behaviourist approach + SLT

What is the behaviourist approach?

A learning approach focusing on observable, measurable behaviour, explaining behaviour thru conditioning.

What are the key assumptions of the behaviourist approach?

• Only observable behaviour should be studied

• All behaviour is learned (via environment)

• Humans = same learning laws as animals

• Animal research can be generalised to humans

What is ‘tabula rasa’ in behaviourism?

Humans=born as a blank slate, with behaviour shaped entirely by experience.

Classical Conditioning: What is classical conditioning?

Learning by association where a neutral stimulus (NS) becomes linked to an unconditioned stimulus (UCS) to produce a learned response.

Who developed classical conditioning?

Ivan Pavlov

Define key terms in classical conditioning

• UCS (unconditioned stimulus): naturally produces response

• UCR (unconditioned response): reflex response

• NS (neutral stimulus): no initial response

• CS (conditioned stimulus): learned stimulus

• CR (conditioned response): learned response

Outline Pavlov’s dog experiment

• Dogs conditioned to associate sound of bell (NS) with food (UCS)

• Result: dogs producing salivation response (CR) at sound of bell (CS) even when no food present.

What did Pavlov conclusion?

Repeated exposure to an event → learned + uncontrollable behaviour

What does classical conditioning show about behaviour?

Behaviour=learned thru association + is often involuntary/reflexive

Give applications of classical conditioning?

• Phobias acquisition

• Attachment formation

Operant conditioning: What is operant conditioning?

Learning thru consequences of our behaviour (reinforcement/punishment)

Who developed operant conditioning?

B.F. Skinner using rats

What 3 types of reinforcement did he find will affect behaviour?

• +ve reinforcement- adding a reward (desirable consequence) → increases likelihood of behaviour repetition

• -ve reinforcement- removing an unpleasant stimulus → increases behaviour repetition

• Punishment- removing unpleasant consequence → decreases behaviour repetition

What is the Skinner box?

A controlled apparatus where animals (rats+pidgeons) learn via reinforcement; leaver press → released food (reward)

What did Skinner’s research show?

Behaviour is shaped + maintained by its consequences

What behaviour did Pavlov find was learned in operant conditioning?

Voluntary behaviour (repeated to receive reward again)

Classical vs operant conditioning?

• Classical- Pavlov, association, involuntary, stimulus before behaviour

• Operant- Skinner, consequences, voluntary, behaviour followed by reinforcement/punishment

What are the strengths of the behaviourist approach?

• Scientific reliability - controlled lab experiments (e.g; conditioning studies), producing objective, reliable data. → helped establish psychology as a scientific discipline. E.g; Skinner’s research used highly controlled conditions → replicable findings.

• Real-world applications - behaviourist principles used in: systematic desensitisation (treating phobias) + addictions like gambling (reward reinforces) → high practical value.

• Use of animals=high control - animal studies (e.g; rate & pigeons) allow greater control of variables; no demand characteristics or individual differences → increases internal validity + reliability.

What are the weaknesses of the behaviourist approach?

• Environmental determinism - behaviour sen as entirely shaped by conditioning + environment → ignores free will + consciousness choice → overly simplistic.

• Ignores cognitive/emotional factors - focuses only on observable behaviour → neglects mental processes, making explanations incomplete. (Counter-skinner behaviour has to be measurable + observable to investigate fully + even most complex human behaviours use operant conditioning principles)

• Limited explanation of behaviour - cannot explain behaviours that are spontaneous or not learned thru conditioning → reduces external validity.

• Animal research issues (counter) - ethical concerns (harm, confinement), findings may not generalise to humans → limits validity + applicability.

Issues + debates: Behaviourism

• Nature vs nurture - strong nurture(tabula rasa)

• Free will vs determinism - environmental determinism

• Reductionism - S-R associations (simplistic)

• Nomothetic - general laws of behaviour

Social learning theory: What is SLT?

Learning occurs thru observation and imitation of others (role models) in a social context.

How does SLT differ from the behaviourist approach?

SLT includes mediational (cognitive) processes, whereas behaviourism sees learning as stimuli-response only.

SLT: What is observational learning?

Learning by watching and imitating the behaviour of others.

What is a role model in SLT?

A person whose behaviour is observed + imitated.

SLT: What is identification?

When an individual associates with a model + wants to imitate them, adopting their behaviour, attitudes, and beliefs.

SLT: What did Shutts eat al find?

Children=more likely to imitate models who are similar to them in age + gender.

Mediational processes: What are mediational processes?

Mental processes that occur between observing behaviour + imitating it.

What are the 4 mediational processes? AARM acronym

• Attention - paying attention to role model’s behaviour

• Retention - remembering the observed behaviour

• Reproduction - ability to preform observed behaviour

• Motivation - the will to imitate behaviour, often influenced by rewards

What is vicarious reinforcement?

Learning thru observing others being rewarded, increasing likelihood of imitation.

How do mediational processes affect imitation in SLT?

Individuals form a mental representation of behaviour + evaluate rewards vs consequences before imitating.

Bandura & SLT: Who developed SLT + what did he experiment?

• Albert Bandura

• Examined SLT - called observational learning “modelling” = most important process in humans

What was the aim of the Bobo Doll study?

To investigate whether aggression is learned thru observation and imitation.

What was the method/sample in the Bobo Doll study?

72 children (36 boys, 36 girls) aged 3-6 years, put in each group for 10 minutes.

What are the 3 conditions in the Bobo doll study?

• Aggressive model

• Non-aggressive model

• Control (no model)

What did children observe in the aggressive condition?

An adult hitting and shouting at a Bobo Doll. Group was further sub-divided by the gender of child and gender of adult role model’s.

What happened in the non-aggressive model?

Child played in room whilst adult played silently. Group sub-divided again by gender of child + adult model (another 4 conditions)

Why were the children made frustrated in the study?

To increase likelihood of aggressive behaviour being expressed.

(Moved to room where they couldn’t play, then a room w aggressive toys + bobo doll for 20 mins)

What were the main findings of the Bobo Doll experiment?

• Children who saw aggression were more aggressive

• Boys imitated same-sex models more than girls

• Girls imitated more physical aggression for male models, more verbal aggression for female models

What was the conclusion of the Bobo Doll experiment?

Aggression is learned thru observation + imitation of role models

SLT: What are the strengths of SLT?

• Plentiful research support - Bandura showed children imitate aggressive models; Fox and Bailenson found humans more likely to imitate computer-generated ‘virtual humans’; Rushton + Campbell fond same-sex modelling increased in female observers; Myers importance of vicarious learning for effectiveness of workplace teams → increases credibility of SLT principles.

• Includes cognitive factors - unlike behaviourism, SLT considers attention, retention, motivation → provides more complex explanation of learning.

• Real-world applications - explains: criminal behaviour, media influence, Andsager et al (identification with character→ model anti-alcohol behaviour) health campaigns → high external validity + usefulness.

SLT: What are the weaknesses of SLT?

• Lab research=low ecological validity - much evidence (Bobo Doll) comes from artificial settings, strictly controlled → behaviour may be due to demand characteristics → lowering internal validity.

• Casualty issue - unclear if people: imitate behaviour OR chose models similar to themselves. Siegel + McCormick ‘deviant behaviour’ → weaken cause-and-effect explanation.

• Cannot explain complex behaviours - not all observable behaviour is imitated/ children exposed to host of influences, ignores individual differences → difficult to distinguish which=result of SLT.

• Underestimates biological factors. Focuses on environment + cognition but may ignore biological influences (e,g; mirror neuron’s) → explanation may be incomplete.

SLT: Issues + debates

• Soft determinism stance - recognises behaviour = controlled by outside forces (mediational processes)

• Nomothetic - Bandura attempts to generalise laws

• Reductionism - less reductionist than behaviourism