Discuss the the behaviourist approach (learning approach 1) (16 marks)
A01
Assumptions -
Behaviourism is concerned with observable behaviour as it can be objectively and scientifically measured to
establish cause and effect.
All behaviour is learnt from the environment as a result of stimulus response. When born our mind is a ‘blank
slate’.
Classical conditioning - Pavlov (association)
Learned response of dogs salivating at the sound of a bell.
Before conditioning: Food (unconditioned stimulus) and salivation (unconditioned response) already existed
for the dogs. When the bell (neutral stimulus) was presented, the dog would not salivate (no conditioned
response).
During conditioning: The bell (neutral stimulus) and food (unconditioned stimulus) were paired together
generating salivation (unconditioned response) within the dog.
After conditioning: The bell (conditioned stimulus) produced salivation (conditioned response) from the dog.
A01
Operant conditioning: Skinner (consequences)
Positive reinforcement: receiving a reward after behaviour.
Negative reinforcement: avoiding unpleasant consequences.
Punishment: unpleasant consequence.
Skinner's box: experiments on pigeons and rats testing theory of operant conditioning.
1) Everytime rat activated the lever it was rewarded with a food pellet. Animals would then continue
this behaviour (positive reinforcement).
2) The animals would perform the same behaviour to avoid unpleasant stimuli e.g. electric shock
(negative reinforcement).
A03
One strength of the behaviourist approach is that it has contributed to the recognition of psychology as a
science.
The experimental methods used by Pavlov and Skinner rejected the earlier emphasis in psychology on
introspection and encouraged research that focused on more objective dimensions of behaviour. According to
behaviourists, this emphasis on the scientific method has led to an increasingly valid and reliable
understanding of human behaviour. These methods have also helped psychology gain credibility and status as
a scientific discipline, which in turn attracts more funding and research opportunities.
However…
The methods that have been used by the behaviourists to conduct their experiments lack external validity and
as a result the results can’t be generalised beyond the lab setting.
These suggest that the behaviourist approach has had a profound effect on the field of psychology despite the
flaws of the method that’s been used to test it.
A03
One strength of the behaviourist approach is that they were influential in encouraging the use of animals as
research subjects. They believed that the learning processes in humans and animals are very similar. Pavlov
conducted research using dogs, and Skinner used rats and pigeons. Using non-human animals in research
gives experimenters more control over the process, without demand characteristics or individual differences
influencing findings.
However…
Many consider using animals in experiments to be unethical as there is less concern about protection from
harm for non-human subjects. Furthermore, some argue that findings from animal experiments are not
generalisable to human behaviour. Therefore, operant and classical conditioning theories may provide an
understanding of animals’ behaviour, but little about human behaviour.
A03
A strength of the behaviourist approach is that it has made important contributions to our modern
understanding of human mental illness. For example, many phobias are thought to be the result of earlier
unpleasant learning experiences. Consequently, this understanding has helped psychologists develop
, therapies, such as systematic desensitisation and flooding, that attempt to recondition a patient’s fear
response. Also, some addictions such as gambling can be better understood through operant conditioning, as
the rewards of gambling could be seen to reinforce the destructive behaviour.
This demonstrates that the behaviourist approach has many real-world applications in the understanding and
treatment of atypical behaviour.
A03
One limitation of the behaviourist approach is that it has been criticised for its limited view regarding the
origins of behaviour. Behaviourists ignore alternative levels of explanation including the role of cognition and
emotional factors in influencing behaviour. Skinner countered this argument, however, stating that for
behaviour to be investigated scientifically, it had to be directly measurable and observable, which cognitions
are not. Further to this, he said that even the most complex of human interactions could be explained using
operant conditioning principles of learning by the consequences of our actions to either repeat or cease the
behaviour. This suggests that the behaviourist approach on its own can’t fully explain why humans act in the
way they do.
A01
Assumptions -
Behaviourism is concerned with observable behaviour as it can be objectively and scientifically measured to
establish cause and effect.
All behaviour is learnt from the environment as a result of stimulus response. When born our mind is a ‘blank
slate’.
Classical conditioning - Pavlov (association)
Learned response of dogs salivating at the sound of a bell.
Before conditioning: Food (unconditioned stimulus) and salivation (unconditioned response) already existed
for the dogs. When the bell (neutral stimulus) was presented, the dog would not salivate (no conditioned
response).
During conditioning: The bell (neutral stimulus) and food (unconditioned stimulus) were paired together
generating salivation (unconditioned response) within the dog.
After conditioning: The bell (conditioned stimulus) produced salivation (conditioned response) from the dog.
A01
Operant conditioning: Skinner (consequences)
Positive reinforcement: receiving a reward after behaviour.
Negative reinforcement: avoiding unpleasant consequences.
Punishment: unpleasant consequence.
Skinner's box: experiments on pigeons and rats testing theory of operant conditioning.
1) Everytime rat activated the lever it was rewarded with a food pellet. Animals would then continue
this behaviour (positive reinforcement).
2) The animals would perform the same behaviour to avoid unpleasant stimuli e.g. electric shock
(negative reinforcement).
A03
One strength of the behaviourist approach is that it has contributed to the recognition of psychology as a
science.
The experimental methods used by Pavlov and Skinner rejected the earlier emphasis in psychology on
introspection and encouraged research that focused on more objective dimensions of behaviour. According to
behaviourists, this emphasis on the scientific method has led to an increasingly valid and reliable
understanding of human behaviour. These methods have also helped psychology gain credibility and status as
a scientific discipline, which in turn attracts more funding and research opportunities.
However…
The methods that have been used by the behaviourists to conduct their experiments lack external validity and
as a result the results can’t be generalised beyond the lab setting.
These suggest that the behaviourist approach has had a profound effect on the field of psychology despite the
flaws of the method that’s been used to test it.
A03
One strength of the behaviourist approach is that they were influential in encouraging the use of animals as
research subjects. They believed that the learning processes in humans and animals are very similar. Pavlov
conducted research using dogs, and Skinner used rats and pigeons. Using non-human animals in research
gives experimenters more control over the process, without demand characteristics or individual differences
influencing findings.
However…
Many consider using animals in experiments to be unethical as there is less concern about protection from
harm for non-human subjects. Furthermore, some argue that findings from animal experiments are not
generalisable to human behaviour. Therefore, operant and classical conditioning theories may provide an
understanding of animals’ behaviour, but little about human behaviour.
A03
A strength of the behaviourist approach is that it has made important contributions to our modern
understanding of human mental illness. For example, many phobias are thought to be the result of earlier
unpleasant learning experiences. Consequently, this understanding has helped psychologists develop
, therapies, such as systematic desensitisation and flooding, that attempt to recondition a patient’s fear
response. Also, some addictions such as gambling can be better understood through operant conditioning, as
the rewards of gambling could be seen to reinforce the destructive behaviour.
This demonstrates that the behaviourist approach has many real-world applications in the understanding and
treatment of atypical behaviour.
A03
One limitation of the behaviourist approach is that it has been criticised for its limited view regarding the
origins of behaviour. Behaviourists ignore alternative levels of explanation including the role of cognition and
emotional factors in influencing behaviour. Skinner countered this argument, however, stating that for
behaviour to be investigated scientifically, it had to be directly measurable and observable, which cognitions
are not. Further to this, he said that even the most complex of human interactions could be explained using
operant conditioning principles of learning by the consequences of our actions to either repeat or cease the
behaviour. This suggests that the behaviourist approach on its own can’t fully explain why humans act in the
way they do.
