Evaluation of behaviourist

• One advantage of the of approach is the scientific credibility. For example, the methods used in the skinner experiment was in a highly controlled environment. This means that there is high internal validity. Therefore, skinner could establish a cause-and-effect relationship between the IV and the DV
• One of the main strengths of the learning theory is that Pavlov and skinner conducted their experiments under controlled conditions in a lab setting. This means that a scientific process was used and that the research was recorded objectively and it is easier for other research to replicate because of the standardised procedure used, increasing the validity and reliability of the theory
• Paul and Lentz’s experiment findings have real life application. In their experiment, Paul and Lentz gave tokens to patients who behaved appropriately, which could then be used to purchase luxury items. This has real life application because the token system is used in everyday life such as on schools to reward desirable and acceptable behaviours from students.
• One limitation is that it has a mechanistic view. Behaviourists see humans as passive and machine-like responders to the environment, with little conscious insight into our own behaviour. This reduces complex human behaviour down to very simplistic explanations and doesn’t account for any other factors like biology.
• Another limitation is the deterministic view, which assumes that all behaviour is determined by our past experiences and that they have been conditioned. Behaviourists ignore any influence that free will might have n our behaviour. This approach ignores the influence of our conscious decison-making. Therefore it can be argued that the behaviourist approach provides a limited explanation of behaviour, reducing the theory’s validity
• One of the major drawbacks of operant conditioning experiments is that the study was conducted on animals. humans and animals are very different species and humans human brains are far larger and we are more emotionally intelligent beings. therefore the use of animals to study humans might not be accurate and reliable