behaviourism approach

• Behaviourist approach


  Monday 11th September
• Learning theory


  A psychological theory that explains how behaviours are learned and acquired through conditioning
• Learning theories


  • Behaviourist approach
  • Social learning theory
• Behaviourism


  The behaviourist approach is only interested in studying behaviour that can be observed and measured. The idea is that we can explain behaviour through what we observe and in terms of learning.
• Behaviourism was the primary paradigm in psychology


  Between 1920s to 1950
• Behaviourist approach


  • Focussed on human behaviour that is observable, measurable and objective
  • Studied behaviour in the form of stimulus-response form
  • Focussed on conditions under which learning will take place
  • Aimed to study behaviour under controlled lab conditions
• Behaviourists


  • Believed that basic processes that govern learning are same in humans and animals
  • Conducted many of their experiments on animals in order to understand how human beings learn
• Watson's issue with introspection

  Data was produced subjectively
• Watson and Skinner's contribution

  Brought the language and methods of natural science to psychology
• Behaviourists focused on the scientific processes of learning alongside carefully controlled lab experiments
• The legacy of the behaviourist approach lives on today in the cognitive and biological approaches
• Two types of learning

  • Classical
  • Operant
• Classical conditioning


  Learning through association
• Operant conditioning


  Learning through consequences
• Behaviourist approach scientifically measures observable behaviour only, not thought processes
• Behaviourists observe animal behaviour as well
• Behaviourists believe we are born a blank slate so there is no genetic influence
• Unconditioned stimulus


  Stimulus in the environment has produced a behaviour to be learnt/respond
• Unconditioned response


  Natural response to the stimulus which has not been taught
• Neutral stimulus


  An object/person that does not cause a response until it is paired with an unconditioned stimulus
• Conditioned stimulus


  When the neutral stimulus becomes associated with the unconditioned stimulus
• Conditioned response


  Where the conditioned stimulus has been associated with the unconditioned stimulus and now this is known as a conditioned response
• Classical conditioning process


  • Before conditioning: Bell - No response, Food - Salivates (UCR)
  • During conditioning: Bell - Food (UCS), Salivates (UCR)
  • After conditioning: Bell (CS) - Salivates (CR)
• Behaviourist operant conditioning


  Tuesday 12th September
• Tabula rasa


  The mind in its hypothetical primary blank or empty state before receiving outside impressions
• Pavlov's study was determinist
• There is a problem with reducing human behaviour just to animal studies as we are not exactly the same
• Operant conditioning


  Skinner suggested that learning is an active process whereby humans and animals operate on their environment. The idea is that we learn through consequences.
• Negative reinforcement


  Occurs when something unpleasant is taken away
• Positive reinforcement


  Something desirable is obtained to make behaviour happen again
• Punishment


  Behaviour will reduce if it causes an unpleasant situation
• Operant conditioning examples


  • Salesman stops hassling customer when they agree to buy upgrades - Negative reinforcement
  • Parent shouts at child for crossing street without looking - Punishment
  • Child gets £5 for washing car - Positive reinforcement
  • Teacher phones home when homework not completed - Punishment
  • Teacher asks parents to nag until homework completed - Negative reinforcement
• Skinner demonstrated operant conditioning using the Skinner box experiment
• Operant conditioning process in Skinner box

  1. Mouse is placed in box, researcher releases food pellet when mouse moves to half of box near lever

  2. Researcher becomes more demanding, only releases food if mouse stays near lever

  3. Eventually mouse learns to press lever to receive food
• Positive reinforcer


  A reward which makes a good situation even better
• Negative reinforcer


  A reward which takes away an unpleasant situation
• Variable ratio


  Skinner's idea that we don't reward each and every time, but instead reward at intervals, to increase/prolong repetition of a behaviour