behaviourist approach

• classical conditioning is learning by association. Occurs when 2 stimuli are repeatedly paired together (UNS and NS). The NS eventually produces the same response that was produced by the UNS alone
• operant conditioning is a form of learning in which behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences. Possible consequences of behaviour include reinforcement (positive and negative) and punishment
• reinforcement is a consequence of behaviour that increases the likelihood of that behaviour being repeated. It can be positive or negative
• Pavlov used dogs to research classical conditioning. He found that dogs could be conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell:

  • UNS (food) produced UNR (salivation)
  • NS (bell) produced no salivation
  • NS + UNS produced salivation
  • CS (bell) now produced salivation (CR)
• positive reinforcement is receiving a reward when a certain behaviour is performed like praise from teacher when answering question right
• negative reinforcement occurs when an animal/human avoids something unpleasant. The out come is a positive experience like when a rat learns that pressing a lever will avoid an electric shock
• Skinner researched into operant conditioning by trapping rats into box with a lever and every time they activated the lever they were rewarded with food. The the rat would continue to pull the lever. This is positive reinforcement. Also Skinner conditioned rats to activate the lever to avoid an electric shock. This is negative reinforcement
• One strength of the behaviourist approach is well controlled research. Behaviourists focused on the measurement of observable behaviour with highly controlled lab settings. Extraneous variables were removed allowing cause and effect relationships to be established
• One limitation of the behaviourist approach is that it may have oversimplified the learning process. By reducing behaviour to such simple components, behaviourists may have ignored an important influence on learning. Other approaches draw attention to mental processes involved in learning
• one strength is research support for classical conditioning. Watson and Rayner conditioned Little Albert to fear a white rat by pairing the rat with a loud bang which produced a fear response. Over time, Albert learned to fear the white rat whenever he saw or came into contact with it