Behaviourist Perspective

• Core studies in this perspective

  • Bandura -> social learning theory
  • Chaney -> operant conditioning
• Key assumptions of behaviourist perspective - mention 'LEARNT/LEARN'

  -assumes that all humans are born as a blank slate and that all behaviour is shaped and influenced by the environment and our experiences within it

  -behaviourists psychologists mainly focus on how we learn and acquire our behaviour from the environment and look at theories of learning

  -they believe that learning can occur through responses to stimulus within the environment, such as:

  • through associations (classical conditioning)
  • the observation + imitation of a role model (social learning theory)
  • through responses to rewards + consequences - the use of positive + negative reinforcement (operant conditioning)
• Social Learning theory summary

  learn via observation + imitation of a role model

  • stimulus = behaviour of the role model (BANDURA -> behaviour of aggressive role model e.g. punching Bobo doll in nose OR behaviour of non-aggressive role model e.g. playing nicely w child)
  • response = imitated behaviour that has been observed (BANDURA -> imitation of aggressive or non-aggressive behaviour e.g. finding)
• Operant conditioning summary

  we learn via reinforcement

  • stimulus = behaviour that is rewarded or punished (CHANEY -> usage of Funhaler was rewarded by whistle + spinner)
  • response = behaviour is reinforced and repeated again and again/not repeated again and again (CHANEY -> taking 4+ deep breaths was repeated again + again)
• Linking behaviourist perspective to debates

  • nurture = suggests that we learn and acquire our behaviour through environmental experiences
  • determinism = our behaviour is predetermined by environmental experiences we learn from such as role models
  • reductionism = focuses on the single factor of a stimulus in our environment which we respond to
  • holism (counter argument) = multiple theories of learning/environmental factors shape our behaviour
  • scientific = uses scientific methods e.g. experiments to establish cause and effect between the stimuli/environmental experience + learnt behaviour (response)
  • useful = can create strategies/practical applications to alter how people are shaped by or learn from environmental factors
  • SS = causes stigma/blame to negative environmental experiences that people have learnt bad behaviour from e.g. bad role models
• To what extent can the behaviourist perspective be said to be deterministic (4)

  1. determinism suggests that behaviour is pre-determined by factors outside of our control
  2. To a large extent the behaviourist perspective can be said to be deterministic as it suggests that our behaviour is pre-determined by environmental experiences we learn from
  3. for example, one theory of learning, social learning theory, suggests role model's activities can determine what we learn; if a role model acts in a negative way we will go on to imitate that behaviour later in life
• Outline how Bandura can be said to be located in the behaviourist perspective (5)

  
• Outline how Chaney can be said to be located in the behaviourist perspective (5)

  
• Similarities between behaviouristic perspective and social approach 


  useful

  deterministic

  reductionist

  unethical

  nurture

  situational

  scientific
• Compare the behaviourist perspective with the social approach use relevant core studies to support your answer - PDEE (4)