Behaviourism

• When did the behaviourist approach get discovered?

  Around 1900s
• What did Watson and Skinner propose in terms of behaviourism?

  They proposed that a truly scientific psychology should only study things that can be observed and measured
• What is the behaviourist approach?

  This approach focuses on explaining behaviour through observable actions and environmental stimuli, emphasising that all behaviours are learned through interactions with the environment via classical and operant conditioning, while largely ignoring internal mental processes
• How did behaviourists study behaviour?

  Lab studies -> precisely controlled and measured, highly scientific
• What do behaviourists believe in terms of human learning?

  They believe human learning is just a more complex form of animal learning simply due to evolution, hence why they utilise rats / pigeons in experiments sometimes
• What is classical conditioning?

  Classical conditioning is a type of learning in which an organism learns to associate a neutral stimulus with a meaningful stimulus, resulting in a conditioned response (learning by association)
• What is operant conditioning?

  Operant conditioning is a type of learning in which behaviour is strengthened or weakened by the consequences that follow it (learning by reinforcement / punishment)
• How was classical conditioning studied?

  Through Pavlov's dogs and little Albert
• How was operant conditioning studied?

  Through Skinner's box
• What is reinforcement?

  A consequence of behaviour that increases the likelihood of behaviour being repeated, this can be positive or negative
• What is positive reinforcement?

  Positive reinforcement is a technique used to increase the likelihood of a desired behaviour by providing a reward or positive consequence after the behaviour occurs
• What is negative reinforcement?

  Negative reinforcement is the removal of an unpleasant stimulus to increase the likelihood of a desired behaviour
• What is punishment?

  Unpleasant consequences of behaviour which decreases the likelihood of behaviour being repeated
• What is positive punishment?

  Application of an aversive stimulus to decrease the likelihood of a behaviour
• What is negative punishment?

  Removal of a desirable stimulus to decrease a behaviour
• What are some assumptions of the behaviourist approach?

  • We are born like a blank slate and all our behaviour is learnt
  • People can be moulded by the environment we are in and our experiences
  • Animal behaviour can explain human behaviour
  • Nurture > nature
  • We should only focus on external and observable behaviour
  • There is no need to look at internal processes (thinking / emotions)
  • Stimulus -> Response
• Schedules of reinforcement

  Used to determine how often the behaviour will be reinforced
• Continuous reinforcement

  When reinforcement follows every single response
• Variable-ratio reinforcement

  When reinforcement is given after a number of responses, but the number varies each time around an average value
• Fixed interval reinforcement?

  When reinforcement is given after a fixed period of time provided it performs the behaviour at some point during the interval
• What are some strengths of the behaviourist approach?

  • It has well controlled research - highly controlled lab settings, extraneous variables removed (cause and effect established)
  • It has real world application - successful in institutions such as prisons, psychiatric wards through token economy systems (reinforcement)
• Why is the behaviourist approach over-simplistic?

  The learning process is very complicated, it is more complex than observable behaviour ALONE, social learning theory + cognitive approach emerging shows that mental, internal processes are essential
• What are some ethical issues with research for the behaviourist approach?

  Skinner's box - rats were kept in cramped conditions for long periods of time at 2/3 their natural weight to ensure they were always hungry, this was unethical and harmful to the rats

  • Modern psychology: cost-benefit analysis is essential by a professionally trained ethics committee
• Environmental determinism in the behaviourist approach?

  • According to Skinner, out past conditioning history determines the outcome of decisions
  • Ignores free will
  • Ignores the influence of conscious decision-making processes on behaviour
• Skinner's box

  • Rat presses lever, food pellet released into cage (positive reinforcement)
  • Rat presses lever, food pellet not released, extinction of behaviour
  • Electrical shock when rat presses lever, rat stops (positive punishment)
  • Electrical shock through cage, shock stopped when rat presses lever (negative reinforcement)