Behavioural Approach

• What does reinforcement refer to?

  The likelihood that behaviour will be repeated
• What is aqusition?

  Where the neutral stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus become the learnt response the first time
• What is temporal association?

  Two stimuli are experienced close together in time to generate a response
• What is the main assumption of the behavioural approach. [2]

  All behaviour is learnt through either classical or operant conditioning.Since all behaviour is learnt, it can also be unlearnt
• Outline Skinners research into reinforcement [6]

  Skinner used a device called Skinners box and placed a rat in the box. When the rat pressed a lever in the box food was released. The positive reinforcement taught the rat that lever = food.

  Later Skinner introduced a negative reinforcement variation. He put a current through the box and now when the lever is pressed the current will stop, through this the negative reinforcement taught the rat that lever = current stop.
• What are the two types of reinforcement and explain them.

  Positive and negative reinforcement.

  Positive reinforcement is receiving a reward for a behaviour so that behaviour is likely to be repeated.

  Negative reinforcement is when an unpleasant stimulus is avoided and so the behaviour is likely to be repeated
• What is the difference between negative reinforcement and punishment?

  Negative reinforcement is the removal of something positive or negative. Punishment is the introduction of a negative stimulus
• What is the difference between classical and operant conditioning?Give research examples for each.

  Classical:

  Learnt by association, Pavlov's dogs

  Operant:

  Learnt by reinforcement (positive/negative), Skinners rats
• How did Pavlov investigate classical conditioning?

  Showed that a dog could be conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell if the sound was repeatedly sounded every time food was presented. Gradually the dogs learnt to associate the sound of the bell with food and would salivate every time they heard the bell.
• Pavlov's conditioning of his dog:

  • Initially neutral stimulus (bell) resulted in no response.
  • The unconditioned stimulus (food) resulted in unconditioned response (salivation).
  • Unconditioned stimulus paired with neutral stimulus to bring about unconditioned response (salivation). Over time this led to an association between the unconditioned stimulus and neutral stimulus.
  • After association neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus which brings about a conditioned response (salivation).