Outline the Behaviourist Approach. Compare it to the Biological Approach.

AO1 - 1 - The behaviourist approach believes that all behaviour is learnt directly through operant and classical conditioning. Classical conditioning is learning through association, where a neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus when combined with an unconditioned stimulus repeatedly over time; whereas operant conditioning is learning through reinforcement. There are three types of reinforcement, positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement and punishment. The aim of positive and negative reinforcement is to increase a certain behaviour, however the aim of punishment is to decrease a certain behaviour. AO3 - Nature vs Nurture - - The behavioural approach is based on the idea of nurture because it believes that we are implicated by our environment and observable events i.e stimuli and response and the conditions under which learning would occur. - However, the biological approach cannot separate nature and nurture. For instance, identical twins, non-identical twins and members of the same family all have genetic similarities. The biological approach therefore argues that any similarities in the way they look and behave must be genetic. However, there is an important confounding variable: they are also exposed to environmental conditions. The findings therefore can be interpreted as nature or nurture. AO3 - Reductionism - - The behavioural approach is reductionist because it reduces complex behaviour down to simple stimulus response. - The biological approach is also reductionist in the sense that it also reduces complex behaviour, but into genes and neurochemicals. The biological approach being reductionist may be useful because reducing mental disorders into neurochemical imbalances or genes makes them easy to investigate scientifically, but it ignores other factors, such as cultural, emotional or cognitive factors. AO3 - Determinism - - Both approaches are deterministic. - The behaviourist approach is environmentally deterministic. Skinner stated that our past conditioning history determines the outcome of choices we will make. This ignores any possible influence that free will may have on behaviour. - The biological approach is biologically deterministic because it sees human behaviour as governed by internal, biological causes over which we have no control. This has implications for the legal system and wider society as the discovery of a 'criminal gene', if one exists, may implicate the moral and legal basis criminals are sentenced on.