Behaviourist Approach

Behaviourist Approach

1. assumptions

   • behaviour can be explained in terms of classical conditioning
     • learning by association EG pavlov: dogs learnt to salivate (reflex response) at the sound of footsteps (a natural stimulus) - tried with a new stimulus, learnt to salivate at the bell as associated with food
   • behaviour can be explain in terms of operant conditioning
     • learning by reinforcement (consequence of a behaviour that encourages a behaviour) and punishment (a negative consequence that stops unwanted behaviour) EG skinners rats - POSITIVELY REINFORCED by a food pellet whenever lever was pressed. NEGATIVELY REINFORCED by removing neg experience when lever was pressed

2. Social Learning Theory

   • children learn through others being aggressive, learn the specifics of aggressive behaviour (forms, how often, situations, targets) and observe
     • learning aggression through observation - observe role models (friends, parents, siblings) who act as motivation and then immitate - can observe at home, via tv/films, at school
       • Bandura et al - children, put into 3 groups: 1) no role model, 2) role model acting non-aggresively, 3) role model acting aggresively - 2+3 split into same sex groups, were frustrated so could not play with doll - no EV, aggression caused by role model
         • Bandura - findings and conclusions - 3) were most aggressive, boys were more physically aggressive (culturally acceptale), girls were more verbally aggressive
           • Bandura and Waters - motivation for aggression: children more likely to be aggressive to the doll after observing a role model being rewarded - less likely if punished
             • maintenance through direct experience - needs to be directly reinforced to maintain behaviour - if child is rewarded for aggressive behaviour then will act same in similar situations
               • EG successful bullying, good way of getting rewards, associate aggression with rewards

3. Systematic Desensitisation

   • 1) aim - to create a new association to the phobic stimulus
     • 2) link - classical conditioning: SD aims to help individuals learn new associations, may have neg exp and associate it with a neutral stimulus and then it becomes a phobic stimulus
       • 3) therapy - 5 stages, 1 = relaxation stage, taught relaxation techniques to help with anxiety, provides them with means to control fear, works on principal of reciprocal inhibitation (relaxation inhibits anxiety)
         • 2 = creating a hierarchy, therapist + patient contrust a series of imagined scenes (each causing a little more enxiety), gradual exposure (not immediate
           • 3 = working way through desensitisation hierarchy, visualising each anxiety, evoking even while engaging in relaxation response
             • 4 = moving on, when done one step in hierarchy (relaxed) move onto the next
               • 5 = mastered, patient masters the feared situation, new association to the phobic stimulus (neutral response
                 • in vitro = imagined objects, in vivo = real objects/actions
                   • 4) effectiveness - McGrath: 75% patients with phobias respond to SD, Capafons: aerophobia treated with SD = 20 recieved SD and showed lower levels of fear, 1 person in control showed similar changes, 2 in treatment group didnt improve - DOESNT ALWAYS WORK

4. evaluate 2 strengths and 2 weaknesses

   • 1) nomothetic - behaviour is generalised, strength because it can be generalised to the whole population EG animal tests can be generalised for humans
     • 2) scientific - researched in an objective way, strength because it is done in an controlled enviro and not subjective EG Bandura's bobo doll study shows a clear cause and effect because EV's controlled
   • 1) methodology - during animal learning studies animals may behave different than in natural enviro, weakness because may not give us true info EG skinners rats - rat may have acted different in the box than home environment
     • 2) reductionist - only takes into account exteral factors and reduces behaviour down to learning. Weakness because doesnt take other approaches into consideration EG doesnt consider internal factors EG genes eg depression learnt from enviro not lack of serotonin or repressed childhood memories