Assumptions & Relationship Formation

• Behaviourist approach assumes that people's behaviour can be changed and controlled
• Behaviourist approach - nurture not nature that shapes behaviour
• Behaviourist approach is reductionist
• Tabula Rasa

  The assumption that people are born as a 'blank slate' and their personality is shaped by the environment
• Behaviourist approach believes that all behaviour comes from an individual's interactions with their environment
• Stimulus

  Any external event that we respond to
• Response

  A behaviour produced in response to a stimulus
• Behaviourists believe that all behaviour can be reduced down to stimulus-response relationships
• Classical Conditioning

  1. Stimulus paired with neutral stimulus

  2. Neutral stimulus becomes conditioned stimulus

  3. Conditioned stimulus elicits conditioned response
• Operant Conditioning


  1. Behaviour is learned through consequences

  2. Positive reinforcement increases behaviour

  3. Negative reinforcement decreases behaviour

  4. Positive punishment decreases behaviour

  5. Negative punishment decreases behaviour
• Behaviourists carry out a lot of research on animals and assume the findings can be generalised to humans
• Skinner box was used to condition animal behaviour through reinforcement and punishment
• Behaviourist approach assumes that humans and animals learn in similar ways
• Therapies based on conditioning principles


  • Systematic desensitisation for phobias
  • Aversion therapy for addiction
  • Token economy in prisons and schools
• Rewards in relationships

  Physical attraction, financial gain, having someone do things for us
• Costs in relationships

  Time, financial costs, emotional confusion
• Social Exchange Theory


  • We will have romantic relationships that maximise our rewards and minimise our costs
• Behaviourists believe all behaviour can be reduced down to stimulus-response relationships
• John Watson (1878-1958)


  suggests that you can train anyone regardless of talents, abilities and tendencies to become any type of specialist
• Behaviourist Approach is environmental determinism


  meaning all that we are is due to our environment, suggesting we don't have free will
• The three assumptions;

  1. Humans born as a blank slate
  2. Behaviour learnt through conditioning
  3. Humans and animals learn in similar ways
• Classical and Operant Conditioning


  Classical conditioning is learning by association

  Operant conditioning is learning through consequence
• Classical conditioning occurs when an association is made between a previously unlearned response and a neutral stimulus
• Ivan Pavlov (1849-1946) - classical


  He discovered that dogs would start salivating as soon as the lab assistant would walk in the room to feed them
• Definitions for classical conditioning

  UCS = Unconditioned Stimulus

  UCR = Unconditioned Response

  NS = Neutral Stimulus

  CS = Conditioned Stimulus

  CR = Conditioned Response
• Before Conditioning

  UCS -> UCR

  NS -> no response
• During Conditioning

  UCS + NS -> UCR
• After Conditioning

  CS -> CR
• Operant Conditioning Definitions

  Reinforcement - increases behaviour

  Punishment - decreases behaviour

  Positive - is where something is given

  Negative - is where something is taken
• Positive Reinforcement 


  where something desirable is given in order that a behaviour will be repeated
• Negative Reinforcement

  where something undesirable is taken away in order that a behaviour will be repeated
• Positive Punishment

  where something undesirable is given in order to reduce a certain behaviour
• Negative Punishment

  where something desirable is taken away in order that a behaviour is reduced
• BF Skinner's - Skinner's box


  Skinner box had a lever for an animal (rat or pigeon) to press for food. Had a speaker and lights that could be used to trigger a behaviour. Shock generator used for certain undesired behaviour. The study was to condition behaviours into an animal using the operant conditioning.
• Reinforcement models of attraction show;

  we are more likely to form relationships with people who reinforce us
• Byrne (1971) - Reinforcement Affect Model


  suggests we like people who are present when we are being reinforced as they become associated with positive reinforcement and are viewed positively
• Reinforcement Affect Model - Byrne (1971)


  The theory assumes;

  • people identify stimuli as rewarding or punishing so aim to seek rewards, avoiding punishment
  • positive feelings - rewarding stimuli
  • negative feelings - punishing stimuli
• we seek to have relationships with people/animals associated with rewarding stimuli
• Equity Theory - Walster & Walster


  suggests people are concerned about the equity in their relationships
• Equitable relationships are the happiest and most stable relationships. Inequitable relationships result in one person over-benefitting and one under-benefitting.