1
Q
focus on observable behaviour only (not needed In 16 marker)
A
- the behaviourist approach is only concerned with studying behaviour that can be observed and measured. it is not concerned with mental processes of the mind.
- introception was rejected by behaviourists for being to vague and difficult to measure.
2
Q
controlled lab studies + use of non-human animals
A
- behaviourists tried to maintain more control and objectivity within their research and relied on lab studies to achieve this.
- behaviourists suggest the processes that govern learning are the same in all species, so animals can replace humans as experimental subjects
3
Q
by Ivan Pavlov
A
- conditioned dogs to salivate when a bell rings:
- before condition:
ucs = food ucr= salivation, NS=bell - during conditioning:
bell and food occur at same time. - after conditioning:
CS=bell, CR=salivation - pavlov showed how a neutal stimuli (bell) can become learned response (conditioned response) through association.
4
Q
Operant conditioning - bf skinner
A
- Skinners theory was that organisms spontaneously produce different behaviours
- these behaviours produce consequences - which can be positive of negative and can determine whether or not behaviour will be repeated
5
Q
What is positive reinforcement?
A
If a behaviour results in a pleasant consequence the behaviour is likely to be repeated
6
Q
What is negative reinforcement?
A
If a behaviour results in the removal of an unpleasant consequence then the behaviour is likely to be repeated
7
Q
Punishment
A
If a behaviour results in an unpleasant consequence then the behaviour is not likely to ever be repeated
8
Q
The skinner box experiment
A
- Presses a lever – food pellet = positive reinforcement
- Food pellet stops when still pressing lever – presses the lever a few times and then abandoned it = extinction
- Unpleasant stimuli (loud noises) – switched off by pressing the lever = negative reinforcement
- Punishment (electric shock) – decrease in lever pressing = rat learned not to press the lever = repeat behaviour
9
Q
principles have been used in real life situations
A
- Systematic desensitation is used to replace anxiety with relaxation by associating relaxation with a feared stimulus.
- Additionally, operant conditioning has led to token economy = psychiatric patients are given rewards for correct appropriate behaviour.
- Therefore, approach is correct as its been effective in real life situations.
10
Q
skinners box has controlled conditions to discover possible casual relationships between 2 variables
A
- the approach has focused on the careful measurements of observable behaviour within controlled lab experiments
- By manipulating consequences of behaviour (IV – reward/punishment) and accurately measure the effects of the rats’ behaviour (the DV).
- This established a cause and effect relationship and made his work high in validity.
11
Q
’preparedness’
A
- Seligman (1970). Animals more likely to learn associated that are significant in terms of survival.
- Unlikely to learn associated that are not significant in this respect.
- The original explanation does not acknowledge this, so it is limited
12
Q
enviromentally deterministic
A
- the approach sees all behaviour as determined by past exp that have been conditioned and ignores any influence of free will may have on behaviour
- skinner suggested that free will was an illusion when something happens we may thing ” i made the decision to do that” but our past conditioning determind the outcome.
- this is an extreme position and ignores the influence of consious decision making processes on bebaviour as suggest by the cognitive approach
13
Q
ethical issues
A
- procedures such as skinners box allowed behaviourists to maintain a high deegree of control over their experimental ‘subjects’
- however the animals were housed in harsh conditions and deliberatley kept below their natural weight so they were always hungry
- therefore there is a question of benefits versus costs - some would argue that there has been enormous benefits versus costs (e.g applucation to therapy) which offsets the harm the animals experienced
