Behaviourist

• What are the key assumptions made in the behaviourist approach?

  • we are born as blank slates --> all behaviour is learnt from the environment
  • there is little difference between animal and human learning
  • we learn new behaviour through operant + classical conditioning
  • psychologists should only study observable, quanitifiable behaviour
• What is an unconditioned stimulus?

  something which naturally causes a response (e.g. food -> saliva)
• What is an unconditioned response?

  a natural reaction to a stimulus (e.g. salivating at food)
• What is a neutral stimulus?

  a stimulus that initially does not cause a response
• What is a conditioned stimulus?

  when the neutral stimulus causes the same response as UCS (become paired)
• Who investigated classical conditioning?

  Pavlov (1900's)
• What was Pavlov's procedure?

  • (pre conditioning) food (UCS) was presented to 35 different dog breeds and they started salivating (UCR). same time a bell (NS) was rung and the dogs had no response
  • (during conditioning) food was presented to dogs coupled with bell noise and the dogs salivated in response
  • (post conditioning) bell was rung and dogs salivated (measured by test tube operated into dogs cheek)
• What were the findings from Pavlov's research?

  dogs learnt to associate the bell noise with the food and started salivating in preparation for digestion
• How did Pavlov measure saliva levels in dogs?

  operating a hole into the dogs cheeks so saliva flowed out into a test tube
• What is the classical conditioning equation?

  before: UCS --> UCR

  during: UCS + NS --> UCR

  after: CS --> CR
• What are the types of conditioning in the behaviourist approach?

  Classical and operant conditioning
• What is generally meant by classical conditioning?

  behaviour is learnt from association by pairing UCR + NS
• What is generally meant by operant conditioning?

  behaviour is learnt through association of consequences
• What is positive reinforcement?

  behaviour is more likely to be repeated because it is rewarding
• What is negative reinforcement?

  behaviour is more likely to be repeated because an unpleasant situation stops (becomes rewarding)
• What is punishment in operant conditioning?

  behaviour will not be repeated because overall experience is unpleasant
• Who investigated operant conditioning and when?

  B.F. Skinner (1937)
• What was Skinner's method?

  He put hungry rats in a box and as they explored, they eventually found a lever (by accident) that dispensed a food pellet
• What findings were made from Skinner's research?

  rats would learn to press the lever to release food
• What conclusions can be made from Skinner's research?

  positive reinforcement affects behaviour by increasing likelihood of it being repeated
• What is the evaluation for Skinner's research?

  :( ethics --> involved starving rats to 3/4 of normal body weight so they were motivated to explore + electric shock variation (neg reinforcement)

  :) controlled experiment --> standardised procedures make replication straightforward

  :) applications --> can be used to change behaviour in e.g. dog training
• What is the evaluation for Pavlov's research?

  :( ethics --> invasive operation to divert salivary glands to secrete saliva out of the mouth

  :) controlled experiment --> sound proofed lab to reduce EV's + replication straightforward

  :( humans may think differently to dogs due to more complex cognition and motivation
• What is the evaluation for the behaviourist approach?

  :( Alternatives --> biological approach

  :) Scientific --> using lab studies adds scientific credibility + increases internal validity

  :) Research evidence --> Little Albert (Watson & Rayner, 1920) --> induced a phobia of white rats by banging loud gong whenever he reached for rat (classical conditioning)

  :) Applications --> CC = treatment of phobias, OC = token economy used in prisons