The Behaviourist Perspective

Question 1

What are the 4 principles of the behaviourist perspective?

Answer 1

1. All people are born tabula rasa (blank slates).
2. All behaviours are learned from the environment through reinforcement (stimulus-response association)
3. Only observable behaviour can be measured.
4. Behaviour can be measured through scientific methods.

Question 2

What are the 3 concepts of the behaviourist perspective?

Answer 2

1. Classical conditioning
2. Operant conditioning
3. Social Learning Theory

Question 3

Pavlov’s dogs are an example of Classical Conditioning. Explain the process.

Answer 3

1. Before conditioning 1 = Food is the unconditioned stimulus which causes salivation which is an unconditioned response
2. Before conditioning 2 = The bell is a neutral stimulus therefore does not cause salivation (no conditioned response)
3. During conditioning = Paired associations of the bell (neutral) and food (unconditioned) cause salivation which is an unconditioned response
4. After conditioning = The bell, a conditioned stimulus now, causes salivation, a conditioned response, due to paired associations.

Question 4

What is positive reinforcement?

Answer 4

Providing a positive reward to make a behaviour more likely to be repeated

Question 5

What is negative reinforcement?

Answer 5

Removing something unpleasant to encourage a behaviour

Question 6

What is positive punishment?

Answer 6

Doing something unpleasant to stop someone repeating a behaviour

Question 7

What is negative punishment?

Answer 7

Taking away something the person likes to discourage negative behaviour

Question 8

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 8

The use of positive + negative reinforcement and positive + negative punishment to encourage or discourage behaviours.

Question 9

Define the social learning theory.

Answer 9

Observe: Watching other people’s behaviour
Imitate: Mimicking observed people’s behaviour
Role model: A person a child identifies with and looks up to
Vicarious reinforcement: A certain behaviour has been encouraged in a child because they observed a role model receive a reward for same behaviour therefore imitate it.

Question 10

How can social learning theory be used to explain a person’s fear of spiders? (Arachnophobia)

Answer 10

A child observes their role model, like a parent, be scared of spiders as they are screaming or having a negative reaction then runs away to reduce anxiety. The child then imitates that. The fear is vicariously reinforced by the adult’s anxiety reducing when running away from the spider.

Question 11

How can social learning theory be used to explain how a child learns to speak and use language?

Answer 11

A child observes a role model speaking and communicating with others, where the reward is socialising and making friends, which vicariously reinforces the child’s behaviour.

Question 12

What are strengths of the behaviourist perspective?

Answer 12

• Very useful and practical for treating phobias and addiction
• Research tends to use lab experiments which are very controlled and scientific
• Provides evidence for the nurture side of nature vs nurture debate

Question 13

What are weaknesses of the behaviourist perspective?

Answer 13

• Can be unethical especially when researching punishment
• Ignores genetics and biology as a cause of behaviour
• States that all behaviour is the result of environmental influences and learning (No free will/choice)
• Behaviourist principles could also be used in a negative way to encourage bad behaviour