What is the Behaviorist Approach?
The behaviorist Approach is a type of learning approach that suggests that all behavior is acquired and maintained through classical and operant conditioning.
What do behaviourists believe?
Behaviourists believe that much of human behaviour could be explained in terms of a basic form of learning known as conditioning.
What does ‘Conditioning’ involve?
Conditioning involves the formation of learned associations between stimuli in the environment and an organisms responses.
What are the two influential forms of conditioning?
- Classical Conditioning
- Operant Conditioning
Who first described ‘Classical Conditioning’?
Pavlov
Who did research on ‘Operant Conditioning’?
Skinner
What is ‘Classical Conditioning’?
Classical Conditioning is a type of learning through associations made between the unconditioned stimulus and the neutral stimulus.
What did Pavlov investigate?
Pavlov investigated the salivary reflex in dogs when he noticed that the animals not only salivated when food was placed in their mouths, but also reacted to stimuli that coincided with the presentation of food. This led to him exploring the conditions under which this type of learning was most likely to occur.
What is the Natural Stimulus referred to as?
The natural stimulus is any reflex is referred to as the unconditioned stimulus.
What is the Natural Response to the stimulus referred to as?
The Natural response is referred to as the unconditioned response.
What does the Behaviourist Approach assume that?
The behaviourist approach assumes that:
- Everyone is born as a ‘blank slate’ (Tabula Rasa)
- All behaviour is learned from the environment (eg. upbringing, education)
- Behaviour can be understood by a stimulus-response approach (classical conditioning)
- Behaviour can be understood via the mechanisms of reward and reinforcement (operant conditioning)
When does Classical Conditioning (CC) occur?
- When a neutral stimulus is substituted for the original unconditioned stimulus to produce a conditioned response.
What does an Unconditioned Stimulus produce?
- A natural, unforced response (for example: no animal or human has to learn how to feel hunger)
Define ‘Positive Reinforcement’
The repetition of a behaviour following the receipt of a reward.
Define ‘Negative Reinforcement’
The repetition of a behaviour following the removal of a negative stimulus.
Explain what is meant by Classical and Operant Conditioning (4 marks)
- Classical Conditioning is learning by association, which is when a neutral stimulus becomes linked with an unconditioned stimulus to produce a learned response.
- Operant conditioning is learning through consequences, for example behavior is strengthened by reinforcement or weakened by punishment.
Outline the main findings of Pavlov’s research (4 marks)
- Pavlov found that dogs could be conditioned to salivate to a neutral stimulus (a bell) after it was repeatedly paired with food.
- Initially, the food was an unconditioned stimulus that naturally caused salivation.
- After several pairings, the bell became a conditioned stimulus that produced salivation alone, now a conditional response.
- It concluded that learning occurs through association, showing that reflex responses can be triggered by new, learned stimuli.
Explain what is meant by Positive and Negative Reinforcement in operant conditioning (2 marks)
- Positive Reinforcement is when a pleasant stimulus is added after a behaviour to increase the likelihood of it being repeated.
- Negative Reinforcement is when an unpleasant stimulus is removed after a behaviour to increase the likelihood of being repeated.
How is the behaviourist approach deterministic?
It is deterministic because it assumes our behaviour is caused by simple learning (association)
What is a strength of the behaviourist approach being deterministic?
If we can identify a cause we can change behaviour and make predictions.
What is a weakness of the behaviourist approach being deterministic?
It ignores free will.
Before conditioning, what does the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) produce?
Before conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) produces the the unconditioned response (UCR).
Explain what happens during conditioning:
During conditioning, the neutral stimulus (NS) is repeatedly paired with the UCS, producing an UCR.
Explain what happens after conditioning:
After conditioning, the neutral stimulus becomes the conditioned stimulus, producing the conditioned response.
