Approach Overview
Approach Key Assumptions Sub-Approaches Strengths Wea
- The behaviorist approach provides
clear predictions. This means that
explanations can be scientifically - Ignores mediati
Emphasises the role of -Classical Conditioning → Learnt through tested and support with evidence. - Ignores biology
- Real life applications (e.g., therapy) - Too deterministi
BEHAVIOURAL / environmental factors in influencing
behaviour. This approach believes
association.
-Operant Conditioning → Learning through - Emphasizes objective measurement - Experiments – l
LEARNING we are born a blank slate and consequence
- Many experiments to support
theories
- Humanism – can
to humans
everything we are is learnt.
- Identified comparisons between - Reductionist
animals (Pavlov) and humans (Watson
& Rayner - Little Albert)
- Easily handles inconsistencies in
-Too heavy of an
behaviour
happens instead
- Observation → The action or process of - Optimistic, in a good way does with what h
closely observing or monitoring something or - Accurate picture explaining how
Focuses on learning in a social - Does not take in
someone. behaviour is learned
SOCIAL LEARNING context and considers that people
learn from one another, including
- Imitation → The action of using someone or - Offers a way to integrate social and
and mental chan
- Doesn’t explain
THEORY concepts such as, imitations and
something as a model.
- Role Models → A person looked to by
cognitive theories
- Allows and accounts for cognitive - Doesn’t explain
modelling. differences
others as an example to be imitated. processes
- Explains a large number of - Doesn’t take in
one person views
behaviours another person m
- Accurate and easy to understand
Approach Key Assumptions Sub-Approaches Strengths Wea
- The behaviorist approach provides
clear predictions. This means that
explanations can be scientifically - Ignores mediati
Emphasises the role of -Classical Conditioning → Learnt through tested and support with evidence. - Ignores biology
- Real life applications (e.g., therapy) - Too deterministi
BEHAVIOURAL / environmental factors in influencing
behaviour. This approach believes
association.
-Operant Conditioning → Learning through - Emphasizes objective measurement - Experiments – l
LEARNING we are born a blank slate and consequence
- Many experiments to support
theories
- Humanism – can
to humans
everything we are is learnt.
- Identified comparisons between - Reductionist
animals (Pavlov) and humans (Watson
& Rayner - Little Albert)
- Easily handles inconsistencies in
-Too heavy of an
behaviour
happens instead
- Observation → The action or process of - Optimistic, in a good way does with what h
closely observing or monitoring something or - Accurate picture explaining how
Focuses on learning in a social - Does not take in
someone. behaviour is learned
SOCIAL LEARNING context and considers that people
learn from one another, including
- Imitation → The action of using someone or - Offers a way to integrate social and
and mental chan
- Doesn’t explain
THEORY concepts such as, imitations and
something as a model.
- Role Models → A person looked to by
cognitive theories
- Allows and accounts for cognitive - Doesn’t explain
modelling. differences
others as an example to be imitated. processes
- Explains a large number of - Doesn’t take in
one person views
behaviours another person m
- Accurate and easy to understand
