The learning approach - behaviourism

The learning approach - behaviourism

1. Assumptions

   • behaviour is learnt through experience in the environment after birth
   • born with a blank slate
   • study behaviour only in what we can observe
   • laws of study are universal

2. Ways to learn according to behaviourism

   • Classical conditioning
     • learning by association
       • when stimuli are repeatedly paired together
         • neutral stimulus + conditioned stimulus = conditioned response
           • Ivan pavlov
   • Operant conditioning
     • behaviour is shaped and maintained by it's consequences
       • positive reinforcement: receiving a reward for a certain behaviour
       • negative reinforcement: avoiding something unpleasant
       • punishment: unpleasant consequence of behaviour
       • BF skinner 1953 - learning is an active process

3. Relation to debates

   • Nature vs Nurture - behaviourism believes we learn everything so on nurture side
   • freewill vs determinism- freewill is an illusion as we learn everything from the environment