The Behaviourist Approach

• Early Behaviourism:

  John Watson
• John Watson:

  • The behaviourist movement began in 1913.
  • Watson wrote an article titled ‘Psychology as the behaviourist views it’.
• Assumptions of the Behaviourist Approach: AO1:

  • The Behaviourist Approach explains behaviour in terms of learning.
  • Also called ‘Stimulus – Response explanations’, because they only refer to observable stimuli and responses.
  • They manipulated the environment to test its effects on animals.
  • Behaviourists were determined to be scientific.
  • All behaviour is explained using Classical and operant conditioning.
• Methods of Research Used by the Behaviourist Approach: AO1:

  • Behaviourism would argue that lab experiments are the best way to achieve these outcomes.
  • Almost all behaviourist research involved laboratory experiments on animal behaviour.
  • Conducting them in laboratories allowed strict control of any extraneous variables.
  • Using animals was more convenient and made replication easier.
  • Scientists believed there were no qualitative differences between humans and animals.
• Classical Conditioning: Pavlov's experiment:

  • Before Conditioning:
  • Unconditioned Stimulus = Food
  • Neutral Stimulus = Bell
  • Unconditioned Response = Salivation
  • During Conditioning:
  • Neutral Stimulus = Bell
  • Unconditioned Response = Salivation
  • After Conditioning:
  • Conditioned Stimulus = Bell
  • Conditioned Response = Salivation
• Classical Conditioning: Watson and Rayner:

  • Wanted to know if humans are born with preconceived emotions.
  • 9-month-old baby Albert was introduced to animals and toys.
  • Every time a bunny came near him; the Scientists banged a hammer to make noise.
  • Continually did this to spark fear.
  • Slowly Albert became conditioned to be scared of the rabbit (was scared of the noise).
  • Associated the bunny with fear and cried even when there was no noise from the bunny.
• Operant Conditioning:

  Skinner
• Learning through consequences:

  • Learning through reinforcement.
  • Reinforcement makes a behaviour more likely.
  • Positive reinforcement: Add or give something to make the behaviour more likely.
  • Provide a sticker when a student does something good.
  • Negative reinforcement: something unpleasant stops, making the behaviour more likely.
  • Take weekend chores if the room is clean all week.
  • Punishment: Add something negative.
  • Give the student a detention.
• Skinner’s Box:

  • On one wall of the box, there would be a lever and a hopper that could deliver a food pellet to the animal. • The rat is likely to wander around the box until it accidentally presses the lever
  • In return it would get food.
  • Skinner would leave the animal in the box and measure how frequently the animal pressed the lever over time.
  • The frequency should indicate the strength of the conditioning of the behaviour.
  • Repeated with other animals.
• Behaviourist Approach AO3: Strength:

  • Brought the methods of science into Psychology by focusing on measurable, behaviour-controlled lab settings.
  • For example, Pavlov and Skinner controlled lab conditions including temperature, time of day, and other various factors that may have negatively impacted the reliability of the experiment.
  • However, as these experiments for the Behaviourist Approach are so controlled, they may not be an accurate representation of real-life situations.
• Behaviourist Approach: AO3: Strength:

  • The principles of conditioning have been applied to a broad range of real-life world problems.
  • Classical conditioning has been used to treat phobias. -
  • The understanding of how phobias have been learnt has helped psychologists develop therapies such as systematic desensitisation which attempt to condition a patient's fear response.
  • However, one may argue that this raises medical issues due to the unnatural method of controlling behaviour. Seen as inhumane and insensitive for some people.
• Behaviourist Approach: AO3: Strength:

  • Many critics have questioned the ethics of conducting such investigations with animals.
  • The animals involved were exposed to stressful and aversive conditions.
  • For example, in Pavlov and Skinner’s research, the stress of being in a lab may have affected how the animals reacted to the experimental situation.
  • Pavlov’s experiment - salivation tubes being attached to their mouths.
  • The small box the rats were placed in in the Skinner’s Box experiment.
  • Furthermore, animals behave differently to humans, due to the different cognitive processes.