Eval

• STRENGHT of BA - these concepts have real life applications e.g. CC led to the development of treatments for various phobias. Systematic Desensitisation a new association is taught to replace the response (fear) with a new CR (relaxation) - 75% effective for simple phobias. Therefore - positive real life applications.
• STRENGTH of BA - OC - real life applications - token economy system have been successful in many institutions e.g. prisons - awarding good behaviour with tokens that can be exchanged for privileges. Therefore - positive applications.
• WEAKNESS - Carried out on animals - may not generalise to humans as we have a more complex mind and a higher cognitive function. However - animal studies - useful pointers in understanding human behaviour but we should always seek to replicate in human reseacrh.
• WEAKNESS - Reductionist - reduces complex human behaviour down to only learning through rewards and associations - other approaches can explain our behaviour e.g. cognitive - there are actually complicated thought processes behind our learning. Therefore, the approach oversimplifies behaviour.
• WEAKNESS - Deterministic - Skinner argues our past conditioning experiences will produce behaviour - This does not allow for any free will we have over our behaviour. e.g. an individual may be rewarded for their behaviour but has the freewill not to repeat it.