Behaviourist approach

• Assumptions:

  • We are born as a blank slate – a ‘tabularasa’ – everything we become is shapedby the process of learning from ourenvironment/experiences
  • rejected the idea ofintrospection
  • ab experiments are the best way toachieve this!
• Classical conditioning:


  learning through association and was firstdemonstrated by Ivan Pavlov (1927)
• key idea of classical conditioning


  learning occurs when an association is made between apreviously stimulus and reflex response. This reflex response can be positive or negative. I
• Palovs research:

  --

  A) 1

  B) 1

  C)

  D) 1

  E) 2

  F) 2

  G) 1

  H)

  I) 1

  
• Operant conditioning B.F Skinner

  • earning by consequence (shapes ourbehaviour).
• What is reinforcement?


  A consequence of behaviour that increases the likelihood of thatbehaviour being repeated
• Positive Reinforcement (increases the likelihood that behaviour will be repeated) :

  • Receiving a reward when a certain behaviour is performed, forexample praise from a teacher for answering a question correctlyin class.
• Negative Reinforcement (increases the likelihood that behaviour will be repeated)

  • Avoids something unpleasant in order to experience a positiveoutcome
• Punishment (decrease the likelihood that behaviour will be repeated) :

  unpleasant consequence of behaviour for example, beingshouted at by the teacher or getting detention
• Skinner's research (rat box): 1

  • Skinner's box contained a responselever which release food so that the ratcould eat it. Skinners observed that assoon as the rat learned that it wouldget food when pressing the lever, itwould keep doing it (as the behaviour ispositively reinforced
• Skinner's research: 2

  • Skinner's box contained lights andloudspeakers which acted signals thatindicated the availability of food
• Skinner's research: 3

  he floor was metal and had the capacityto administrate an electric shock. Theelectric shock provided punishment, theavoidance of the electrified floor wouldwas reinforced, increasing the leverpressing (negative reinforcement
• (EXAM Q ON REINFORCEMENT) Lily and Jemima could use food treats as a positive reinforcer. Each time they open thecage door, they could place a small treat nearthe door. When the rat approaches or comesto the door, they should immediately give itthe treat. Over time, the rat will learn toassociate coming to the door with receiving atreat, making it more likely to come to thedoor whenever it is opened.
• (EXAM Q on reinforcement)

  Lily and Jemima could used negativereinforcement by putting somethinguncomfortable inside the cage (e.g., a mildnoise)play the noise every time the rat hidesand stop when they move away. By doing so,the rat learns that the discomfort (negativeconsequence) stops when it comes to the door.
• Evaluation: Well controlled research (EXAM Q ON BEHAVIORIST APPROACH)

  
  

  -A strength of the behaviourist perspective is that it takes avery scientific approach to the study of human behaviour

  -Behaviourist emphasises objective, observable behaviour,which can be measured and tested in controlledenvironments which has allowed for the development ofreplicable and reliable studies.
• Evaluation: Well controlled research (EXAM Q ON BEHAVIORIST APPROACH)


  For example, Skinner’s controlled experiments on rats andpigeons, and Pavlov’s work on dogs, were conducted underlaboratory conditions, allowing for high levels of control andstandardization increasing the reliability and internalvalidity of the findingsTherefore, the behaviourist approach increases thescientific credibility of psychology
• Disadvantages of behaviorist approach:

  However, The behaviouristapproach fails to account forprocesses that occur within themind, focusing on behaviour insteadof unseen cognitive processes.Many critics argue that this is asignificant flaw, as cognitivepsychology has shown that mentalprocesses play a crucial role in ourunderstanding of human behaviour
• Another strength of the behaviourist approach is that the principles of conditioning have been applied toreal world behaviours but how?


  Its principles have been successfully implemented in areas such as education, therapy, andbehaviour modification.For instance, operant conditioning is the foundation of token economy systems, widely used inschools and prisons and psychiatric wards to encourage positive behaviour through reinforcement.These work by rewarding appropriate/desirable behaviours with tokens that can be exchanged forprivileges.
• disadvantage of behaviourist approach:

  • it sees all behaviour as conditioned by pastexperiences
• Skinner on human behaviour:


  Skinners suggests that everything we do is aresult of our reinforcement history. Whensomething happens, we may think ‘ I made thedecision to do that’ but according the Skinner,our past conditioning history determines theoutcome.This deterministic view can be criticised foroversimplifying human behaviour, as it overlooksthe role of internal cognitive processes andemotions (free will
• Environmental determinism

  determinism is the view that our behaviour is governed by internal or external forces over which we have no control
• Disadvanatge of behaviourist approach: Ethical issue

  • For example, Skinner’s box caused considerable physical harm tothe rats, breaching the BPS ethical guideline of protection fromharm. Watson and Rayner’s classical conditioning experiments onLittle Albert this caused psychological distress for the infant, withno apparent follow-up or attempt to reverse the conditioned fear