behaviourism and cognative approach

• what are the assumptions of the behavioural approach 


  environment is the most important thing

  • all born tabula rasa = blank slate
  • all have same potential but environment dictates path in life
  • environmentally deterministic and reductionist

  learning is universal

  • same thing for humans and non humans
  • can experiment on non humans and apply findings to us (anthropomorphism )

  behaviour is observable measurable and therefore scientific + associations explain all behaviour
• what did Pavlov do

  • had dogs
  • given food by lab assistant
  • measured saliva when food was given
  • dogs began to salivate when they saw lab assistant and heard footsteps
  • dogs associated this person with food
  • example of classical conditioning
• what are the basics of classical conditioning 


  • must have a natural stimulus which causes a reflex response
  • a natural stimulus is unconditioned
  • reflex response is unconditioned
  • must make a new association
  • neutral stimulus is something that wouldn't usually produce a stimulus but now does due to the association
• what is generalisation 


  when the original association is extended to include other similar stimuli
• what is discrimination 


  the opposite of generalisation

  when the response only happens due yo one stimulus and not others
• what is extinction 


  when the association is no longer there
• what is spontaneous recovery 


  following extinction the conditioned response can suddenly reappear fir no obvious reason
• Pavlov's strengths 


  • scientific
  • it is falsifiable as it had standardised procedures
  • the way he gave the food was the same
  • so can be repeated and is the same for all so results were all obtained in the same way
  • supported by reliable research
• classical conditioning evaluation 


  + has real world applications

  • if we can learn new. behaviours through association we can counter condition a new association
  • aversion therapy.
  • used to treat addiction
  • given pills to cause sickness due to drinking
  • new association as emetic and alcohol cause illness
  • alcohol no longer = pleasure
• classical conditioning evaluation

  • -ve can't apply findings if research done on animals to humans
  • rats and dogs learn by association but humans are more intelligent so think about more things before engaging in behaviour
  • applying the findings is anthropomorphic
• classical conditioning evaluation 


  -ve environmentally reductionistic

  • reduces complex behaviours down to learning through association
  • ignores other factors that could explain behaviour - biological factors - biology preparedness
• who made operant conditioning

  B.F Skinner
• what did Skinner do to come to the conclusion of operating conditioning 


  rat in a skinner box

  flap to give food

  speaker

  electrified floor
• how was positive reinforcement used in skinner experiment 


  rat was given food when desired action ( pressing button ) occured
• what is positive reinforcement 


  when a desired behaviour is carried out and it receives an award

  this strengthens the behaviour
• what is punishment 


  when an undesired behaviour has a negative consequences

  it weakens the behaviour
• negative reinforcement 


  when you carry out a behaviour to escape / avoid something bad

  strengthens the behaviour
• what is rate of extinction 


  how quickly they realise they are no longer being rewarded
• how did Skinner punish the rat


  the rat was shocked when it touched the food flap
• how was negative reinforcement used

  when the speaker sounded the rat was shocked but it turned off when the leaver was hit
• operant conditioning strength 


  it's a scientific theory

  it's falsifiable

  can be proven/disproven

  falsifiable as results are replicable

  in Skinner's case this is because the apparatus is standardised
• operant conditioning limitation 


  research was anthropomorphic

  this is when research is done on animals and those results are used to explain the behaviours of humans

  Skinner did this only on rats and pigeons by reward and punishment and applied it to humans

  this is an issue because humans don't learn through reward and punishment like animals

  research untrue
• operant conditioning strength 


  had real world applications

  seen through reward and punishment system used in schools and prisons

  reward for food behaviour and punish bad in order to strengthen or weaken a behaviour

  a form of positive and negative reinforcement

  part of operant conditioning
• operant conditioning strength 


  elevated psychologys statuts as a science as scientific research used
• operant conditioning limitation 


  environmentally deterministic

  because Skinner believed that all our behaviours are due to reward and punishment learning and not your environment or free will

  this does not explain repeat offenders in the prison system

  as they should never reoffend

  but they do so oc can't explain
• 2 features of cognitive approach 


  importance of schemas - help predict environment and take in info

  draw inferences of internal processes using lab experiments

  computer analogy - input and output + processer
• 2 limitations of cognitive approach 


  -machine reductionism

  unlike computers we make emotional decisions

  not predictable

  doesn't take into account moods etc

  computers are non emotional and predictable

  - lacks construct validity

  memory experiments involve listed words - superficial doesn't reflect whole constructs od memory

  superficial