The Learning Approach Behaviourism

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  • The Learning Approach: Behaviourism
    • Basic Assumptions
      • behaviour is learned from experience
      • only observable behaviour is measurable scientifically
      • it is valid to study the behaviour of animals as they share the same principles of learning
      • we are born a blank slate, there is no genetic influence on behaviour
    • Classical Conditioning
      • learning via association
      • is a learning process that occurs through associations between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus
      • Pavlov presented a stimulus (a bell) and then gave the dog food = dog began to salivate in response to the stimulus.
        • Pavlov called the stimulus the conditioned stimulus because its effects depend on its association with food.
      • stimulus generalisation - P found that if he varied the pitch and tone of the bell, the dog still salivated.
      • Stimulus discrimination - when a stimulus is not associated with the CR as it is too different from the original stimulus
      • Time contiguity - P found that the association only occurs if the US and NS are presented at the same time.
    • Operant Conditioning
      • learning via reinforcement, through +ve or -ve reinforcement or punishment
      • Skinner placed rats in a box
        • pellet = +ve reinforcement, electrified floor = punishment, avoidance of electrified floor = -ve reinforement
        • S found that as soon as a rat learned that it would get a pellet when pressing the lever, it would keep doing so as the behaviour was +vely reinforced
      • types of reinforcement
        • fixed ratio - apply the reinforcement after a specific number of behaviours
        • fixed interval - apply reinforcer after a specific amount of time
        • variable ratio - apply reinforcer after a variable number of responses
        • variable interval - apply reinforcer after a variable amount of time
      • Skinner's analysis of behaviour - he had his own terms to describe the processes involved in OC. To analyse behaviour, you need to consider:
        • Antecedents: what happens just prior to behaviour being performed
        • Behaviours: S called these operants
        • Consequences: what happens after the operant

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