The Learning Approach: Behaviourist Approach

What are the 3 main assumptions of the behaviourist approach? AO1

1. All behaviour is learnt from the environment

2. Only concerned with studying behaviour that is observed and measured

3. Processes of learning are the same in all species, so animals can replace humans as experimental subjects.

What do behaviourists believe we are born as? AO1

‘blank slates’

and that there is no genetic influence on our behaviour

What are the two types of conditioning that explain human behaviour? AO1

-Classical Conditioning

-Operant Conditioning

What is classical conditioning? AO1

learning through association

When does classical conditioning occur? AO1

When a previously neutral stimulus is repeatedly paired with a stimulus that already produces a response (unconditioned stimulus)

Over time the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus, which produces a conditioned response

Who investigated classical conditioning? AO1

Pavlov

Outline how Pavlov conducted his research? AO1

1. Before Conditioning= food (UCS) produced a salivation response (UCR)

2. During Conditioning= food (UCS) was repeatedly paired with the sound of a bell (NS) to produce a salivation response (UCR)

3. An association was made between the unconditioned stimulus and the neutral stimulus

4. After Conditioning= sound of a bell (CS) produced a salivation response (CR)

What did Pavlov find in his research? AO1

Found it is possible to condition an animal to produce an innate response by repeatedly pairing a NS with an UCS.

What did Pavlov condition a dog to do? AO1

Conditioned a dog to salivate (CR) at the sound of a bell (NS) by repeatedly pairing the bell with the arrival of food (UCS)

What is operant conditioning? AO1

learning through reinforcement as a result of our consequences

Who was it established by? AO1

BF Skinner

What are the results of operant conditioning? AO1

Reinforcement makes behaviours more likely to be repeated, whilst punishment decreases the likelihood of repeating a behaviour

What are the two types of reinforcement? AO1

1. Positive Reinforcement

2. Negative Reinforcement

What is positive reinforcement? AO1

receiving an award when a behaviour is performed

What is negative reinforcement? AO1

when a behaviour is followed by the removal of something negative/unpleasant

What is punishment? AO1

when a behaviour is followed by something negative/ an unpleasant consequence

Outline how Skinner conducted his research? AO1

He tested the types of reinforcement using rats. He found that when he tested:

1. Positive Reinforcement= rats were given food when they pressed the lever, this strengthened their behaviour

2. Negative Reinforcement= an electric shock was removed when rats pressed the lever, this strengthened their behaviour

3. Punishment= rats received an electric shock when they pressed the lever, this weakened their behaviour

What is one strength of the behaviourist approach? AO3

+ Practical Application

The principles of conditioning have been applied to a broad range of real-world behaviours and problems.

For example, operant conditioning forms the basis of token economy systems that are successfully used in institutions.

Equally classical conditioning has made important contributions to our understanding of mental health. For example, many phobias are thought to be the result of earlier unpleasant experiences. Consequently, this understanding has helped psychologists develop therapies such as systematic desensitisation.

This increases the value of the behaviourist approach as it has widespread application

What is one strength of the behaviourist approach? AO3

+ Based on Well Controlled Research

This is due to the fact that behaviourists focus on the measurement of observable behaviour within highly controlled lab settings.

For example, Skinner conducted a lab experiment and was able to demonstrate clearly how reinforcement influenced animals behaviour.

By breaking down the behaviour into basic stimuli-response units all other possible extraneous variables were removed, allowing a cause and effect to be established.

This therefore suggests that behaviourist experiments have scientific credibility.

Thus in turn raising the profile of psychology as a science, strengthening the value of the approach to explain human behaviour

What is one weakness of the behaviourist approach? AO3

- Simplistic View of Behaviour

This is because it is form of environmental determinism given that it reduces all behaviour down to stimulus-response links and past experiences that have been conditioned

This is a weakness because it doesn’t acknowledge the role of free will of biology on behaviour

This suggests that the behaviourist approach is limited explanation as behaviour is much more complex then learning through conditioning

Therefore reduces validity of approach