Behaviourist Approach

• Behaviourist Assumptions


  Mind is a blank slate at birth (John Locke)

  Behaviour is a result of your environment (nurture over nature)

  Only observable and measurable behaviour matters

  Behaviour is the same in all species
• Classical Conditioning


  Learning by association of a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned response over time
• Pavlov


  Psychologist who discovered classical conditioning
• Neutral Stimulus


  Something in the environment which doesn't initially cause a response
• Unconditioned Response

  A natural reflex response to an unconditioned stimulus
• What does the neutral stimulus become?

  Conditioned stimulus
• Conditioned Response


  A learned response to something that doesn't naturally evoke a reaction
• Extinction


  When a conditioned stimulus is experienced without the unconditioned stimulus for some time, the conditioned response is extinguished
• Spontaneous Recovery


  When a previous conditioned association suddenly reoccurs after extinction
• Stimulus Generalisation


  When stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus also produce the conditioned response
• Food is an unconditioned stimulus
• The bell was a neutral stimulus which became a conditioned stimulus
• Originally the neutral stimulus caused a neutral response
• Salivation due to food is an unconditioned response
• Salivation due to a bell is a conditioned response
• Operant Conditioning


  Learning by consequences
• Skinner 


  Psychologist who discovered operant conditioning
• Skinner's Box


  Rat in box

  After positive behaviour, rat would be rewarded with food (positive reinforcement)

  After electrified grid powered, rat could turn it off by pressing lever (negative reinforcement)
• Reinforcement


  A reward for positive behaviour
• Punishment


  An unpleasant consequence of negative behaviour
• Positive Reinforcement


  Receiving a reward for a certain behaviour eg house points, treats
• Negative Reinforcement


  Something unpleasant is removed following positive behaviour eg stopping waterboarding
• Positive Punishment


  Something unpleasant is introduced following negative behaviour eg detention, violence
• Negative Punishment


  Something pleasant is taken away as a consequence of bad behaviour eg phone confiscated
• Evaluation: Behaviourist Approach


  Practical applications - treating phobias and token economy in prisons

  Scientific

  Extrapolation issues - humans are not animals

  May oversimplify learning process - humans are not machines