Behaviourist approach

• What is the behaviourist approach?

  The behaviourist approach is a psychological perspective that focuses on observable behaviour and the environmental factors that influence it
• What is classical conditioning?

  Learning by association. Occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired together.
• What is operant conditioning?

  Operant conditioning is a type of learning in which behaviour is strengthened or weakened by the rewards or punishments that follow it.
• What do behaviourists believe?

  Behaviourists believe that everyone is born 'tabula rasa' meaning blank slate. They believe everything we learn is through our experiences.
• What did Pavlov research?

  Classical conditioning
• Explain Pavlov's research

  • Dogs salivate (UCR) when presented with food (UCS)
  • Dogs don't salivate when they hear a bell (NS)
  • He began to ring a bell before the dog was given food, and eventually it began to associate the ringing bell with food
  • The dog would salivate (CR) when it heard the bell (CS) even when no food was in the room
• Describe the Little Albert experiment (Watson and Rayner)

  • Presented Albert with white rat, he did not cry or was fearful of it
  • Struck a metal bar - Albert was scared of the loud noise and cried
  • Every time Albert would reach for the rat, they struck the metal bar
  • Albert would then be fearful of and cry when the rat was introduced even if the bar wasn't struck
  • His fear generalized to include anything with white fur
• What is positive reinforcement?

  Providing a reward or positive consequence after the behaviour occurs.
• What is negative reinforcement?

  Negative reinforcement is the removal of an unpleasant stimulus to increase the likelihood of a desired behaviour
• What is positive punishment?

  Application of an unpleasant stimulus to decrease the likelihood of a behaviour.
• What is negative punishment?

  Removal of a desirable stimulus to decrease a behaviour.
• What are the examples of positive/negative reinforcement and positive/negative punishment in the Skinner box experiment?

  • Positive reinforcement: Giving food when the rat presses a lever
  • Negative reinforcement: Removing electric shock when the rat presses a lever
  • Positive punishment: Giving electric shock when the rat presses a lever
  • Negative punishment: Removing food when the rat presses a lever
• What did Skinner research?

  Operant conditioning
• What is the continuous schedule of reinforcement?


  Every single response is reinforced
• What is the fixed interval schedule of reinforcement?


  Fixed intervals of time between reinforcements
• What is the variable interval schedule of reinforcement?


  Random intervals of time between reinforcements
• What is the fixed ratio schedule of reinforcement?


  Fixed number of responses before reinforcement occurs
• What is the variable ratio schedule of reinforcement?


  Reinforcement is given after a random amount of responses, making the reward unpredictable
• Define reductionism.


  The belief that human behaviour can be explained by breaking it down into simpler component parts
• Define determinism.


  The view that free will is an illusion, and that our behaviour is governed by internal or external forces over which we have no control
• Who conducted the Little Albert experiment?

  Watson & Rayner
• What is generalisation?


  When the UCS is paired enough with the NS that the NS becomes a CS which produces the CR
• What is extinction?


  When the CS no longer produces the CR
• What is spontaneous recovery?


  The sudden return of the CR to the CS
• What is one trial learning?


  When the CR is produced from having one experience of the NS and UCS
• Strengths of the behaviourist approach?

  • Principles of classical & operant conditioning have been used to treat psychological disorders, e.g. phobias
  • Uses scientific methods to investigate behaviour which makes it easy to replicate
• Weaknesses of the behaviourist approach?

  • Assumes humans have no free will and behaviour is determined by environmental factors beyond conscious control - socially sensitive and criticised by humanists
  • Highly reductionist - doesn't take into account cognitive or sociological explanations for behaviour
  • Underestimates the influence of indirect experience - e.g. vicarious reinforcement from social learning theory