classical conditioning

• how to explain learning theories?

  • believe behaviour occurs after birth, therefore suggesting behaviour is explained due to environmental factors. (nurture).
  • All 3 theories are based on experimental research which uses scientific method to try and establish cause and effect.
  • By using experiments it provides learning theories with scientific credibility so theories support psyc as a science.
  • this means theories have many practical applications and can develop therapies, enhance educational practices, prevent crime and develop social policies that are helpful in society
• evidence?

  • Pavlov (1927) made dog salivate to sound of auditory neutral stimuli.
  • Watson and Rayner (1920) explained emotional responses in a child

  
  

  • deterministic, won't allow a degree of free will in individual. A person has no control over reactions conditioned to them (phobia) and underestimates uniqueness of human beings
• methodology?

  • CC is credible due to it being based on empirical evidence.
  • use of animals so strict control of variables, every step is precise as behaviour is directly observable.
  • depends on reductionist research, complex behaviour is broken down into smaller units of behaviour and can be more scientifically tested
  • generalising animals to humans isn't straight forward.
  • reductionist, lacks validity as it's incomplete.
• applications?

  • effective treatments like aversion therapy and systematic desensitisation
  • systematic desensitisation: associate dysfunctional behaviour with UCR to produce new CS
• alternatives?

  due to reductionist behaviour SIT could be better, CC ignores cognitive processes like decision making, motivation, memory. SIT includes that aswell as observable behaviours