Behaviourist

• Who founded classical conditioning?

  It was founded by Watson.
• Who founded operant conditioning?

  It was founded by Skinner.
• What do behaviourists believe?

  Behaviourists believe that all behaviour is learnt and that therefore nothing is innate (genetic).
• What are normal and pathological behaviour a result of?

  They are a result of maladaptive learning.
• What is classical conditioning learning via?

  Classical conditioning is learning via association
• Define classical conditioning


  A neutral stimulus (something which does not naturally provoke a response) becomes associated with the unconditioned stimulus (something that does naturally provoke a response ).
• What was Pavlov's research?

  Pavlov was investigating the salivary reflex in dogs when he noticed that the animals not only salivated when food was placed in their mouths, but also reacted to stimuli that coincided with the presentation of food, such as the presence of a food bowl or the person who fed them, this led him to explore the conditions under which this type of learning was most likely to occur.
• Show the process of classical conditioning in terms of Pavlov's research

  The unconditioned stimulus is the food, the conditioned stimulus is salivating, the neutral stimulus is the bell, the conditioned stimulus is all bells and the conditioned response is salivating.
• Why is time an important factor?

  If the NS is not introduced immediately before the UCS or if the time is too long between the two, conditioning will not occur.
• How does extinction occur?

  Pavlov also found that the conditioned response was not permanent and over time, if no food (UCS) is given, the conditioned response of saliva will eventually cease to occur (extinction).
• How does spontaneous recovery occur?

  When the conditioned stimulus (food) and unconditioned stimulus are paired once again, the link between the two and the conditioned response is re-established again faster than initially made.
• What is stimulus generalisation?

  Pavlov also found that animals will produce the conditioned response to other stimuli which may appear similar to the conditioned stimulus.
• What is operant conditioning learning via?

  Operant conditioning is learning through reinforcement.
• What does operant conditioning state?

  Operant conditioning states that organisms simultaneously produce different behaviours that can be positive or negative and that we only repeat behaviour which we have learnt bring us positive rewards.
• What is positive reinforcement?

  Positive reinforcement occurs when a behaviour produces a consequence satisfying or pleasant for the organism.
• What is a negative reinforcer/negative reinforcement?

  A negative reinforcer occurs when you avoid a negative stimulus through performing a behaviour, this behaviour is reinforced and likely to be repeated.
• What was Skinner's research?

  Skinner developed a special cage called 'Skinner's box' in order to investigate operant conditioning in rats. The rat moves around the cage and when it accidentally presses the lever, a hungry rat begins pressing the lever in order to obtain food. if the food pellets stop, the rat presses the lever a few more times and then abandons it.
• When did Social Learning Theory (SLT) emerge and who was it the work of?

  Social Learning theory emerged in the 1960s and was work of Albert Bandura .
• Why is SLT a nurture model?

  It is a nurture model because it believes that everything is learn't and nothing is innate.
• Why is SLT opposite to nature?

  It doesn't take genetics into account.
• How do Children learn through SLT?

  Children learn through modelling, meaning that they select an appropriate modelling and find it rewarding to copy their behaviour.
• What is identification?


  It is a form of influence in which an individual adopts an attitude or behaviour because they want to be associated with a person or a group.
• What is imitation?


  The action of using someone or something as a model and copying their behaviour.
• What is Vicarious reinforcement?

  Vicarious reinforcement is our tendency to repeat or duplicate behaviours for which others are being rewarded.
• What is Vicarious reinforcement in direct contrast to?

  Behaviourism.
• What do we also learn through and why?

  We also learn through imitation, whereby we copy the behaviour of someone we admire in order to become more like them.
• What does SLT take into account that behaviourism doesn't and why?

  SLT takes the role of cognition into account because it believes that the role of thoughts is important in assessing the possible consequences of our behaviours.
• What are mediational processes?

  It refers to the mediational processes that exist between environmental stimuli and the response made by an individual to those stimuli.
• Why does social learning theory differ from other learning approaches?

  Social learning theory differs from other learning approaches because it places importance on internal mediational processes.
• What was Bandura's research?

  Bandura carried out an experiment involving children who observed aggressive or non-aggressive adult models and were then tested for imitative learning in the absence of the model. Half the children were exposed to adult models interacting aggressively with a life sized bobo doll and half exposed to non-aggressive model. The aggressive model displayed distinctive psychically aggressive acts towards the doll, e.g striking it with a mallet, accompanied by verbal aggression such as saying 'POW'. They were then taken to a room where among other toys, there was a bobo doll.
• What were the findings of Bandura's research?

  Children who observed the aggressive model reproduced a good deal of physical and verbally aggressive behaviour resembling that of the model.

  Children who observed the non-aggressive model exhibited virtually no aggression towards the bobo doll.
• What is the evaluation for behaviourism? (For)

  Classical conditioning has led to the development of treatment for the anxiety associated with various phobias.

  Research evidence supports this theory e.g Little Albert and the Skinner box.

  testable (scientific)

  It has face validity because we learn through OC and CC.
• What is the evaluation for behaviourism? (Against)

  Skinner's research has received criticism because his experiments involve the study of non-human animals rather then humans, critics claim that his reliance on rats and pigeons in his research tells us little about human behaviour.

  Behaviourism has been accused of being reductionist which means the theory is too simple to explain complex human behaviour.

  It doesn't take into account the role of cognition.
• What is the evaluation for SLT? (For)

  It takes into account the role of the cognition.

  It tells us about social behaviour.

  Research evidence supports the theory- Bandura et al.
• What is the evaluation for SLT? (Against)

  We can't discover if single exposure can have long-term effects.

  The Bandura et al experiment can be seen as unethical to a certain extent.

  If virtually anything can have an influence on specific behaviour, it becomes very difficult to show that one particular thing (social learning) is the main influence.

  There is a debate about whether you do certain actions because of the influence of your friends or because you want to do it, social learning says that because your friends want to do it, you want to do it too.