behaviourism approach

• behaviourism definition

  a way of explaining behaviour in terms of what is observable and measurable and in terms of learning
• behaviourism

  • believe all behaviour is learned
  • babys mind is a 'blank slate' and written by experience
  • suggests basic processes that govern learning are the same in every species
  • this means in research animals replace humans as experimental subjects
  • identified classical and operant conditioning
• classical conditioning

  learning by association. occurs when 2 stimuli are constantly paired together - an unconditioned stimulus (UCS) and neutral stimulus (NS). neutral stimulus eventually produces the same response that was first produced by the unconditioned stimulus alone
• classical conditioning - pavlov's research


  • pavlov showed how dogs can be conditioned to salivate to the sound of a bell if the sound was repeatedly presented at the same time that they were given food
  • gradually the dogs learned to associate the sound of the bell (stimulus) with food (another stimulus) and would produce the salivation response every time they heard the sound
  • thus pavlov was able to show how a neutral stimulus (bell) can come to elicit a new learned response (conditioned response) through association
• operant conditioning 


  form of learning in which a behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences. possible consequences include reinforcement (positive or negative) and punishment
• operant conditioning - skinners research


  • skinner conducted experiments with rats and pigeons in specially designed cages called skinner boxes
  • every time the rat activated a leaver within the box it was rewarded with a food pellet
  • from then on the animal would continue to perform the behaviour
  • also showed how they could be conditioned to perform the same behaviour to avoid an unpleasant stimulus (like an electric shock)
• behaviourist approach eval - :) well controlled research


  • focused on measurement of observable behaviour in tightly controlled lab settings
  • by breaking down behaviour into basic stimulus - response units all other extraneous variables were removed, allowing cause and effect relationships to be established
  • eg. skinner demonstrating how reinforcement influences animals behaviour
  • suggests behavioural experiments have scientific credibility
• behaviourist approach eval - against well controlled research 


  • HOWEVER... oversimplified
  • reduced behaviour to simple components and may have ignored an important influence on learning - human thought
  • social learning theory and cognitive approach have drawn attention to mental processes in learning, learning is more complex than observable behaviour alone
• behaviourist approach eval - :) real world application 


  • principles of conditioning have been applied to real world behaviours and problems
  • eg. operant conditioning is basis of token economy systems that have successfully been used in prisons / psych wards
  • this works by rewarding behaviour with tokens that can be traded for privileges
  • increases value of behaviourist approach - was widespread application
• behaviourist approach eval - :( environmental determinism 


  • sees all behaviour as conditioned by past conditioning experiences
  • skinner suggests our past conditioning history determines the outcome of our decisions, ignoring possible influence free will may have on our behaviour (called it an illusion)
  • extreme position and ignores the influence of conscious decision making processes on behaviour (cognitive approach)
• behaviourist approach eval - :( ethical issues 


  • although procedures like skinners box helped maintain a high degree of control, many have questioned the ethics
  • animals were housed in harsh, cramped conditions and deliberately kept below their natural weight so that they were always hungry