The behaviourist approach

• Evaluation: Environmental determinism (limitation)

  Sees all behaviour as conditioned by past conditioning experiences.

  Skinner suggested that everything we do id the sum total of our reinforcement theory, our past conditioning history determined the outcome.

  Ignores any possible influence that free will may have on behaviour.

  Ignores the influences of conscious decisions-making processes in behaviour.
• Evaluation: Real-world application (strength)

  Principles of conditioning have been applied to real-world behaviours and problems.

  Eg. operant conditioning is the basis of token economy system in prisions - work by rewarding appropriate behaviour with tokens, can be exchanged for privileges.

  Eg. Classical conditioning has been applied to the treatment of phobias.

  Increases the value of the approach due to its widespread application.
• Evaluation: Well-controlled research (strength)

  The approach is based on well-controlled research.

  Behaviourists focus on measuring observable behaviour, in highly controlled lab settings.

  Break down behaviour into basic stimulus-response units - EVs removed, allowing cause-and-effect relationships.

  Eg. Skinner demonstrated how reinforcement influenced animal behaviour.

  Experiments have scientific credibility.
• Punishment


  An unpleasant consequence of behaviour that decreases the likelihood that behaviour will be repeated.
• Negative reinforcement


  When something unpleasant is avoided the outcome is to be a positive experience. Increases the likelihood that behaviours will be repeated.
• Positive reinforcement


  Recieving a reward when a certain behaviour is performed. Increases the likelihood that behaviours will be repeated.
• Skinner's research

  Conducted experiments with rats in skinner boxes. Every time the rat activated a level within the box it was rewarded with a food pallet - continue to perform the behaviour.

  Also showed how rats cound be conditioned to perform the same behaviour to avoid an unpleasant stimulus, eg. an electric shock.
• Operant conditioning


  Behaviour is shaped and maintained through consequences.
• What was Pavlov able to show

  How a neutral stimulus, in this case a bell, can come to elicit a new learned response (conditioned response) through association.
• Pavlov's research

  Showed how dogs could be conditioned to salivate to the sound of a bell.

  The bell sound was repeatedly presented at the same time as they were given food. Gradually Pavlov's dogs learned to associate the sound of the bell (stimulus) with another food (stimulus), would produce the salvation response every time they heared the sound.
• Classical conditioning


  Learning by association.
• Assumptions

  Only interested in studying behaviour that can be observed and measured.

  Believe that behaviour is learnt.

  Try to maintain more control and objectivity, rely on lab studies.