Approaches

Who was the first person to be called a psychologist

Wilhelm Wundt

• opened first psych lab in Leipzig, Germany, 1879

• wanted to describe the nature of human consciousness - introspection

• studied the structure of the human mind - structuralism

When and why was the behaviourist approach born

• early 20th century - John Watson

• Watson took issue with introspection as the data is produced was subjective and criticised the focus on ‘private’ mental processes

• he proposed that scientific psychology should only study phenomena that can be observed and measures (psychology emerging as a science)

What is the behaviourist approach

a way of explaining behaviour in terms of what is observable and in terms of teaching - observable behaviour that can be objectively measured

What are some assumptions of the behaviourist approach

• we are born as a blank slate - ‘tabula rasa’ - everything we become is shaped by the process of learning from our environment

• extreme ‘nurture’ end of nature vs nurture debate

• all behaviour can be explained by classical and operant conditioning

• lab experiments are the best way to achieve control and objectivity

What was the methods of research for the behaviourist approach

• lab experiments on animals - allow control of extraneous variables

• manipulated the environment (stimulus) to test its effect of the animals behaviour (response)

What is classical conditioning

• learning through association

• demonstrated by Pavlov

• revealed that dogs could be conditioned to salivate to the sound of a bell if the sound was repeatedly presented at the same time they were given food

Describe Pavlov’s dog experiment

• First, the dogs were presented with the food, and they salivated. The food was the unconditioned stimulus and salivation was an unconditioned (innate) response.

• Next, Pavlov began the conditioning procedure, whereby the clicking metronome was introduced just before he gave food to his dogs.

• After a number of repeats (trials) of this procedure, he presented the metronome on its own.

• The sound of the clicking metronome on its own now caused an increase in salivation.

Unconditioned Stimulus (Food) > Unconditioned Response (Salivate)

Neutral Stimulus (Metronome) > No Response

Conditioned Stimulus (Metronome) > Conditioned Response (Salivate)

What is another example of classical conditioning

Little Albert experiment - Watson and Rayner

What are the three types of consequence for behaviour in operant conditioning

• Positive reinforcement - receiving a reward when a certain behaviour is performed

• Negative reinforcement - an animal (or human) avoids something unpleasant e.g. handing in an essay to avoid being told off

• Punishment - an unpleasant consequence of behaviour