A01

• A01: outline


  Watson, a behaviourist psychologist, suggested all behaviour is learnt and influenced by external factors/the environment. He suggested babies are born with a tabula rasa (blank slate) which babies learn from.
• A01: behaviourist psychologists


  Behaviourist psychologists believe controlled lab studies are the best way to observe and measure behaviour scientifically. 
• classical conditioning


  the first is classical conditioning which is learning via association, this was studied by Pavlov with dogs. Pavlov paired a bell(ns) with food(ucs) which produced an unconditioned response of salivation. These 2 stimuli were repeatedly paired together and eventually the bell became the conditioned stimulus which produced a conditioned response of salivation without the presence of food, this is because the dog had associated the bell with food which produced salivation.
• operant conditioning

  operant conditioning which is learning via consequences. Skinner carried out research into operant conditioning with rats and pigeons. Rats learnt than when they stepped on leaver food pellets were released and therefore continued to do this which is an example of positive reinforcement, also taught rats to avoid a negative stimulus (electric shocks) which is an example of negative reinforcement.