Outline the behaviourist approach. Compare the behaviourist approach with the biological approach.

AO1 - 1 - The behaviourist approach focuses on observable events, and behaviourists believe that much of human behaviour can be explained in terms of a basic form of learning known as conditioning, which involves the formation of learned associations between stimuli in the environment and an organism's responses. AO1 - 2 - In classical conditioning, the natural stimulus in any reflex is referred to as the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) and the natural response to this stimulus is the unconditioned response (UCR). During the acquisition phase, a neutral stimulus (NS), which does not elicit the UCR, is presented shortly before the UCS. After many pairings of the NS and the UCS, this changes and now the NC is able to produce the same response in the absence of the UCS. The NS is now referred to as the conditioned stimulus (CS) and the response it produces is called the conditioned response (CR). AO1 - 3 - Operant conditioning is a form of learning in which the consequences of a behaviour are the determining factor. Some behaviours have desirable consequences (e.g. praise), whereas others have undesirable consequences (e.g. being told off). If a behaviour has desirable consequences, the behaviour is 'reinforced', and we will be more likely to repeat that behaviour in the future. Positive reinforcement occurs when a behaviour produces a desirable consequence while negative reinforcement works because it removes something unpleasant. If a behaviour has undesirable consequences, the behaviour is 'punished', and we will be less likely to repeat that behaviour in the future. AO3 - Determinism (Behaviourist) - - Both the behaviourist and biological approach are determinist - Behaviourist is environmentally determinist - Claims that all behaviour is learnt as of role of people's experiences - For example, the approach states that we develop behaviours through stimuli-response associations and through the learning that takes place as we interact with our environment - This is a weakness because, the Behavioural approach fails to consider the role of free will, it states that we do not have control over our actions and that the behaviours we develop are governed by external experiences when surely our actions in some part must be as a result of our own free choice? AO3 - Nurture (Behaviourist) - AO3 - Extrapolation (Behaviourist) - - Both approaches use animals in their research methods - For example, studies looking at classical conditioning have focused on dogs (Pavlov) and studies looking at operant conditioning have focused on rat behaviour (Skinner) - This is a weakness because, animals (such as a rats and dogs) are physiological different to humans. As a result, findings generated from animal studies can be criticised for extrapolation and the findings cannot be generalised to humans. AO3 - Determinism (Biological) - - Biologically determinist as it sees our behaviour as caused entirely by biological factors over which we have no control - For example, according to this approach behaviour is caused by our genes and the activity of neurotransmitters in the brain. - This is a weakness because it ignores the idea of free will and that we as humans have control over our behaviour - we are not simply pre-programmed by genes. AO3 - Extrapolation (Biological) - AO3 - Nature (Biological) -