Tutor HuntResources Psychology Resources
Behaviorist Approach
a level
Date : 18/06/2022
Author Information
Uploaded by : Farooq
Uploaded on : 18/06/2022
Subject : Psychology
OUTLINE
AND EVALUATE THE BEHAVIOURIST APPROACH IN PSYCHOLOGYAO1ASSUMPTIONS
(not needed in 16 marker)· & & & & & &
ONLY interested in studying behaviour that
can be OBSERVED AND MEASURED· & & & & & &
Rejected INTROSPECTION as it involved
concepts that were VAGUE and DIFFICULT TO MEASURE · & & & & & &
Relies on LAB EXPERIMENTS · & & & & & &
the basic processes that govern LEARNING are
the SAME in ALL SPECIES CLASSICAL
CONDITIONING – PAVLOV · & & & & & &
LEARNING through ASSOCIATION · & & & & & &
DOGS learned to associate the sound of the
BELL with the FOOD and would produce SALIVATION response every time they heard
the SOUND · & & & & & &
PAVLOV was able to show how a NETURAL
STIMULUS can associated itself with a new conditioned response· & & & & & &
LITTLE ALBERT study by WATSON AND RAYNER OPERANT
CONDITIONING – SKINNER· & & & & & &
POSTIVE REINFORCEMENT: receiving a REWARD
when a certain BEHAVIOUR is performed · & & & & & &
NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT: when an animal/human
AVOIDS something UNPLEASANT · & & & & & &
PUNISHMENT: an UNPLEASANT CONSEQUENCE of
behaviour · & & & & & &
THE SKINNER BOX: every time the rat
activated the lever it was rewarded with a food pelletAO3· & & & & & &
SCIENTIFIC CREDIBILITY: ABLE to link the
methods of the natural sciences to PSYCHOLOGY without the focus of measuring
observing behaviour in a lab = by emphasising processes like OBJECTIVITY and
REPLICATION it allowed psychology to be seen as a SCIENTIFIC DISIPLINE, giving
psychology more status and credibility· & & & & & &
REAL-LIFE APPLICATION: the ideas of
conditioning can be applied to real-world behaviours such as OPERANT
CONDITIONING being the basis of TOKEN-ECOMOMY in prisons, schools and
psychiatric wards – rewarding APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOURS with TOKENS that can be
exchanged for PRIVLEGES · & & & & & &
MECHANISTIC VIEW OF BEHAVIOUR: ANIMALS in
this approach are seen as PASSIVE AND MACHINE-LIKE responders WITH LITTLE TO NO
CONSCIOUS INSIGHT to their BEHAVIOUR but other approaches such as SLT and the
COGNITIVE approach EMPHASIS the importance of MENTAL EVENTS in learning – these
occur between the STIMULUS AND RESPONSE showing that people have more of an
active role in their learning = learning theory applies LESS to HUMANS than
ANIMALS· & & & & & &
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINISM: SEES all
behaviour as being determined by PAST EXPERIENCES and everything we do is based
on our REINFORCEMENT HISTORY – this ignores ANY FREE WILL which SKINNER sees as
an ILLUSION, we think we’ve made our own decision but it is all based off of
our past conditioning history· & & & & & &
ETHICAL AND PRACTICAL ISSUES IN ANIMAL EXPERIMENTS:
critics have questioned the ETHICS of conducting investigations such as that of
SKINNER’S BOX and LITTLE ALBERT– ANIMALS and CHILDREN were exposed to STRESSFUL
CONDITIONS which may have effected them in later life lt;/b> lt;/b> lt;/b> lt;/i> lt;/span>
This resource was uploaded by: Farooq