Learning Approaches

• The behaviourist approach(1920s)


  A way of explaining behaviour in terms of what is observable and in terms of learning. All behaviour is said to be learnt.
• Classical Conditioning- Pavlov's dogs


  Pavlov (1927) showed dogs could be conditioned to salivate to the sound of a bell if that sound was repeatedly presented at the same time as they were given food. The dogs learned to associate the sound of the bell (neutral stimulus) with the food (unconditioned stimulus) and would produce salivation every time they heard the sound. Showing how a neutral stimulus can elicit a learned response (conditioned response) through association.
• Operant conditioning- Skinner's research 


  Skinner (1953) suggested learning is an active process where humans and animals operate in their environment.
• Positive reinforcement


  receiving a reward for a behaviour
• Negative Reinforcement


  avoiding something unpleasant, encouraging them to do it again
• Punishment


  an unpleasant consequence of a behaviour
• Skinners Box


  Every time the rat activated a lever it was rewarded with food. The rat then learnt this as a behaviour. He also showed how they could learn to avoid an unpleasant stimulus like a shock with the same behaviour.
• A strength of the behaviourist approach controls


  the a strength of the approach is it is based of well-controlled research. Behaviourists focused on the into basic stimulus-response units, all other extraneous variables were removed, allowing cause and effect to be established. For example Skinner was able to clearly demonstrate how reinforcement influenced an animals behaviour. This suggests the behaviourist experiments have scientific credibility.
• Limitations of the behaviourist approach

  A limitation is that behaviourists may have oversimplified the learning process. By reducing behaviour to such simple components, behaviourists may have ignored an important influence on learning- human thought. Other approaches such as social learning and cognitive, 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.
• Real-world application of the behaviourist approach


  Another strength of the behaviourist approach is that the principles of conditioning have been applied to real-world problems. For example, the token economy system that has been successfully used in institutions such as prisons and psychiatric wards. These work by rewarding appropriate behaviour with tokens that can be exchanged for privileges. Classical conditioning is used in systematic desensitization treatment for phobias. This increases the value of the behaviourist approach because it has widespread application.
• Limitation of the Behaviourist approach

  A limitation of the behaviourist approach is it sees all behaviours as conditioned by past conditioning experiences Skinner suggested everything we do is the sum total of our reinforcement history. This ignores any influence of free will on behaviour. This is an extreme position and ignores the influence of conscious decision-making processes on behaviour
• Ethical issues of the Behaviourist approach


  Procedures such as the Skinner box allowed high levels of control, however, many have questioned their ethics. Animals were housed in harsh, cramped conditions and deliberately kept below their natural weight so they were always hungry.
• Social Learning theory


  A way of explaining behaviour that include direct and indirect reinforcement, combining learning theory with the role of cognitive factors.
• Vicarious reinforcement 


  observing someone else being reinforced for a behaviour. This is a key factor in imitation.
• The 4 mediational processes involved in SLT

  Attention, Retention, Motor Reproduction, Motivation
• Identification

  Identification is when an observer accociates themselves with a role model and wishes to be like them. People, especially children, are more likely to imitate people they identify with.
• Strength of SLT 


  A strength of SLT is it recognizes the importance of cognitive factors in learning, unlike operational and classical conditioning alone. Humans and Animals store information about the behaviour of others and use this to make judgements about when it is appropriate to perform certain actions. This suggests SLT provides a more comprehensive explanation of human learning by recognizing the role of mediational processes.
• Limitation of SLT


  Slt has been criticised for making too little reference to the influence of biological factors on social learning. Although Bandura mentioned biological factors having an influence on our ability to learn, he said learning itself was determined by the environment. Research suggests observational learning might be a result of mirror neurons in the brain, allowing us to empathise and imitate people. This suggests biological factors are under-emphasised in SLT.
• Limitation of SLT


  One limitation is that the evidence it is based on is from Lab studies. Many of Banduras ideas were developed through observation of young children in the lab. Lab studies are often criticised for their environment as it increases the chances of demand characteristics. It is suspected children in the Bobo Doll study behaved in the way they thought was expected. This suggests that the research may tell us little about how children actually learn aggression in real life.
• Strength of SLT Application


  A strength of SLT is that principles have been applied to real world behaviours. SLT is able to explain cultural differences in behaviour. Modelling, imitation and reinforcement, can account for how children learn from others around them, including the media and this can explain how cultural norms are transmitted through societies. This has proved useful in understanding behaviours such as how children develop gender roles. This increases the value of the approach as it can account for real world behaviour.
• Banduras Bobo Doll study


  In 1961 Bandura et al aimed studied 36 male and 36 female participants from 37 to 69 months, split into 8 groups with either a aggressive or non-agressive role model of either the same or opposite gender. They observed the role models behaviour e.g. the aggressive role model would call the bobo doll names and hit it, then left the room and was taken into a room where they couldn't play with the toys for 2 minutes before going to a last room with toys including the bobo doll, and their behaviour was observed for 20 mins
• Results of Banduras study


  Children who observed an aggressive role model were more likely to be aggressive and boys were more aggressive than girls. There was a greater level of imitation of behaviour when the role model was of the same sex.