Behaviourist Approach

Basic Assumptions
1. Classical Conditioning - learning through association
  1. Pavlov and Watson
    1. Extinction - CR will disappear if UCS does not appear after the CS
    2. Discrimination- CR elicited only by the origional CS
    3. Generalisation - other similar stimuli to the origional CS can produce a CR
2. Operant Conditioning - learining through reinforcement, reward & punishment
  1. Skinner
3. Methodological Behaviourism
  1. All approaches in psychology use some aspects of behaviourism
4. Neo-behaviourism
  1. includes cognitive processes and ideas
5. Humans are born with a blank slate- child can be 'made' into anything
  1. All behaviour is learnt through the process of conditioning, past experiences & the environment
6. Primary reinforcers - food, water & sex are natural reinforcers
7. Secondary reinforcers - aquire reinforcing properties through association of primary R. We have to learn through CC to find them reinforcing
Methods
1. Animal studies
  1. Skinners box- rat exp
  2. Pavlovs dogs
    1. Presenting a NS with an UCR = CS & CR
2. Observational Methods
  1. Little Albert study
Application
1. Behaviour therapy to stop abnormal behaviours
  1. Systematic desensitisation
    1. conditions positive associations with feared objects in phobias
  2. Aversion therapy
    1. conditions negative associations with addictions
2. Educational techniques with the use of reinforcement, punishment & reward
3. Forensics
  1. Token economy in prison systems
4. Social Influence
  1. reinforcement within obedience
  2. Distraction conflict theory
  3. Asch
5. Attachment
  1. Strange situation, responses to social releasers
  2. Cupboard love theory - food associations
  3. Friendship - reinforcement of cross sex play
    1. Serbin
6. Mood disorders
  1. Learned helplessness theory
    1. Where punishment is constant & unavoidable, individuals give up and acccept punishment (Goes against principles of OC)
Debates
1. Deterministic
  1. Human behaviour is entirely determined by past experiences & conditioning
    1. Environmental determinism
  2. Skinner debated with Rodgers about the nature of free will
  3. Rejects biological influences that may effect our behaviour
2. Reductionist
  1. Comparing humans to animals
  2. Individuals treated as machines
    1. Ignores cognitive processes
      1. Tolman - rats form cognitive maps when running through a maze
3. Nature/Nurture
  1. Learning processes are innate in everyone
4. Nomothetic
  1. All behaviours are based around these principles/laws on learning

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Behaviourist Approach

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	Created by leonara-x over 10 years ago