Behaviourist Approach

• Behaviourist approach assumes that behaviour is learned from experience, and only observable behaviour is measured scientifically
• Animal research is considered valid in the behaviourist approach as they share the same principles as humans so are strongly generalisable
• Paradigm Shift is the widespread change in focus to more scientific research or methods
• Classical conditioning is when a neutral stimulus is consistently paired with an unconditional stimulus so that it takes on the same properties and becomes a conditioned stimulus
• Classical conditioning is not permanent but can be spontaneously recovered quickly
• Pavlov (1927) investigated classical conditioing by measuring dogs saliva using food and a bell
• Behaviourist approach has been criticised for its deterministic nature as it states that all behaviour is learnt from classical and operant conditioning
• Operant conditioning is when behaviour is reinforced by consequences
• Classica conditioning teaches behaviour, whereas operant conditioning maintains behaviour
• Behaviourist approach is regarded as scientific due to its use of labaratory experiments with high control of extraneous variables
• Skinner (1938) investigated operant conditioning by studying rats in a box
• Punishment is undesirable consequences that reduce the likelihood of the behaviour being repeated
• Reinforcement is anything that increases the likelihood that a behaviour will be repeated in the future
• Positive Reinforcement is giving something desirable
• Negative Reinforcement is taking away something adversive
• Reinforcement schedule is how often consequences follow (partial, variable or continuous)
• A Variable (random) schedule is most effective for reinforcement
• Delay Discounting is where the longer the gap between action and reward, the lesser the effect
• Extinction is when the learned response vanishes if the reward continuously does not appear
• Bandura et al. (196) tested 36 girls and 36 boys aged 3-6 aggressive behaviour after being shown an aggressive model vs non-aggressive model
• In Bandura's study, children who observed the aggressive model made significantly more aggressive responses than those in the non-aggressive & control groups
• Bandura's study found that boys imitated more physically aggressive than girls
• Bandura's study has limitations e.g demand characteristics and extraneous variables
• Bandura's study had high inter-observer reliability (0.89)