Behavioural

• Assumptions

  Psychologists should only study observable quantifiable date

  All behaviour is learned

  Humans and animal are regarded the same

  Research on animals is directly relevant to humans
• Classical Conditioning

  Unconditioned stimulus makes an unconditioned response. When a neutral stimulus and unconditioned stimulus are together they make an unconditioned response. When an unconditioned and neutral stimulus form an association they create a conditioned stimulus causing a conditioned response
• Reinforcement always encourages behaviour and punishment always discourages behaviour.
• Positive reinforcement

  Receiving a reward for displaying a certain behaviour making the behaviour more likely to be repeated.
• Negative reinforcement

  When behaviour avoids a negative outcome making the behaviour less likely to be repeated. E.g handing in an essay on time to AVOID being told off
• Punishment

  When behaviour has unpleasant consequences making the behaviour less likely to be repeated
• Skinner’s Box

  In order to show operant conditioning, a rat was placed in a box and every time it pressed the leaver it was REWARDED with food. It made the rat more likely to repeat this. The electric floor provides NEGATIVE reinforcement and when the lever is pulled the flor turns off. NOT PUNISHMENT
• Pavlov’s Dogs

  Pavlov developed the theory of classical conditioning. His dogs were conditioned to associate the sound of a bell with receiving food. This resulted in the dogs producing salivation which was the conditioned response when the bell was rang.
• Strengths of Pavlov and Skinner

  High internal validity and control

  Reliable and replicable results

  Practical Applications
• Weaknesses of Pavlov and Skinner

  Use of animals in research ( Unethical)

  Use of animals ( generalisability )
• Strengths of the Approach

  Supporting evidence from Pavlov and Skinner

  Practical conditioning - it has been used to develop theories such as aversion therapy

  Scientific theory - focuses on studying observable data increasing objectivity and reducing bias
• Weaknesses of the Approach

  Supporting evidence is based on animal research ( lacks generalisability and ethics )

  Limited explanation of behaviour as it does not include genetic additions
• The main methodology used in this approach is controlled lean experiments, often used with animals to study observable data.