Behaviourism

• Behaviourists believe all behaviour is learnt, we are born blank slates
• AO1 - Behaviourist assumptions

  • NOT interested in mental processes, as these are too vague 
  • All we have at birth is the capacity to learn
  • We are born as “blank slates” (tabula rasa)
  • All behaviour is learned from the environment
  • Focus of the approach: Objective and observable behaviour
• Little Albert

  The Little Albert study illustrated the behaviourist belief that we learn how to behave or respond, nothing is innate.

  Watson & Raynor demonstrated that we can learn to respond with fear. This type of learning is called ‘conditioning’.
• Conditioning

  There are two types of learning or conditioning:

  • Classical conditioning
  • Operant conditioning
• AO1 - Classical conditioning

  First coined by Ivan Pavlov: 1849-1946. He later won

  The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1904 for 

  his work.

  Classical conditioning is sometimes called learning by association and is the process of learning to associate two things with one another. This has formed the basis of some effective treatments for things like addiction and phobias.
• AO1 - Operant conditioning

  First coined by BF Skinner (1904-1990)

  Operant conditioning is sometimes called 

  learning by consequences and is the process of 

  learning that an action has a direct consequence, either positive or negative. 
• AO1 - Operant conditioning

  Reinforcement = behaviour that leads to an outcome that is satisfying or desired

  • Positive reinforcement - Anything which has the effect of increasing the likelihood of the behaviour being repeated by using consequences that are pleasant when they happen i.e. food for Ratatouille
• • Negative reinforcement - Anything which has the effect of increasing the likelihood of the behaviour being repeated by using consequences that are pleasant when they stop 

  Punishment

  • Anything unpleasant which has the effect of decreasing the likelihood of any behaviour which is not the desired behaviour.