The Behaviourist Approach

• What does the Behaviourist Approach believe about human development?

  It is due to the environment we are raised in
• What does 'tabula rasa' mean in the context of the Behaviourist Approach?

  It means we are born with a blank mind
• How does Watson describe the process of learning according to the Behaviourist Approach?

  We are conditioned by and learn from our environment
• What is Classical Conditioning?

  It pairs an automatic response with specific stimuli
• Who is associated with the concept of Classical Conditioning?

  Pavlov
• What was the aim of Pavlov's 1927 experiment?

  • Investigate brain function in higher animals
  • Understand adaptation to the external environment
• What was the procedure used in Pavlov's experiment?

  1. A bell (neutral stimulus) is presented
  2. Food (unconditioned stimulus) elicits salivation (unconditioned response)
  3. Both stimuli are presented together multiple times
  4. The bell alone elicits a response like salivation
  5. The bell becomes the conditioned stimulus
• What role does the neutral stimulus play in Classical Conditioning?

  It initially elicits no response
• What happens to the neutral stimulus after repeated pairings with the unconditioned stimulus?

  It elicits a response like the unconditioned response
• What is the final status of the neutral stimulus in Classical Conditioning?

  It becomes the conditioned stimulus
• What is operant conditioning?

  A method of learning using rewards and punishment
• How do animals and humans learn through operant conditioning?

  They learn in similar ways through consequences
• What are the three types of reinforcement in operant conditioning?

  • Positive Reinforcement: Reward for behavior
  • Negative Reinforcement: Avoiding something negative
  • Punishment: Unpleasant consequence for behavior
• What is positive reinforcement?

  Receiving a reward for a behavior
• What is negative reinforcement?

  Performing behavior to avoid something negative
• What is punishment in operant conditioning?

  Receiving an unpleasant consequence for behavior
• What is a reinforcer?

  Something that increases behavior likelihood
• What was Skinner's aim in his 1953 study?

  To see how animals learn from consequences
• What was the procedure in Skinner's experiment?

  • One rat placed in a box at a time
  • Box contained stimuli: lever and electroplated floor
  • Rats learned to press lever for food
  • Rats learned to avoid shock by pressing lever when light came on
• What are the real-world applications of operant conditioning?

  • Basis of token economy systems
  • Used successfully in institutions like prisons
  • Rewards appropriate behavior with tokens for privileges
• How does operant conditioning increase the value of the behaviorist approach?

  It has widespread application in real-world settings
• What are the strengths of behaviorist research methods?

  • Well-controlled research in lab settings
  • Focus on observable behavior
  • Establishes cause-and-effect relationships
• Why do behaviorists focus on observable behavior?

  To remove extraneous variables for scientific credibility
• What is a criticism of the reductionism in behaviorism?

  It ignores human thought's influence on learning
• What do other approaches like Social Learning Theory emphasize?

  • Importance of mental processes in learning
  • Learning is more complex than observable behavior
  • Private mental processes are essential
• What is environmental determinism according to Skinner?

  Everything we do is influenced by reinforcement history
• What is Skinner's view on free will?

  He suggested free will is an illusion
• What is a criticism of Skinner's extreme position on behavior?

  It ignores conscious decision-making processes
• What is a strength for the Behaviourist approach?

  • Real World Application
  • Operant conditioning is the basis of token economy systems that have been used successfully in institutions, such as prisons
  • These work by rewarding appropriate behaviour with tokens that can be exchanged for privileges
  • This increases the value of the behaviourist approach because it has widespread application
• What is a strength for the Behaviourist approach?

  • Well Controlled Research
  • Behaviourists focus on the measurement of observable behaviour within highly controlled lab settings
  • By breaking down behaviour into basic stimulus-response units, all other possible extraneous variables were removed, allowing for cause-and-effect relationships to be established
  • This suggests that behaviourist experiments have scientific credibility
• What is a limitation for the Behaviourist approach?

  • Reductionism
  • By reducing behaviour to simple components, behaviourists have ignored human thought as an important influence on learning
  • Other approaches, such as the Social Learning Theory or the Cognitive approach have drawn attention to the mental processes involved in learning
  • This suggests that learning is more complex than observable behaviour alone and that private mental processes are also essential
• What is a limitation for the Behaviourist approach?

  • Environmental Determinism
  • Skinner suggested that everything we do is the sum total of our reinforcement history
  • This ignores any possible influence that free will may have on behaviour, as Skinner himself said that free will is an illusion
  • This is an extreme position and ignores the influence of conscious decision-making processes on behaviour