Outline and evaluate the behaviourist approach (16 marks)
Introduction:
- Classical conditioning (Pavlov): learning by association, occurs when 2 stimuli are
repeatedly paired together, learn to associate one thing with another
- Operant conditioning (Skinner): learn because of the consequences of behaviour that
increases the likelihood of it being repeated, can be positive or negative
Method:
Classical conditioning (Pavlov)
- Showed how dogs could be conditioned to salivate to the sound of a bell if the sound
was repeatedly presented at the same time, they are given food
1. Gave a dog food (unconditioned stimulus)
2. Causing the dog to salivate (unconditioned response)
3. Rang the bell and gave food causing the dog to salivate (repeats this)
4. Bell (conditioned stimulus) ringing causing salivation without food (conditioned
response)
- Showing a neutral stimulus can come to elicit a new learned response (conditioned
response) through association
Operant conditioning (Skinner)
- Learning is an active process, where humans and animals operate on their environment,
behaviour is shaped by consequences
Positive reinforcement – receiving a reward when a certain behaviour is performed
Negative reinforcement – occurs when an animals or human avoids something
unpleasant resulting in a positive experience
Punishment – unpleasant consequence of behaviour
Positive and negative reinforcement increases the likelihood a behaviour will be repeated
Study:
- Skinner box (rats of pigeons)
- Anytime it activated a lever in the box (rat) or pecked a disk (pigeon) it would be
rewarded with a food pellet, the animal would continue to perform the behaviour
- Same with negative reinforcement, performing the same behaviour to avoid a shock
- All animals were kept at ¾ of their body weight so were always hungry
Evaluation:
well controlled research
- observable behaviour in a highly controlled lab setting
- lack of extraneous variables allowing cause and effect relationships to be established
- has scientific credibility
, oversimplified the learning process
- reduced behaviour to such simple components
- may have ignored an important influence on learning (human thought)
- other approaches draw attention to the mental processes involved in learning,
suggesting learning is more complex than observable behaviour alone and that private
mental processes are also essential
real world application
- operant conditioning is the basis of token economy systems that have been used
successfully in institutions such as prisons and psychiatric wards
- work by awarding appropriate behaviour with tokens that can be exchanged for
privileges
- increases value of behaviourist approach
environmental determinism
- sees all behaviour as conditioned by past conditioning experiences
- ignores influence free will may have on behaviour
- ignores the influence of conscious decision-making processes on behaviour
ethical issues
- animals were housed in harsh, cramped conditions and were deliberately kept at below
their natural body weight, so they were always hungry
Introduction:
- Classical conditioning (Pavlov): learning by association, occurs when 2 stimuli are
repeatedly paired together, learn to associate one thing with another
- Operant conditioning (Skinner): learn because of the consequences of behaviour that
increases the likelihood of it being repeated, can be positive or negative
Method:
Classical conditioning (Pavlov)
- Showed how dogs could be conditioned to salivate to the sound of a bell if the sound
was repeatedly presented at the same time, they are given food
1. Gave a dog food (unconditioned stimulus)
2. Causing the dog to salivate (unconditioned response)
3. Rang the bell and gave food causing the dog to salivate (repeats this)
4. Bell (conditioned stimulus) ringing causing salivation without food (conditioned
response)
- Showing a neutral stimulus can come to elicit a new learned response (conditioned
response) through association
Operant conditioning (Skinner)
- Learning is an active process, where humans and animals operate on their environment,
behaviour is shaped by consequences
Positive reinforcement – receiving a reward when a certain behaviour is performed
Negative reinforcement – occurs when an animals or human avoids something
unpleasant resulting in a positive experience
Punishment – unpleasant consequence of behaviour
Positive and negative reinforcement increases the likelihood a behaviour will be repeated
Study:
- Skinner box (rats of pigeons)
- Anytime it activated a lever in the box (rat) or pecked a disk (pigeon) it would be
rewarded with a food pellet, the animal would continue to perform the behaviour
- Same with negative reinforcement, performing the same behaviour to avoid a shock
- All animals were kept at ¾ of their body weight so were always hungry
Evaluation:
well controlled research
- observable behaviour in a highly controlled lab setting
- lack of extraneous variables allowing cause and effect relationships to be established
- has scientific credibility
, oversimplified the learning process
- reduced behaviour to such simple components
- may have ignored an important influence on learning (human thought)
- other approaches draw attention to the mental processes involved in learning,
suggesting learning is more complex than observable behaviour alone and that private
mental processes are also essential
real world application
- operant conditioning is the basis of token economy systems that have been used
successfully in institutions such as prisons and psychiatric wards
- work by awarding appropriate behaviour with tokens that can be exchanged for
privileges
- increases value of behaviourist approach
environmental determinism
- sees all behaviour as conditioned by past conditioning experiences
- ignores influence free will may have on behaviour
- ignores the influence of conscious decision-making processes on behaviour
ethical issues
- animals were housed in harsh, cramped conditions and were deliberately kept at below
their natural body weight, so they were always hungry
