evaluation

• well controlled research strength

  one strength of the behaviourist approach is that it is based on well-controlled research

  behaviourists focused on the measurement of observable behaviour within highly controlled lab settings. by breaking down behaviour into basic stimulus - response units, all other possible extraneous variables were removed, allowing cause-and-effect relationships to be established. for instance, skinner was able to clearly demonstrate how reinforcement influenced an animals behaviour.

  this suggests that behaviourist experiments have scientific credibility.
• counterpoint to well controlled research

  however, the problem with this is that behaviourists may have over simplified the learning process. by reducing behaviour to such simple components, behaviourists may have ignored an important influence on learning - that of human thought. other approaches, such as social learning theory and the cognitive approach 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 strength

  one strength of the behaviourist approach is that the principles of conditioning have been applied to real-world behaviours and problems.

  for example, operant conditioning is the basis of token economy systems that have been used successfully in institutions such as prisons and psychiatric wards. these work by rewarding appropriate behaviour with tokens that can be exchanged for privileges. this increase the value of the behaviourist approach because it has widespread application.
• environmental determinism limitation

  one limitation of the behaviourist approach is that it sees all behaviour as conditioned by past conditioning experiences.

  skinner suggested that everything we do is the sum total of our reinforcement history. when something happens we may think 'I made the decision to do that' but, according to skinner, our past conditioning history determined the outcome. this ignores any possible influence of free will may have on behaviour.

  this is an extreme position and ignores the influence of conscious decision-making processes on behaviour.