The behaviourist approach

What is operant conditioning?

Learning behaviours through reinforcement or punishment

What is classical conditioning?

Learning behaviours through association

What research was done into operant conditioning?

Skinner’s rat lab experiment

What research was done into classical conditioning?

Pavlov’s dog lab experiment

Evaluation of research

Applicable and reliable but not generalisable and unethical

Evaluation of issues/debates

Ignores how nature affects behaviour due to inherited characteristics

Evaluation of application

Applicable in real world to help understand and explain phobias, resulting in treatments such as exposure therapy

Classical conditioning in stimulus and response

Neutral stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus that triggers an unconditioned response. The neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus

What is positive reinforcement?

Adding a positive stimulus after a behaviour in order to increase that behaviour

What is negative reinforcement?

Removing a negative stimulus after a behaviour in order to increase that behaviour

What is positive punishment?

Removing a positive stimulus after a behaviour in order to decrease that behaviour

What is negative punishment?

Adding a negative stimulus after a behaviour in order to decrease that behaviour

What is the difference between reinforcement and punishment?

Reinforcement increases a behaviour whereas punishment decreases a behaviour