behavioural approach

• Behaviourist approach


  Believes that all behaviour is learned and is only interested in studying behaviour that is observable and measurable - it is therefore not concerned about mental processes of the mind
• Behaviourist approach


  • Suggests that basic learning processes are the same across all species and thus animals can replace humans as experimental subjects
  • Outlines two forms of learning: classical and operant conditioning
• Classical conditioning


  1. Learning through association

  2. Repeatedly pairing a neutral stimulus (sound of a bell) with an unconditioned stimulus (food) to produce a conditioned response (salivation)
• Operant conditioning


  1. Learning behaviour through consequences i.e. reinforcement and punishments

  2. Any type of reinforcement means a behaviour is more likely to be repeated

  3. Positive reinforcement is receiving a reward for a desirable behaviour

  4. Negative reinforcement is the removal of an unpleasant stimulus

  5. Punishment is an unpleasant consequence for an undesirable behaviour
• POINT: A strength of the behaviourist approach is that the research is well-controlled

  EVIDENCE: For example, behaviourism focuses mainly on observable behaviour, which is usually carried out in a highly controlled laboratory environment

  EXPLAIN: This means extraneous variables can be minimised and cause-effect relationships between stimulus and response can be established

  LINK: Therefore, this gives the behaviourist approach a lot of scientific credibility
• POINT: However, a limitation of this approach is behaviourism may have oversimplified the learning process

  EVIDENCE: For example, all behaviour is broken down into basic stimulus-response units, but ignores other important influences

  EXPLAIN: This means factors such as cognitions (human thought) are not taken into consideration

  LINK: Therefore, the behaviourist approach only provides a partial explanation of behaviour as it completely ignores mental processes, which are also essential to learning.
• POINT: Another strength of this approach is that it has real-world applications

  EVIDENCE: For example, the principles of operant conditioning have been used in prisons and psychiatric wards in the form of token economy systems

  EXPLAIN: This means that prisoners/patients are rewarded with token for appropriate behaviour, which can be exchanged for privileges.

  LINK: Therefore, this shows the usefulness of the behaviourist approach as it is widely used in different situations and contexts to help/treat people.
• POINT: A further limitation of the behaviourist approach is that it is very deterministic.

  EVIDENCE: For example, this approach suggests that everything we do is determined by our past conditioning history

  EXPLAIN: This means it completely rejects the idea of free will

  LINK: Therefore, this hard deterministic approach might be extreme as it ignores the influence of conscious decision-making, which other approaches try to include.