Behaviourist Approach

Behaviourist Approach

1. Assumptions

   • Only study behaviours that can be observed and measured
   • Animals/humans learn in same way
   • All behaviour learnt from behaviour

2. Explaining behaviour through observations

3. Classical conditioning- learning through association

   • Ivan Pavlov
   • Unconditioned stimulus - stimulus that produces reflex response
     • Food
   • Unconditioned response - reflex response to UCS
     • Salivation
   • Neutral stimulus - continually paired with UCS
     • Bell
   • Conditioned response - learnt when now conditioned stimulus is presented
     • Salivation

4. Operant conditioning - learning through reinforcement

   • B F Skinner
     • Leaning is active process. Operate on environment
     • Skinners box - rat reinforced
   • Positive reinforcement - receiving reward for performing behaviour
     • Increased likelihood of repeating
   • Negative reinforcement - performing behaviour to avoid unpleasant consequence
     • Increases likelihood of repeating
   • Punishment - unpleasant consequence for performing behaviour
     • Decreases likelihood of repeating

5. Scientific credibility

   • Objective and replicable
   • Measured in controlled labs

6. Real life application

   • Token system in prisons
   • Treating phobias

7. Mechanistic view

   • No conscious insight into behabviour
   • No free will

8. Ethics - animal testing