Behaviourist Approach

• Q: What is classical conditioning?

  A: A type of learning via association, as demonstrated in Pavlov’s experiment with dogs, where a neutral stimulus (bell) is associated with an unconditioned stimulus (food) to produce a conditioned response (salivation).
• Q: What are the types of reinforcement in operant conditioning?

  A: Positive reinforcement (reward for behavior), negative reinforcement (avoidance of unpleasant outcomes), and punishment (unpleasant consequence for behavior).
• What are the proposals of the behaviourist Approach


  1. all behaviour is learnt from environment
  2. behaviour can be understood using a stimulus-response approach
  3. using lab-based, scientific methods are the best ways to study behaviour
  4. repeated behaviours become internalised and automatic
• what is operant conditioning


  learning via consequence
• Q: What are the three types of reinforcement in Operant Conditioning?

  A: Positive reinforcement (reward), negative reinforcement (avoiding something unpleasant), and punishment (unpleasant consequence).
• Q: Describe Pavlov’s experiment with Classical Conditioning.

  A: Pavlov demonstrated that dogs could be conditioned to salivate (conditioned response) to the sound of a bell (conditioned stimulus) by associating it with food (unconditioned stimulus).
• Q: What was Skinner’s Operant Conditioning experiment with rats?

  A: Skinner placed rats in a box with a lever; pressing it provided food (positive reinforcement), which led rats to learn and repeat the behavior.
• Q: What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Behaviourist Approach?

  A: Strengths include empirical research and applications in behavior modification. Weaknesses include ethical issues and limitations due to the use of animals and ignoring cognitive factors.