Behaviourist approach

• Who developed the behaviourist approach?

  John Watson
• What are 4 assumptions about the Behaviourist approach?

  1. Only interested in observable behaviour
  2. Rely on control and objectivity
  3. The basic processes of behaviour are the same in all species
  4. There are 2 forms of learning.
• What are the 2 forms of learning?

  • Classical conditioning
  • Operant conditioning
• What is classical conditioning?


  Learning through association.

  1. A natural stimulus triggers a natural reflex .
  2. A neutral stimulus is then introduced alongside the natural stimulus to trigger the reflex.
  3. Step 2 is continued until the natural stimulus is associated with the neutral stimulus.
  4. The natural reflex is then triggered when the neutral stimulus is used.
• Whose experiment can classical conditioning first be proved through?Include the year of the experiment.

  Ivan Pavlov - 1903
• What was Pavlov's experiment?


  before conditioning: Food = UCS, Salivation = UCR

  during conditioning: Food + Bell = UCS + NS, Salivation = UCR

  after conditioning: Bell = CS, Salivation = CR
• What is operant conditioning and who developed it?


  Learning through reinforcement developed by B.F Skinner.

  Believed learning was an active process where humans and animals modify their behaviour based on one of 3 consequences their actions can have.
• What are the 3 consequences of operant conditioning?

  • Positive reinforcement - rewarded for the action e.g. incentives
  • Negative reinforcement - avoid an action to avoid something unpleasant
  • Punishment - consequence of the unpleasant action
• What experiment can operant conditioning first be proved in? Include the year of the study. 


  B.F Skinner's trial and error rat experiment - 1938
• What did Skinner's experiment consist of?


  Positive reinforcement:

  • Rat in a box containing a lever
  • When lever was pressed, the rat was delivered food, so the rat continued to press the lever.

  Negative reinforcement + Punishment:

  • Another box with lever
  • The lever gave a mild shock when the rat pressed the lever = Punishment
  • Rat then stopped pressing the lever = Negative Reinforcement
• What are the strengths to the Behaviourist Approach?


  • Scientific credibility - language and scientific concepts came into psychology, leading to objectivity and replication.
  • Real-life application - the approach is applied to real behaviours in life and in therapies
  • Token economy = behavioural management system, giving points/tokens to reward desired behaviours - e.g. classcharts
• What are the weaknesses of this approach?

  • Mechanistic view of behaviour - suggests we are machine-like responders to the environment (excuses criminals)
  • Deterministic - sees all behaviour as being influenced by past experiences and ignores free will
  • Ethics - it used animals to prove the study and hurt them via the electric shock