behaviourist approach

• outline the main assumption of the behaviourist approach

  all behaviour is learned through experiences and interactions with the environment - learning through classical and operant conditioning
• outline the assumptions of the behaviourist approach - stimulus response mechanism

  behaviourists argue that behaviour is a result of stimulus - response, the stimulus being anything internal or external that brings a response and the response being any reaction to the presence of the stimulus
• outline the assumptions of the behaviourist approach - rejection of internal mental processes

  as the mind can't be objectively observed, behaviourists argue that it isn't suitable for study
• outline the assumptions of the behaviourist approach - environmental determinism

  behaviourists argue that behaviour is the result of experience, they believe that behaviour can be predicted and controlled by manipulating the environment
• what is classical conditioning?

  learning through association
• outline Pavlov's research into classical conditioning

  Pavlov showed how dogs could be conditioned to salivate on the sound of a bell if that sound was repeatedly presented at the same time they were given food 

  food (UCS) --> salivation (UCR)

  food (UCS) + bell (NS) --> salivation (UCR)

  bell (CS) --> salivation (CR)

  Pavlov showed how a neutral stimulus (the bell) can come to elicit a new learned response (conditioned response) through association
• what is operant conditioning?

  learning through consequences
• Outline Skinner's research into operant conditioning

  Skinner placed rats into 'Skinner boxes' without prior training - he then observed how they learned to operate levers to receive a reward (food) --> the food reinforced the behaviour of pressing the lever as there was a reward
• positive reinforcement

  providing a reward to increase the likelihood of a behaviour occurring again
• negative reinforcement

  removing unpleasant consequences to increase the likelihood of the behaviour occurring again
• positive punishment

  receiving something unpleasant to reduce the likelihood of the behaviour occurring again
• negative punishment

  removing something desirable to reduce the likelihood of the behaviour occurring again
• name one strength of the behaviourist approach

  WELL CONTROLLED RESEARCH // SCIENTIFIC CREDIBILITY

  --> behaviourists focused on the measurement of observable behaviours within highly controlled lab settings 

  --> behaviours were broken down into basic stimulus-response mechanisms, removing extraneous variables, allowing cause-and-effect relationships to be established
• strengths of the behaviourist approach

  WELL CONTROLLED RESEARCH // SCIENTIFIC CREDIBILITY

  --> behaviourists focused on the measurement of observable behaviours within highly controlled lab settings - high internal validity

  --> behaviours were broken down into basic stimulus-response mechanisms, removing extraneous variables, allowing cause-and-effect relationships to be established - increases validity and reliability

  REAL WORLD APPLICATION

  --> successful use in treatment of phobias, token economics in schizophrenia --> shows value in real world
• limitations of behaviourist approach

  OVERSIMPLIFICATION OF HUMAN BEHAVIOUR

  --> behaviourists may have ignored the influence of human thought on learning by reducing behaviour to such simple components

  --> suggests that learning is more complicated than observable behaviour alone and private mental processes are also essential

  PROBLEMS WITH ANIMAL STUDIES

  --> ethical issues: eg. animals were underfed to ensure they were hungry

  --> findings can't be generalised to humans