Behaviourism

• Behaviourism:

  Association, environment, learning, stimuli-response, classical conditioning, operant conditioning, rewards, positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment, extinguish.
• Pavlov: lab experiment where dogs were placed in a controlled environment which paired food with the sound of a bell
• After several conditioning trials, the dogs learnt to associate the sound of a bell with food causing salivation.
• Watson & Rayner (1920): lab experiment where ‘little Albert’ was placed in a controlled environment which paired a rat with a loud bang
• After a few conditioning trials, Albert learnt to associate the rat with a loud bang causing a fear/phobic response to the rat.
• Skinner: lab experiment where rats were placed in a controlled environment (Skinner’s box/chamber) which contained a lever
• In condition 1, when the rat pressed the lever, food was dispersed which caused the rat to continue pressing the lever (positive reinforcement)
• In condition 2, the rat experienced an electric current beneath its feet which if the rat pressed the lever, would stop the electric current (negative reinforcement)
• ü  High level of internal validity – lab experiments, replication possible, objective

  ü  Practical/real-world applications – systematic desensitisation for phobias, token economy for prisons/drug clinics.

  Ø  Ethical issues – Pavlov’s dogs, Little Albert, Skinners Rat’s were all exposed to stressful conditions and changes.

  Ø  Low external validity – the lab experiments are artificial and not reflective of everyday settings (mundane realism).