Behaviouristic approach

• key assumptions of the behaviourist approach

  all behaviour is learnt

  animal behaviour is similiar to humans
• what does behaviourism emphasise the role of in our behaviour

  environmental factors
• what is tabula rasa

  a blank slate
• what do theories need to be supported by

  empirical data obtained through careful and controlled observation and measurement of behaviour
• what did behaviourists think about humans and animals


  behaviour in humans and animals are similiar

  research can be carried out on animals as well as humans
• what animals became the primary source of data for behaviourists and why

  rats, cats, pigeons

  their environments could be easily controlled
• which behaviourist explored the relationship between learning and behaviour

  Pavlov
• what is classical conditioning

  learning through association
• what did Pavlov discover

  that dogs could be conditioned to salivate to the sound of a bell if that sound was repeatedly presented at the same time that they were given food
• what was the result of when dogs heard the bell sound over time

  dogs learn to associate the sound of a bell with food, and therefore produce a salivation response every time the bell rang
• what was Pavlov able to show as a result of this

  how a neutral stimulus can lead to a learned response through association
• who found evidence of classical conditioning in humans

  watson and raynor
• what evidence did watson and raynor find of classical conditioning

  they used a baby called little Albert. Albert developed a phobia firstly in white rats and then other furry objects after he was conditioned by the researcher banging a hammer on a steel nar behind his back
• which behaviourist suggested that learning is an active process where behaviour is a result of learning based on the consequences of our actions

  Skinner
• what are the 3 types of consequences of behaviour according to operant condtioning

  positive reinforcement

  negative reinforcement

  punishment
• what is positive reinforcement

  receiving a reward when a certain behaviour is performed, meaning the behaviour is more likely to be repeated
• what is negative reinforcement

  when the human/ animal avoids something unpleasant. a behaviour is followed by the removal of an adverse consequence and is more likely to be repeated
• what is punishment


  an unpleasant consequence of behaviour that decreases the likelihood of it being repeated
• what is the difference between negative reinforcement and punishment

  negative reinforcement makes the behaviour more likely to avoid unpleasant consequences

  punishment decreases the likelihood of repeating the behaviour, because of an unpleasant consequence
• what did skinner do to examine operant conditioning in rats (positive reinforcement)


  when the rat accidentally activated the lever, a food pellet dropped

  the rats quickly learned that pressing the lever will give it a reward, so they repeated the behaviour
• what did skinner do to examine negative reinforcement in rats


  rats received an electric shock until they pressed the lever (accidentally at first)

  the rats quickly learnt that pressing the lever would stop the electric shock, so they repeated the behaviour to avoid this
• what did pavlov explore

  the relationship between learning and behaviour
• what did skinner suggest

  learning is an active process, and behaviour is a result of learning based on the consequences of our actions