Behaviourism

• A01: explanations

  - behaviourism is primarily concerned with observable behaviour

  -suggest that all behaviours are learnt from the environment

  - suggest that humans and animals learn in the same way which has resulted in research being carried out on animals and then extrapolated to humans
• two main areas of behaviourism

  Classical + Operant conditioning
• Classical Conditioning


  learning by repeated association
• Operant conditioning


  learning by consequences
• PAVLOV experiment: - classical conditioning

  managed to condition dogs to salivate when they heard a bell

  UCS(food) -> UCR(salivation)

  NS(bell)-> CR(no salivation)

  CS(bell)+ UCS(food) ->CR (salivation)

  CS(bell)->CR(salivation)
• Reinforcement


  a process that aims to increase a behaviour
• Negative reinforcement:


  something is taken away (taken away something undesirable)
• positive reinforcement


  something is added (given something desirable)
• Punishment


  aiming to decrease a behaviour
• negative punishment


  something is taken away (e.g. having your phone taken away because you got a detention )
• positive punishment


  something is added (e.g. having to do a chore)
• SKINNERS experiment: - operant conditioning


  reinforcement:

  - controlled setting + standardised procedure

  - food pellets used as positive reinforcement

  - mild shock used as a positive punishment , removal of ongoing electric shock when pressed - when the light was green (negative reinforcement)

  - rats learn when to press lever to avoid electric shock
• generalisation


  When a conditioned response is produced to stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimulus.
• exinction

  The diminishing of a conditioned response - in classical conditioning when the UCS is not associated with the NS anymore
• one trial learning


  learning through association instantly through traumatic experiences -only happens when the events are severe
• Weakness : Alternate explanations of human behaviour

  P- One weakness of the behaviourist approach is that it ignores the role of any biological factors

  E- behaviourists suggest that all behaviour is learned , which means it doesn't account for genetic differences which can affect the way our brains work

  E- which undoubtedly does have an influence of human behaviour

  L- this means behaviour it theories are arguably oversimplified explanations of human behaviour
• Weakness: Socially sensitive


  P - Another weakness of the behaviourist approach is that it is socially sensitive

  E- this is because it is deterministic (suggesting that all out behaviour is determined by our environmental experiences) and therefore ignores the idea of free will

  L- the consequence of this is that it questions whether people should be held accountable for their own behaviour
• Strength : Useful real-life application


  P- one strength of the behaviourist approach is that ideas of operant and classical conditioning can be applied in the real world

  E- e.g., the principles of operant conditioning can be used to manipulate the way people behave

  E- such as the use of merits and behaviour points in schools or supermarkets reward cards to save money etc.

  L- this means the theories are useful as they can be used to benefit people in the real world(used in psychiatric hospitals to train people to adhere to social norms , e.g. making bed etc.)
• Strength: research evidence

  P- another strength, of the behaviourist approach is that it employs the use of scientific research evidence

  E- well controlled, experimental, empirical and objective research methods used

  L- this means cause and effect relationships can be established and this adds further credibility to the approach
• Strength: Skinner research

  P- one weakness of skinners research is that it uses animals rather humans

  E- humans have free will unlike animals their behaviour is not necessarily dependent on negative/positive reinforcement

  L- therefore, this means that it lacks generalisability as it is difficult to generalise animal behaviour to humans
• Pavlov + Skinner Evaluation Strength

  P- one strength of classical conditioning is that it has led to the developments of treatments for the reduction of anxiety associated with various phobias

  E- E.g., systematic desensitisation which is based on classical conditioning has been used in treatments of phobias with but eliminating the learned anxious response

  L- this means that the theories are useful as they can be used to benefit people with phobias e.g., arachnophobia
• Pavlov + Skinner Evaluation Weakness

  One weakness is that Classical conditioning islimited to explaining how reflex responses become associated with new stimuli. However,much human behaviour is voluntary and therefore cannot be explained by Classical Conditioning.There must be other learning processes involved
• Pavlov + Skinner Evaluation Strength


  P- one strength of Skinner's research was his reliance of the experimental methods, this means we can be more sure about the cause and effect of relationship

  E- Skinner's box - manipulating the consequence of behaviour (IV) , he was able to accurately measure the effects on the rats behaviour (DV)

  L- this means there is an established cause + effect relationship between IV and DV (consequences of behaviour ) + the future frequency of it .