Behaviourism

Question 1

What were the ideas that created the behaviourism?

Answer 1

Represented a break from psychoanalysis that redirected focus outward insisting that psychology should be the science of observable behaviour

Question 2

Who where the main contributors of behaviourism?

Answer 2

John Wastson, B.F Skinner and Ivan Pavlov

Question 3

What are 5 key things behaviourism says about people?

Answer 3

1. People are adaptable learners and products of their environment not innate traits, everything they are and know is a result of experience.
2. Behaviour is learned through conditioning, reinforcement and observation, and what you learn determines who you become
3. Anyone can change given the right learning conditions and all behaviour can be reduced through stimulus → response patterns
4. No major difference between species — animal studies can explain human behaviour.
5. Little focus on what is inside, only what can be seen and measured

Question 4

What are the 3 steps in applying this theory?

Answer 4

1. Do observations and look at which behaviour requires modifying
2. Understand what environmental factors are maintaining the behaviour
3. Use pos or neg reinforcement to alter behaviour

Question 5

Where does behaviourism believe problems come from and 4 key ideas?

Answer 5

It believes that problems are learned habits and can be unlearned. Includes:
1. Maladaptive learning: behaviours that were reinforced in unhelpful contexts.
2. Faulty conditioning: e.g., learning to associate neutral things with fear or pain.
3. Lack of correct reinforcement for healthy behaviour or over-reinforcement of problem behaviour.
4. There is no internal “conflict”, only learned responses to stimuli.

Question 6

How does behaviourism support change?

Answer 6

Focus is on observable behaviours. Therapists work to eliminate maladaptive behaviours and reshape them by reinforcing adaptive ones.

Question 7

What techniques are used for behaviourism?

Answer 7

Includes conditioning techniques:
1. Positive reinforcement such as praise or using star charts
2. Negative reinforcement by removing something unpleasant
3. Punishment/time out
Therapists also use systematic desensitizations or exposure therapy by gradually exposing clients to a feared object/situation while teaching them to stay relaxed.