BEHAVIOURISM

BEHAVIOURISM

1. *ASSUMPTIONS*

   • *People learn to behave environmentally
     • =We are born 'tabula rasa' and our behaviour and personality are determined by our environment.
   • *Only study measurable behaviour.
     • =study observable and measurable behaviour through lab experiments.
     • = they don't believe in the study of thoughts or emotions, as they aren't observable.
   • *Animals can be used in research.
     • = it is valid to study animals and generalise the findings to humans as we share the same principles of learning (OC&CC)

2. *KEY FEATURES*

   • *CLASSICAL CONDITIONING*
     • = Learning through ASSociation.
       • 1 > Both humans and animals can be CC, and this is one of the ways they intereact with their environment to learn a behaviour.
       • 2 > The key idea is that learning occurs when association is made between a previously neutral stimulus and reflex response.
       • 3 > The reflex response can be either positive or negative.
         • If association of the stimulus is with a positive feeling = positive feeling will arise when whenever that person is in contact with that specific stimulus. (same with negative associations)
     • **Occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired together - an UNCONDITIONED(unlearned) STIMULUS [UCS] and a NEUTRAL STIMULIS [NS]. The neutral stimulus eventually produces the same response that was the first produced by the unlearned stimulus alone.
   • *OPERANT CONDITIONING*
     • **A form of learning in which behaviour is shaped and maintained by it's consequence. Possible consequences of behaviour include POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT, NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT or PUNISHMENT.
     • SKINNER (1953)
       • **Suggested that larning is an active process where by humans and animals operate no their environment.
       • PRCEDURE
         • 1) CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT
           • experimented with RATS and sometimes pigeons in specially DESIGNED CAGES.
           • The animal was kept at about 3/4 of it's normal weight to ensure it was always hungry.
           • 'Skinners box' ensured all aspects of the environment were controlled.
         • 2) POSITIVE & NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENT
           • **POS = A stimulus that increases the probability that a behaviour will be repeated as it is pleasurable.
           • **A stimulus that increases the probability that a behaviour will be repeated as it leads to escape from an unpleasant situation and is experienced as rewarding.
           • every time the rat activated l lever, or pecked pecked a disc, it was rewarded with a food pallet = POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT.
           • VARIATION = rat/pigeon had to perform the same behaviour in order to avoid an unpleasant stimulus - electric shock = NEGATVE REINFORCEMENT.
       • FINDINGS & CONCLUSIONS
         • 1) POSITIVE reinforcemnt led to behaviour being repeated
           • When rewarded with a food pallet, the animal would continue to perform the same behaviour in order to receive the reward. = THIS SUGGESTS that positive reinforcement increases the liklihood that behaviour will be repeated.
         • 2) NEGATIVE reinforcement led to behaviour being repeated.
           • The animal would continue to perform the same behaviour, which led to the avoidance of an unpleasant stimulus. =THIS SUGGESTS that negative reinforcement increases the likelihood that behaviour will be repeated.
   • *3 Types of consequences of behaviur.
     • POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT
       • **receiving a reward when a behaviour is performed.
     • NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT
       • **when an animal or human produces behaviour that avoids something unpleasant.
     • PUNISHMENT
       • **an unpleasant consequence of behaviour. it decreases the likelihood that behaviour will be repeated.