Learning approaches: The behaviourist approach

• Behavioural psychology


  • Only interested in studying behaviour which can be observed and measured
  • No concern with investigating internal mental processes as they are seen as irrelevant
• Early behavioural psychologists


  • John B Watson - 1913
  • Felt introspection involved too many concepts that were vague and difficult to measure
• Current behavioural psychologists


  • They try to maintain control and objectivity within research
  • Using mainly lab studies to achieve this
• Behaviourists believe all behaviour is learned
• A babies mind is like 'blank state'
• Animals replace humans in behaviourists experimental research
• The basic processes which govern human behaviour is the same across all species
• Classical conditioning


  • Learning by association
  • Occurs when two stimuli are continuously paired together
  • An individual ultimately learns to provide the same response for both stimuli
• Ivan Pavlov first demonstrated classical conditioning


  1927
• Pavlov's dogs before conditioning

  1. Dogs presents with food (unconditioned stimulus) which provided the response of salvation (unconditioned response)

  2. The bell (neutral stimulus) provides no response
• Pavlov's dogs during conditioning

  1. The bell (neutral stimulus) was presented with the food

  2. The two begin to become associated
• Pavlov's dogs after conditioning


  Overtime, the bell (conditioned stimuli) produces the response of salvation (conditioned response)
• Unconditioned stimulus


  Provides unconditioned response (Food - salivation)
• Neutral stimulus


  Provides no response (Bell - no response)
• Conditioned stimulus


  Provides conditioned response (Bell - salivation)
• Learning through


  • Consequence
  • Risk and reward
• Operant conditioning


  Form of learning where behaviour is shaped and maintained by it's consequences
• B.F. Skinner first suggested the idea of operant conditioning


  1953
• Positive reinforcement


  The increase in frequency of a particular behaviour due to a positive reward
• Negative reinforcement


  The increase on frequency of a particular behaviour in order to escape a an unpleasant consequence
• Punishment


  • An unpleasant consequence for our behaviour
  • Decrease the frequency of that particular behaviour
  • A way to avoid a punishment would be negative reinforcement
• Skinners box demonstration of positive reinforcement


  1. Each time the rat activated the leaver within the box

  2. Rewards with food pellet

  3. After being put in the box several times after - rate quickly learnt to go straight to leaver

  4. From then on rat would continue to perform the behaviour
• Skinners box demonstration of negative reinforcement

  1. Placed rat in box and subjected it to discomfort through an electric shock

  2. As it moved around box rat would accidently knock leaver which switched off the shock

  3. Prospect of avoiding unpleasant consequence (electric shock) would increase the frequency of behaviour
• Well-controlled research


  • The foundations of the behavioural approach are based on well-controlled research
  • Behaviourist psychologists focus on measuring observable behaviour within highly controlled laboratory conditions
  • In doing this they are able to break down behaviour into basic stimuli-response units. All extraneous variables are removed allowing for the development of a cause and effect relationship
  • E.g Skinner able to clearly show the different types of reinforcement were the reason for the rats behaviour. Therefore the work of behaviourist psychologists has scientific credibility.
• Counterpoint

  • Behaviourists have heavily simplified the learning process by reducing our behaviour to it's simplest components
  • By only focusing on observable behaviour they have ignored the important influence of human thought
  • Other approaches like SLT and the cognitive approach have drawn attention to mental processes involved in learning
  • Suggests that learning is much more complex then out observable behaviour alone
• Real-world application


  • A significant and note worthy strength of the behaviourist approach is it's application in real-world behaviours and problems
  • Operant conditioning as identified by Skinner had provided a basis for Token economies
  • This works by rewarding people with tokens when they carry out socially desirable behaviours. These tokens can later be exchanged for privileges like sweets or books. It also increases the likelihood of positive behaviour being repeated (positive reinforcement) The use of of Token economies is seen in psychiatric wards to treat mentally ill patients who suffer with disorders like schizophrenia and in prions
  • This increases the value of the behaviourist approach and demonstrates it's widespread application.
• Environmental determinism - 😞

  P - One limitation is that the behavioural approach sees all behaviour as conditioned by past experiences

  E - Skinner suggested that everything we do is the sum total of our reinforcement history.

  A - According to Skinner free will to behave at our accord does not exist as all all behaviour is determined by past conditioning experiences. Skinner himself even stated that free will was an illusion

  L - This stance on behaviour is extreme and ignores the influence of conscious decision making on behaviour