Learning Approach/Behaviourist Approach Evaluation
Points
Classical conditioning has been Applied to therapy specifically systematic desensitisation where
classical conditioning is used to eliminate a learned and chest response associated with a feared
object or situation. Then neutralising the anxious response by placing it with a relaxation response
so the patient will no longer be anxious when placed in a scenario with the object or situation
previously feared. This has been proven effective with phobias such as arachnophobia and
acrophobia.
A strength of operant conditioning is that it was lab-based this means that the experiment was
under high levels of control so Skinner could establish a very accurate cause and effect relationship
between the consequences of their behaviour and what caused them. This was able to be achieved
by manipulating the independent variable and dependent variable in this controlled environment.
A weakness of skinners research is that he had an over reliance on nonhuman animals it was argued
that unlike nonhuman animals humans have free will rather than allowing positive and negative
reinforcement to dictate their behaviour this in theory could nullify skinners results. However
Skinner argued free will is an illusion and behaviours we believe our chosen three free will or
actually a product of external influences that dictates our behaviour every day.
A weakness of the behaviourist approach is that it is a limited perspective this is due to it being
reductionist. Meaning other factors that could cause behaviours to occur or not explored this in turn
means that the results are not generalisable because not all avenues for possible causation factors
have been explored.
Approaches In Psychology : Chapter 5
Points
Classical conditioning has been Applied to therapy specifically systematic desensitisation where
classical conditioning is used to eliminate a learned and chest response associated with a feared
object or situation. Then neutralising the anxious response by placing it with a relaxation response
so the patient will no longer be anxious when placed in a scenario with the object or situation
previously feared. This has been proven effective with phobias such as arachnophobia and
acrophobia.
A strength of operant conditioning is that it was lab-based this means that the experiment was
under high levels of control so Skinner could establish a very accurate cause and effect relationship
between the consequences of their behaviour and what caused them. This was able to be achieved
by manipulating the independent variable and dependent variable in this controlled environment.
A weakness of skinners research is that he had an over reliance on nonhuman animals it was argued
that unlike nonhuman animals humans have free will rather than allowing positive and negative
reinforcement to dictate their behaviour this in theory could nullify skinners results. However
Skinner argued free will is an illusion and behaviours we believe our chosen three free will or
actually a product of external influences that dictates our behaviour every day.
A weakness of the behaviourist approach is that it is a limited perspective this is due to it being
reductionist. Meaning other factors that could cause behaviours to occur or not explored this in turn
means that the results are not generalisable because not all avenues for possible causation factors
have been explored.
Approaches In Psychology : Chapter 5
