Psychology Approaches

Paper 2

Behaviourist Approach

-Behaviour is learned through environment

-Basic processes that govern learning are the same in all species (animals could replace humans as exp subjects)

Classical conditioning (Pavlov): learning through NS and UCS

Before: Dog food (UCS) → salivating (UCR), Bell (NS) → NR

During: Food (UCS) + Bell (NS) → salivating (UCR)

After: Bell (CS) → salivating (CR)

Operant conditioning (Skinner): behaviour shaped + maintained by its consequences

1.Positive reinforcement: receiving a reward when certain behaviour is done eg skinner box- experiment w rats, rats activate a lever and gets rewarded w food pellet- rat continues behaviour

2.Negative reinforcement: human or animal avoids something unpleasant- ↑ likelihood behaviour will be repeated eg electric shock on rats

Behaviourist Approach Strengths

Research to support : Watson + Rayner Little Albert, shown white rat- no fear, hammer struck against steel bar- startled baby. Conditioned LA to fear rat- showed white rat and hit hammer together- done 7 times over 7 weeks- each time LA cried.

Showed CC can be used to create phobias- associating NS and UCS which naturally produces fear- behaviour learnt through association.

Led to treatment : applies to treatment of phobias eg systematic desensitisation- therapist + client create hierarchy of fear (L to M threatening- taught relaxation techniques- encouraged to relax in presence phobic stimulus)

- shows phobias can be overcome by replacing neg association with positive- behaviour learnt thru association

Real life application of OC - led to development of behaviour modification : token economy: involves replacing undesirable behaviour with desirable behaviour through selective reinforcement- patient given token when desirable behaviour shown- token (secondary reinforcer) exchanged for reward (primary reinforcer)

Shows behaviour is shaped and maintains through reinforcement

Behaviour Approach Weaknesses

Reductionist : suggests all behaviour is learnt thru the environment (nurture) - weakness bc limiting description of behaviour to nature/nurture- underestimates complexity of human behaviour

More likely that behaviour is due to both eg addiction

Incomplete/deterministic explanation of behaviour : it takes deterministic POV: believes behaviour is predetermined by features of environment eg reward/punishment systems that we can’t control eg gender controlled by our interactions w our parents (reward us for demonstrating gender appropriate behaviour)- behaviour becomes reinforced- develops stereotypical gender identity.

weakness bc it ignores influence of freewill in explanation of human behaviour - incomplete

Social Learning Theory

Indirect learning through observation and imitation.

1.Identification: people much more likely to imitate behaviour who they identify with (role model)- becomes one when they have similar characteristics or higher status

2.Role of mediation processes (thinking process between stimulus and response)

1) attention: extent to which we notice certain behaviours

2) retention: how well behaviour is remembered

3) motor reproduction: ability to perform the behavior

4) motivation: will to perform the behaviour- whether its rewarded

3.Vicarious reinforcement: for indirect learning, person observes behaviour and only imitates when its rewarded- learner observes behaviour and consequences

Bandura’s bobo doll study

Method:

-72 kids (3-6 yo) from Stanford Nursery

-pretested children from aggressiveness by observing nursery and judged aggressiveness on 5 point scale

-matched children with similar aggression in same group

-lab exp with independent group design

1.Agg model: beahved agg towards doll using predetermined standardised behaviours eg toy hammer

2.Non agg model

3.Control: no model present

-each child observed behaviour of model for 10 minutes

-taken to bobo doll room, aggressive toys eg dart g and non agg toys

-observed for 20 mins

Results:

-children who had observed agg behaviour more likely to be agg

-children more likely to imitate same sex model behaviour

Social Learning Theory Strengths

Research to support: Bandura showed clip of same sex role model being agg or non agg to Bobo- found children who saw agg more likely to be agg.

Proves that humans learn behaviour through observing and imitating same sex role model behaviour

CA: study lacks external validity- no interaction between child and model- strangers and bobo doll unfamiliar- cant include humans learn through observation and imitation.

-findings cant be applied to RL

Acknowledges importance of cognitive factors in learning: humans and any animals store info about behaviour of others and use this to make judgements on performing certain actions

Strength bc acknowledges we use other peoples behaviour to shape our own and we think before we act- we have cog processes that help us decide what to do next - acknowledges free will and not solely determined by env - soft determinism

Social Learning Theory Weaknesses

Reductionist: underestimates influence of biological factors on behaviour- ignores genes, hormones and chromosomes

Bandura’s study also boys more aggressive

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