Behaviourist Assumptions

Question 1

Behaviourist
Describe “Blank Slate”

Answer 1

Means “Tabula Rasa”
Behaviour is learnt and based upon our experiences.
All Behaviourist can be shaped.
Babies born neutral and will be moulded by their environment
No free will because we have been shapes by the environment and experiences.

Question 2

Behaviourist
Give psychological example for Blank Slate

Answer 2

Bandura’s Bobo doll experiment
Experimental and control group
Children shown aggressive model mimicked the verbal and physical behaviour
Control group ignored bobo doll
Supports that behaviour is learnt from environment are we are “manipulated” [no free will]

Question 3

Behaviourist
Describe Classical Conditioning

Answer 3

Learning through association
Two stimuli are linked together to produce a new learned response
Reinforcement involves strengthening a behaviour to make it more likely to be repeated.
UCS -> UCR then UCS + NS -> UCR then CS -> CR

Question 4

Behaviourist
Give the psychological example for Classical conditioning

Answer 4

Pavlov’s dogs
Conditioned to associate the bell with salivation
UCS [food] -> UCR [salivation]
UCS + NS [bell] -> UCR
CS [bell] -> CR [salivation]

Question 5

Behaviourist
Describe Operant Conditioning

Answer 5

Learning through consequence
Thorndike’s law of effect [reward or punishment increases or decreases the likelihood of behaviour]
P. reinforcement, negative reinforcement [removing something unpleasant] and punishment.

Question 6

Behaviourist
Give the psychological example for Operant Conditioning

Answer 6

Thorndike’s puzzlebox for cats.
P. Reinforcement= treat
N. Reinforcement= leaving box
Punishment= put back into box
Prison System
P. Reinforcement= e.g extra free time
N. Reinforcement= jobs to avoid getting into trouble
Punishment= e.g. no free time

Question 7

Behaviourist
Describe ‘Animals and humans learn in similar ways’

Answer 7

Animals are used in experiments because behaviourists believe the laws of learning are the same for both animals and humans

Question 8

Behaviourist
Give the psychological example for ‘Animals and humans learn in similar ways’

Answer 8

Classical: Pavlov’s dogs (producing a given response from an unrelated stimulus AND Little Albert (fear wasn’t there originally)
OR
Operant: Thorndike’s puzzle box (trial and error learning) AND Prison/education system.