Beahviourist approach

• Key assumptions:

  • Rejected the vagueness of introspection
  • Rely on lab experiments - controlled
• Classical conditioning:

  Learn through association

  • NS- doesn't initially cause a reaction
  • US- naturally causes a response
  • CR- learned by pairing the original NS +US
  • UR- natural reaction to a stimulus
  • CS- neutral stimulus that when paired with a UCS elicits a similar response
• CC- Pavlov (1927):

  • US (food) = UR (salivation)
  • NS (bell) = No response
  • US (food) + NS (bell) = salivation
  • CS (bell) = CR ( salivation)
• Operant conditioning is learning through consequences
• OC:

  • Positive= something in the environment that strengthens a particular behaviour and so is likely to reoccur.
• OC:

  Negative = remove something so the organism will not do it again ( positive outcome )
• OC:

  Punishment= consequence that is unpleasant for the organism ( not likely to recur )
• Skinner (1927):

  • Positive reinforcement - rat presses lever = food
  • Negative reinforcement - rat presses lever = electric shock
  • Punishment - rat presses lever = shock = doesn't stop
• AO3:

  • Strength- led to to treatments to be developed for people suffering from phobias. Systematic desensitisation is a therapy based on the principles of CC. Aims to use counter- conditioning to replace the fear associated with the phobia with calmness. positive practical application that improves people's lives.
• AO3:

  • Limitation- it is deterministic and focuses solely on stimulus- response explanations and other behavioural explanations are not being considered. Results in an incomplete understanding of human behaviour.
• AO3:

  • Limitation- Animals have been used rather than humans. Nit able to tell us much about human behaviour and that humans are infinitely more complex than animals and have the ability to make choices over how they behave.
• AO3:

  • Strength- it focuses on the scientific method, aiming it to be more objective, systematic and replicable. Ensures that the research can be repeated. Allows for cause and effect to be established.