What does the behaviourist approach suggest?
All species have the same basic processes that govern learning - animals can replace humans for experiments
What are the 2 learning approaches?
Behaviourist approach - Classical & Operant Conditioning
Social Learning Theory
Who researched classical conditioning?
Ivan Pavlov
How did Pavlov research classical conditioning?
Showed that dogs can be conditioned to salivate to the sound of a bell if the bell we repeatedly presented it at the same time as food
How does classical conditioning work?
- Food (UCS) produces a response of salivation (UCR)
- Bell (NS) is rung by itself and the dog doesn’t salivate (no response)
- Food (UCS) repeatedly paired with the bell ringing (NS) to produce salivation (UCR) - WHERE THE LEARNING TAKES PLACE
- Can now present the bell alone (CS) and the dog will begin to salivate (CR)
What are the 5 principles of classical conditioning?
Stimulus generalisation
Discrimination
Extinction
Timing
Spontaneous recovery
What is stimulus generalisation?
Stimuli similar to the original conditioned stimulus will cause the conditioned response
What is discrimination?
Stimulus similar to the original conditioned stimuli won’t produce the conditioned response - Can be done by withholding unconditioned stimulus
What is extinction?
Conditioned response isn’t produced when the conditioned stimulus is presented - occurs when the conditioned stimulus is present without the unconditioned stimulus
What is timing?
If the neutral stimulus isn’t presented in a close enough time interval between the unconditioned stimulus, conditioning doesn’t take place
What is spontaneous recovery?
After extinction, if the conditioned stimulus and unconditioned stimulus are paired together again, the link between them is made much faster
What is an unconditioned stimulus (UCS)?
A stimulus that elicits a natural response
What is in an unconditioned response?
Any natural response which doesn’t enquire learning
What is a neutral stimulus?
A stimulus which doesn’t elicit a response
What is a neutral response?
No reaction elicited from a stimulus
What is classical conditioning?
Learning through association - when a neutral stimulus is constantly paired with an unconditioned stimulus to create an association between the stimuli for them both to produce the same response
What is a conditioned stimulus?
The old neutral stimulus after it has been repeatedly paired with the unconditioned stimulus
What is a conditioned response?
When the conditioned stimulus elicits a response
What are the strengths of classical conditioning?
Research support - Pavlov, Watson & Rayner
Practical Application - Can be used to treat phobias
What did Watson & Rayner do?
Little Albert study - White rat & loud noise = fear
How can classical conditioning treat phobias?
Flooding & Systemic Desensitisation are both forms of counter-conditioning by removing the conditioned response of fear
Gets client to associate their phobia with calmness - reciprocal inhibition - Can’t feel 2 opposite emotions at the same time
What are the weaknesses of classical conditioning?
Low ecological validity of lab studies
Findings may not apply to adults
Environmentally deterministic
Menzies criticised it - some people have phobias without actually having a bad experience
Why might the findings of classical conditoning not apply to adults?
Adult behaviour is complicated - don’t come across unconditioned stimuli very often
Suggests classical conditoning cannot generalise past young children & animals
Why did Menzies criticised classical conditioning?
Only 2% of people with hydrophobia had a bad experience
50% of dog phobias aren’t caused by a traumatic experience
