakness - ignores biological factors

One limitation is that it ignores the influence of biological factors on human behaviour. For example, research suggests that aggression can be influenced by genetic factors and hormones such as testosterone, rather than just observation and imitation. This suggests that SLT is an incomplete explanation of human behaviour because it focuses mainly on environmental influences and fails to consider how biological factors may affect behaviour. Therefore, SLT may lack explanatory power as it cannot fully explain behaviour without considering biological influences.

SLT weakness - research lacks ecological validity

Another limitation is that much of its supporting research lacks ecological validity. For example, Bandura's Bobo doll experiment involved children observing an adult behaving aggressively towards an inflatable doll in an artificial laboratory setting. The children may have behaved aggressively because they believed this was expected of them, rather than because they had genuinely learned aggressive behaviour. Also, hitting a doll may not reflect aggression in real-life situations. Therefore, the findings may not generalise to everyday behaviour, reducing the validity of the evidence supporting SLT.

SLT strength - research support

One strength of Social Learning Theory is that it is supported by scientific research. For example, Bandura's Bobo doll experiment found that children who observed an aggressive adult model were more likely to imitate aggressive behaviour than children who observed a non-aggressive model. This supports SLT because it demonstrates that behaviour can be learned through observation and imitation, without the need for direct reinforcement. The controlled laboratory setting also allowed researchers to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between observing aggression and imitating it. Therefore, this increases the scientific credibility of SLT, as there is research evidence supporting the role of observational learning in explaining human behaviour.