The Behaviourist Approach

• What is the Behaviourist approach?


  • Founded by JB Watson in 1915
  • Rejected the vagueness of introspection and instead focused on how we are a product of our learning, experience and environment
• Assumptions of the behaviourist approach


  • Primarily concerned with observable behaviour, as opposed to considering thinking and emotion
  • When we are born, our mind is a blank slate.
  • The learning that takes place in humans and animals is similar so, therefore, research can be carried out on animals as well as humans.
• Watsons Behaviourist manifesto (1913)


  • Behaviour is a response to environmental stimuli;
  • Behaviourism is only concerned with observable stimulus-response behaviours;
  • This can be studied in a systematic, objective way.
• What is Classical Conditioning?


  Learning by association:

  • Unconditioned stimulus —> unconditioned response
  • Unconditioned stimulus + neutral stimulus —> Unconditioned response
  • Conditioned stimulus —> Conditioned response
• Principles of Classical conditioning


  • Generalisation: this occurs when a conditioned response (CR) is elicited by a stimulus that is similar to the conditioned stimulus (CS).
  • Discrimination: this occurs when the person or animal learns to differentiate between similar conditioned stimuli (CS) and a conditioned response no longer occurs to a similar stimulus.
  • Extinction: when the conditioned stimulus (CS) is no longer paired with the unconditioned stimulus (UCS), eventually the conditioned response (CR) will cease.
• Principles of classical conditioning 2


  • Spontaneous recovery: after extinction, it only takes a few pairings of the unconditioned (UCS) and conditioned stimulus (CS) for the conditioned response (CR) to reappear.
  • Higher order conditioning: this is also known as second order conditioning. This occurs when a previously neutral stimulus elicits a conditioned response.
  • E.g. in Pavlov’s experiment, a tone (CS) was paired with food (UCS) to elicit salivation (UCR). If the tone was then paired with a light, and salivation occurred, that would be an example of higher order conditioning.
• Evaluation of conditioning


  Strengths

  • Scientific approach - objective. 
  • Practical applications e.g. therapies.

  Limitations

  • Mechanistic view of human behaviour – ignores cognition and free will. 
  • Environmental determinism. 
  • Ethics of animal experiments. 
  • Ethics of some therapeutic approaches to changing behaviour. 
  • Ignores biology (nature/nurture). 
• Watson and Rayner (1920)

  • Unconditioned stimulus (loud metal noise) —> Unconditioned response (fear)
  • Unconditioned stimulus (loud metal noise) + neutral stimulus (white rat)—> Unconditioned response (fear)
  • Conditioned stimulus (white rat) —> Conditioned response (fear)
• Unconditioned response


  • An unconditioned response (UCR), also known as a reflex is a natural reaction to a stimulus.
  • An example UCR is a dog's salivation response when they see food.
  • They were not taught to salivate when they see food - the response is natural.
• Unconditioned stimulus


  • An unconditioned stimulus (UCS) is a stimulus that causes a reflexive response (a UCR) in an organism.
  • An example UCS is food that causes dogs to salivate when it's presented to them.
• Neutral stimulus


  • A neutral stimulus (NS) is a stimulus that does not naturally elicit a response.
  • An example of this is a tone that would ordinarily be ignored by a dog as it has no association.
  • But an NS can be paired with a UCS to cause a response.
• Conditioned stimulus

  • A conditioned stimulus (CS) is a stimulus that elicits a response after it has been paired with a UCS.
  • A CS was once a NS but has become a CS from having an association with a stimulus that elicits a UCR.
• Conditioned response


  • A behaviour caused by the conditioned stimulus is called a conditioned response (CR).
  • An example of a CR is a salivation response when a dog hears a tone - they anticipate being fed through learning that a tone indicates that they are about to be fed.
• What is Operant conditioning?


  Learning by Consequence
• B.F. Skinner


  • B. F. Skinner (1904–1990) was an American psychologist. 
  • Skinner was a behaviourist. He concentrated on how behaviour was affected by its consequences. 
  • He believed that behaviour is motivated by the consequences we receive for the behaviour: the reinforcements and punishments.
• Skinners research device


  • As a part of his research, Skinner developed a chamber that allowed the careful study of the principles of modifying behaviour through reinforcement and punishment.
  • This device, known as an operant conditioning chamber (or more familiarly, a Skinner box), has remained a crucial resource for researchers studying behaviour.
• The Skinner box


  • The Skinner box is a chamber that isolates the subject from the external environment and has a behaviour indicator such as a lever or a button.
  • When the animal pushes the button or lever, the box is able to deliver:
  • A positive reinforcement of the behaviour (such as food).
  • A punishment (such as an electric shock).
  • A token conditioner (such as a light).
• Skinners approach in wider psychology

  • Skinner’s focus on positive and negative reinforcement of learned behaviours had a lasting influence in psychology that slightly declined since the growth of research in cognitive psychology.
  • Despite this, conditioned learning is still used in human behavioural modification. 
  • Skinner’s two controversial science books about the value of operant conditioning for creating happier lives are still thought-provoking arguments for his approach.
• Reinforcement and Punishment

  • Reinforcement- Encouraging a behaviour
  • Punishment- Discouraging a behaviour
  • Positive- Adding an experience
  • Negative- Removing an experience
• What has classical conditioning led to in terms of treatment?


  It has led to treatments for the reduction of anxiety.
• What method did Skinner use in his research?


  Skinner used the experimental method.
• Why did Skinner use controlled conditions in his experiments?


  To try to find a relationship between two or more variables.
• What is a weakness of Skinner's research regarding the subjects used?


  Skinner's research was on animals and not human behavior.
• Why might different species learn differently according to the study material?


  Different species face different challenges to survive.
• What does the behaviorist approach state about behavior?


  All behavior is determined by past experience through conditioning.
• What influence does the behaviorist approach ignore according to the study material?


  It ignores the influence of free will.
• Behaviourism


  • Behaviourism is a school of thought that arose during the first part of the 20th century, which incorporates elements of Pavlov’s classical conditioning.
  • Behaviourism is the psychological approach of observing and controlling behaviour.
• The role of Behaviourism


  • Behaviourism dominated experimental psychology for several decades, and its influence can still be felt today.
  • Behaviourism is largely responsible for establishing psychology as a scientific discipline through its objective methods and experimentation.
• Real world use of behaviourism

  • Behaviourism is used:
  • In behavioural and cognitive-behavioural therapy.
  • In classroom settings.
  • In informing research on environmental influences on human behaviour.