Assumptions

• What are the assumptions of the behaviourist approach?


  Behaviour is learnt from the environment as humans are born a blank slate.

  Behaviour is learnt through conditioning.

  Humans and animals learn behaviour in similar ways.
• Behaviour is learnt from the environment as humans are born a blank slate:


  Babies are born almost completely neutral with only basic responses (crying, pain, hunger) and will be moulded by their environment.

  Eg: Bandura’s bobo doll study -

  The children imitated the adults aggression towards the doll.
• What are the two types of conditioning?

  Classical - learning through association.

  Operant - learning through consequences.
• Classical conditioning process


  Unconditioned stimulus -> Unconditioned response

  Neutral stimulus -> No response

  Neutral stimulus + Unconditioned stimulus -> Conditioned response (repeat)

  Conditioned stimulus -> Conditioned response
• Classical conditioning example 


  Pavlov’s dogs:

  Food -> Salivation

  Bell -> No response

  Food + Bell (repeat)

  Bell -> Salivation
• What are the three types of operant conditioning?

  Positive reinforcement

  Negative reinforcement

  Punishment
• Operant conditioning example 


  Skinner’s rats:

  When the rats pulled the lever they were given food. (Positive)

  When the rats pulled the lever they were electrocuted. (Punishment)
• Humans & Animals learn in similar ways examples

  Classical conditioning:

  Pavlov’s dogs & Little Albert

  Operant conditioning:

  Skinner & Reward charts for children