Behaviourist Approach

• Outline behaviourist approach

  • basic assumptions of the behaviourist approach
  • the concept/theory of classical conditioning
  • Pavlov's research
  • the concept/theory of operant conditioning
  • Skinner's research.
• according to operant conditioning…

  Negative reinforcement and positive reinforcement increase the likelihood that a behaviour will be repeated.
• a01 describe operant conditioning as way to explain behaviour

  • basic idea behind Skinner's theory of operant conditioning
  • positive reinforcement
  • negative reinforcement
  • positive/negative punishment.
• AO3 evaluate operant conditioning as way to explain behaviour

  • issue of determinism/free will
  • support for the effectiveness of operant conditioning in shaping behaviour through research studies or real life application, eg Skinner's research, Tranquility Bay, token economy systems in prisons/psychiatric wards, phobia treatment etc
  • issue of reductionism.
• Ao3 evaluate operant conditioning as way to explain behaviour

  • counterarguments presented to suggest limitations of using operant conditioning, eg support from Skinner's/animals research cannot necessarily be generalised to humans
  • comparison of approaches - discussion of the effectiveness of operant conditioning to shape behaviour compared to SLT or the cognitive approach for example
• How did Pavlov study classical conditioning?

  • detail of Pavlov's classical conditioning experiments into salivation reflex in dogs
  • knowledge of Pavlovian concepts in the context of Pavlov's experiments: unconditioned stimulus; conditioned stimulus; unconditioned response; conditioned response
  • detail of Pavlovian theory - learning by association; temporal association/contiguity.
• Discuss the contribution of behaviourist psychologists such as Pavlov and Skinner to our understanding of human behaviour.

  • gave appreciation of how behaviour is learnt and environmentally determined
  • large scale data gathering and generalisation allowed for development of laws and principles
  • gave us theories of learning and laws of learning - classical and operant conditioning theories: emphasised role of reinforcement and punishment-strengthens or weakness learning
  • insistence on objectivity and study of overt behaviour - raising psychology's scientific status.