The learning approach:behaviourism

The learning approach:behaviourism

1. a way of explaining behaviour in terns of what is observable and in terms of learning

2. Assumptions

   • psychology should be seen as a science, to be studied in a scientific manner
   • is primarily concerend with observable behaviour, as apposed to internal events like thinking.
   • behaviour is the result of stimulus- response (i.e. all behaviour, no matter how complex can be reduced to a simple stimulus- response features.
   • behaviour is determined by environment (eg. conditioning, nurture

3. Strengths

   • provides clear predictions, this means that explanations can be scientifically testes and support with evidence.
   • real life application (eg. therapy)
   • emphasises objective measurement
   • many experiments to support theories
   • identified comparisons between animals (pavlov) and humans (Watson and Rayner - little Albert)

4. Limitations

   • ignores meditational process (cognitive approach)
   • ignores biology - eg. testosterone
   • too deterministic (little free will)
   • experiments in lab (low ecological validity)
   • humanism- can't compare animals to humans
   • reductionist - explained by breaking Itndown into constituent parts - behaviourism breaks into stimulus response units for lab testing
     • doesn't consider how other factors interact together in influencing behaviour which reduces the validity of the approach/debate.