Learning approaches: The behaviourist approach

Assumptions

• Only interested in studying behaviour that can be observed and measured. It is not concerned with investigating mental processes of the mind because these were seen as irrelevant.

• Behaviourists believe that all behaviour is learned. They describe a baby's mind as a 'blank slate' (John Locke) and this is written on by experience.

• Following Darwin, behaviourists suggested that the basic processes that govern learning are the same in all species

Classical conditioning

• Learning through association, first demonstrated by Pavlov (1927). Pavlov showed how dogs could be conditioned to salivate to the sound of a bell if that sound was repeatedly presented at the same time as they were given food. Gradually, Pavlov's dogs learned to associate the sound of the bell (neutral stimulus) with the food (unconditioned stimulus) and would produce the salivation response every time they heard the sound

• Thus, Pavlov was able to show a neutral stimulus, in this case a bell, can come to elicit a new learned response (conditioned response) through association and becoming a conditioned stimulus.

Operant conditioning

• Skinner (1953) suggested that learning is an active process whereby humans and animals operate on their environment. In this, conditioning behaviour is shaped by its consequences

• Positive and negative reinforcement increase the likelihood that behaviour will be repeated. Punishment decreases the likelihood that the behaviour will be repeated.

• Skinner’s box demonstrated this through the uses of treats and electric shocks that were controlled by a lever the rat could press.

Operant conditioning- Positive reinforcement

• Receiving a reward when a certain behaviour is performed, for example, praise from a teacher for answering a question correctly in class

Operant conditioning- Negative reinforcement

• Occurs when an animal (or human) avoids something unpleasant. The outcome is a positive experience, for example, when a student hands in homework so as not to be told off, the avoidance of something unpleasant is what this is.

Operant conditioning- Punishment

• The unpleasant consequence of behaviour, for example, being shouted at by the teacher for talking during a lesson

Strengths

• The behaviourist approach is based on well-controlled research. Behaviourists focused on the measurement of observable behaviour within highly controlled lab setting. By breaking down behaviour into basic-stimulus response units, all other possible extraneous variables were removed, allowing cause-and-effect relationships to be established. For instance, Skinner was able to clearly demonstrate how reinforcement influenced an animal's behaviour. This suggests that behaviourist experiments have scientific credibility.

• This could be countered by arguing that it is over-simplified and ignores human thought’s impact on learning. Compare to SLT which takes this into account. Learning is more complicit than observable and private mental processes are essential.

• The principles of conditioning have been applied to real-world behaviours and problems. For example, operant conditioning is the basis of token economy systems that have been used successfully in institutions such as prisons and schools. These work by rewarding appropriate behaviour with token that can be exchanged for privileges. This increases the value of the behaviourist approach because it has widespread application.

Limitations

• The behaviourist approach sees all behaviour as conditioned by past conditioning experiences. Skinner suggested that everything we do is the sum total of our reinforcement history. When something happens we may think 'I made the decision to do that' but, according to Skinner, our past conditioning history determined the outcome. This ignores any possible influence that free will may have on behaviour (skinner said free will is an illusion). This is an extreme position and ignores the influence of conscious decision-making processes on behaviour (determinism).

• The behaviourist approach primarily relies on animal testing. Although such procedures did maintain a high level of control, animals were housed in harsh, cramped conditions and were kept underweight to ensure they would always be hungry. This proposes some serious ethical issues, is the cost worth the gain (cost-benefit analysis)?