behaviourist approach

• the behaviourist approach - 


  a way of explaining behaviour in terms of what's observable in terms of learning
• assumptions -

  • maintain more control and objectivity within their research - rely on lab studies
  • believe that all behaviour is learned - describe a baby's mind as a blank slate as is written on by experience
  • suggested that basic processes that govern learning are the same in all species - means in research they replace humans with animals as experimental subjects
  • identified 2 important forms of learning: classical conditioning and operant conditioning
• classical conditioning -

  • Pavlov (1927) - Pavlov's dog
  • learning through association
  • showed how a neutral stimulus (bell) could come to elicit a new learned response (conditioned response) through association

  
• operant conditioning -

  • Skinner (1953) - learning is active process whereby humans and animals operate on their environment
  • behaviour is shaped by its consequences
  • positive reinforcement = rewarded for performing desired behaviour
  • negative reinforcement = avoiding something unpleasant for positive outcome - avoiding something unpleasant
  • punishment = unpleasant consequence of behaviour
  • positive and negative reinforcement increase likelihood of behaviour, punishment decreases likelihood of behaviour
  • skinners box:

  
• evaluation of behaviourist approach: well-controlled research (strength) -

  • P: based on well-controlled research
  • E: focused on the measurement of observable behaviour within highly controlled lab settings
  • E: breaking down behaviour into basic stimulus response units means extraneous variables are removed - allows cause and effect relationships to be established
  • L: suggests behaviourist experiments have scientific credibility
• evaluation of behaviourist approach: well controlled research counterpoint (limitation) -

  • P: may have oversimplified the learning process
  • E: by reducing behaviour to such simple components they may have ignored the importance of human thought as an influence on learning - social learning and cognitive approach draw attention to this
  • L: suggests learning is more complex than observable behaviour alone + private mental processes are also essential
• evaluation of behaviourist approach: real world application (strength) -

  • P: principles of conditioning have been applied to real world behaviours and problems
  • E: operant conditioning is basis of token economy systems - used successfully in prisons and psychiatric wards
  • L: increases value of behaviourist approach as it has widespread application
• evaluation of behaviourist approach: environmental determinism (limitation) -

  • P: sees all behaviour as conditioned by past experiences
  • E: Skinner suggested that everything we do is the sum total of our reinforcement history
  • E: ignores any possible influence of free will on behaviour
  • L: this is an extreme position and ignores the influence of conscious decision-making processes on behaviour