The Behaviourist Approach

Created by: Mimi
Created on: 03-01-13 23:37


	The Behaviourist Approach
	Advantages Its use of rigorous, experimental methods of research enhances the credibility of science as a scientific discipline It provides strong arguments for the nurture side of the nature/nurture debate The approach has provided a number of practical applications and techniques to shape behaviour, e.g. the use of rewards in education	Disadvantages It ignores the mental processes that are involved in learning unlike the cognitive approach who views these processes as important. According to the behaviourist approach, people can only learn as a result of their experiences The use of animals in applying the laws of learning to humans has been criticised as humans are more complex than animals. The principle of operant and classical conditioning do not account for spontaneous behaviour in humans It rejects the possible role of biological factors in human behaviour, unlike the biological approach which considers nature and important factor. Behaviourists view humans has passive learners, unlike humanistic psychologists who view humans as active agents - able to control and determine their own development.
	Evaluation There is much emphasis on nurture as it focuses on how the environment affects and shapes behaviour. This means that the role of nature is ignored, as behaviourists usually ignore that genetic-make up could have an impact on the way in which we behave. Many internal factors govern behaviour, one example of this is the role of motivation and and emotion are not taken into account in the behaviourist approach. Although this approach has been deemed as overly deterministic, as it suggests behaviours are learnt through associations made with environmental stimuli and/or the response that we get (reinforcement). This view states that the environment controls our behaviour and that its not our conscious thought and processes that governs behaviour.

The Behaviourist Approach

Advantages

Its use of rigorous, experimental methods of research enhances the credibility of science as a scientific discipline
It provides strong arguments for the nurture side of the nature/nurture debate
The approach has provided a number of practical applications and techniques to shape behaviour, e.g. the use of rewards in education

Disadvantages

It ignores the mental processes that are involved in learning unlike the cognitive approach who views these processes as important. According to the behaviourist approach, people can only learn as a result of their experiences
The use of animals in applying the laws of learning to humans has been criticised as humans are more complex than animals.
The principle of operant and classical conditioning do not account for spontaneous behaviour in humans
It rejects the possible role of biological factors in human behaviour, unlike the biological approach which considers nature and important factor.
Behaviourists view humans has passive learners, unlike humanistic psychologists who view humans as active agents - able to control and determine their own development.

Evaluation

There is much emphasis on nurture as it focuses on how the environment affects and shapes behaviour. This means that the role of nature is ignored, as behaviourists usually ignore that genetic-make up could have an impact on the way in which we behave. Many internal factors govern behaviour, one example of this is the role of motivation and and emotion are not taken into account in the behaviourist approach. Although this approach has been deemed as overly deterministic, as it suggests behaviours are learnt through associations made with environmental stimuli and/or the response that we get (reinforcement). This view states that the environment controls our behaviour and that its not our conscious thought and processes that governs behaviour.

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The Behaviourist Approach