The Behaviourist Approach + Systematic Desensitisation
- Created by: chlopayne
- Created on: 13-04-19 11:51
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- The Behaviourist Approach
- Key assumptions
- Humans are born like a blank slate
- Newborns are neutral. We are shaped by our environment and experiences.
- Behaviour is learned through conditioning
- Classical conditioning - learnt through association.
- Ivan Pavlov (1849-1946). Test on dogs.
- Operant condiitoning - learnt through consequence
- BF Skinner. Test on rats.
- Reinforcement increases behaviour. Punishment decreases behaviour.
- Positive ---> something is given. Negative ---> something is taken away.
- Classical conditioning - learnt through association.
- Humans and animals learn in similar ways
- Both humans and animals are product of their environment. No differences in how they learn.
- Behaviour is learnt through stimulus-repose. Test on animals and generalise to humans.
- Both humans and animals are product of their environment. No differences in how they learn.
- Humans are born like a blank slate
- Systematic desensitisation
- Behaviourists argue phobias come about through learning. Not born with them, but develop due to negative experience.
- Developed by Wolpe (1958) and used to treat phobias.
- The therapy aims to extinguish undesirable behaviour (fear) by replacing it with a desirable one (relaxation).
- Evaluation
- Effectiveness: Lang and Lazovik (1963) found SD successful with snake phobias. McGrath (1990) found SD successful for a range of anxiety disorders - 75% response
- Biological preparedness:Not everyone who has a phobias has had a negative experience.
- We are predisposed to have phobias of certain things. Seligman (1970) said we are likely to fear snakes and spiders. It provides us with a survival advantage,
- Symptom substitution: SD is only treating the symptom of the fear, not the actual cause. The phobias may return when therapy ends.
- Ethical issues: anxiety is controlled, it can only be used to treat phobias, informed and valid consent, work through at their own pace, it can still cause stress.
- The process
- (1) Trained in deep muscle relaxation techniques. (2) Create a hierarchy of fear. (3) Work their way through. Visualise each step utilising relaxation techniques. (4) Moves at their pace. (5) The client reaches the top.
- In vivo = direct experience. In vitro = visual a situation.
- (1) Trained in deep muscle relaxation techniques. (2) Create a hierarchy of fear. (3) Work their way through. Visualise each step utilising relaxation techniques. (4) Moves at their pace. (5) The client reaches the top.
- Evaluation of the approach
- Usefulness
- Real world applications. Reward and punishment is used. in schools, work and legal system.
- Token economy (operant)
- Aversion therapy (classical) is used to help with addictions.
- Real world applications. Reward and punishment is used. in schools, work and legal system.
- Scientific approach
- Controlled but can't be generalised, may be different in a natural setting.
- Based on evidence.
- Valid because studies found what they intended to.
- Not reliable because studies may find different results.
- Biased and not objective.
- Focus on the here and now.
- More relevant to animals.
- Usefulness
- We are all born neutral. The environment shapes who we are.
- Thoughts and feelings aren't measurable.
- Behaviour can be reduced to stimulus-response relationships.
- Key assumptions
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