AO1 - Behaviourism

• Assumptions:

  • Humans are born as a blank slate (tabula rasa)
  • Behaviour is learnt from the environment so can therefore be unlearnt
  • Our behaviour is due to learning so free will is not possible
• • Behaviourists were only interested in studying behaviour that can be observed and measured
  • Watson (little Albert) rejected introspection, claiming it was too subjective and not measurable - behaviourists rely on lab experiments as these are a better way of maintaining control and objectively measuring behaviour
  • Behaviourists believe that animals can replace humans in research because they learn in the same way as humans
• Behaviourists proposed two main theories:

  1. Classical conditioning - Pavlov
  2. Operant conditioning - Skinner
• Feature one: Classical conditioning

  • Learning through stimulus, response and associations
  • In a controlled environment, Pavlov showed that dogs could be conditioned to salivate to the sound of a bell
• Pavlov's dogs:

  • Unconditioned stimulus was the food
  • Unconditioned response was the salivation
  • Neutral stimulus was the bells as this produced no response
  • As the dogs were presented with food, Pavlov rang a bell at the same time - he repeated this association many times
  • The dogs learnt to associate the food (UCS) with the noise of the bell (NS)
  • The bell became the conditioned stimulus which caused the conditioned response of salivation
• Feature two: Operant conditioning

  • Emphasises the importance of consequence - learning through rewards and punishment
  • Skinner explained how behaviour is influenced by the consequences of our own actions - he focused on the importance of reinforcement in increasing a behaviour and punishment in stopping behaviour
• Skinner's rats - positive reinforcement:

  • Positive reinforcement - When a reward is given for a behaviour, this behaviour is encouraged so the behaviour is repeated to gain the same reward
  • Hungry rat placed in Skinner's box, every time the rat pressed the lever, it was rewarded with food. This behaviour was repeated as the rat was conditioned to press the lever through positive reinforcement to receive the same outcome
• Skinner's rats - negative reinforcement:

  • Negative reinforcement - Performing a behaviour to avoid an unpleasant consequence so the behaviour is repeated to avoid the unpleasant consequence again
  • Skinner ran an electrical current across the floor of the box which caused the rat discomfort. The rat would move around until it knocked the lever, which would stop the current. The rat would repeat this behaviour as it has learned by pressing the lever it would avoid the negative consequence of pain