Behaviourism

Behaviourism assumptions

• John Locke described mind as tabula rasa (blank state) - all behaviours learnt through experiences in our environment

• Some behaviours learnt through classical condition (learning through association) - Pavlov

• Some behaviours learnt through operant conditioning (learning through consequences of our behaviour)

• Psychology should be scientific & objective & only study observable behaviour (empirical evidence)

• No fundamental distinction between human & animal behaviour as we all learn the same way

Classical conditioning

• Learning through association

• Pavlov investigated salivary reflex in dogs & found that they not only salivated when presented food but also to the stimuli that was presented with the food

What were the stages in Pavlov’s experiment?

• Bell (NS) caused no response

• Food (UCS) caused dog to salivate (UCR)

• Food (UCS) + bell (NS) caused dog to salivate (UCR)

• Over time bell (CS) caused dog to salivate (CR)

What did Pavlov find?

• Acquisition - for an association to be learned UCS & NS must be presented closely (best at same time) and repeatedly

• When there’s a long time gap between stimuli association is not learned

• Stimulus generalisation - after a CR has been trained to CS it will occur to similar stimuli without further training

• Eg causing tone of bell will still cause salivation

Operant conditioning

• Learning through the consequences of our actions

Positive reinforcement

When desirable behaviour is rewarded, increasing the likelihood of the behaviour being repeated

Negative reinforcement

When a desirable behaviour is strengthened by avoiding a negative outcome, increasing the likelihood of the behaviour being repeated

Punishment

When an undesirable behaviour has negative consequences, decreasing the likelihood of the behaviour being repeated

What was Skinner’s experiment?

• Skinner box

• Studied causes of an action & its consequences

• Stage 1 - when rat pressed the lever it would receive a food pellet (positive reinforcement)

• Stage 2 - when rat pressed the lever it was given an electric shock (punishment)

• Stage 3 - when rat pressed the lever the current was turned off (negative reinforcement)

Strengths of the behaviourist approach

• P - useful practical applications

• E - classical conditioning used to treat phobias with systematic desensitization & operant conditioning forms basis of token economy in prisons

• T - real applications that benefit society & economy

• P - scientific & objective method

• E - used experimental method which is highly controlled, replicable & produces empirical evidence

• T - scientific discipline gives it great status & credibility in psychology

Limitations of the behaviourist approach

• P - environmental deterministic

• E - claims all behaviour is learned through association or consequences & free will is an illusion

• T - raises questions of free will in the legal system & affects its integrity

• P - reductionist

• E - focuses on past learning & ignores other factors such as genetics & cognitive processes

• T - may be seen as overly simplistic & lacking validity

• P - humans more complex than animals

• E - humans more likely to react to demand characteristics

• T - issue isn’t present in animals so difficult to generalise findings of animal studies to humans