APPROACHES: Behaviourism

  • Q&A style
  • Pgs 106-107 in Flanagan AQA Year 1 for Approaches
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What is the behaviourist approach?
A rejection of Wundt's introspection, interested in observable, measureable, externalised behaviour.
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How do behaviourists conduct their research and why?
Lab experiments, to maintain control and objectivity.
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Why are many behaviourist experiments conducted on animals?
They believe that the basic processes that govern learning are the same in all species
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Outline Pavlov's research on classical conditioning.
Learning by association. Dogs salivating @ sound of bell if food presented at the same time.
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Outline Skinner's research on operant conditioning.
Behaviour being shaped and maintained by consequences= positive/negative punishment, positive/negative reinforcement. Reinforcement= more likely to repeat. Punishment= less likely to repeat.
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Why is this testing on animals to determine human behaviour seen as a problem?
assumes humans are passive responders (mechanistic view)/ignores mental processes unlike SLT and cog. appro. - applies less to humans
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Where does behaviourism hold IRL application?
Token economy systems in institutions such as psychiatric wards
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Why is classical conditioning beneficial IRL?
Parenting children/treating phobias/therapy for patients who lack insight
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How did behaviourism help psychology become scientifically credible?
Use of controlled/experiments/ability to replicate studies/use of objective measures= greater validity
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What is environmental determinism?
Behaviour entirely shaped by past experiences, free will is an illusion
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What is positive reinforcement?
Receiving a desired reward for desired behaviour. Increases likelihood of repeat, e.g. gold stars on a chart for doing chores.
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What is negative reinforcement?
Behaviour which avoids an unpleasant consequence. Increases likelihood of repeat e.g. avoiding class because you forgot your homework.
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What is positive punishment?
An unpleasant consequence for undesired behaviour. Decreases likelihood of repeat e.g. being shouted at if you break a window.
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What is negative punishment?
When a desired stimulus is removed as a consequence of undesired behaviour. Decreases likelihood of repeat, e.g. driving license revoked for speeding.
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What is the UCR?
Unconditioned response- Salivation upon seeing food
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What is the CR?
Conditioned response - Salivation upon hearing bell
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What is the CS?
Conditioned stimulus- The bell after classical conditioning
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What is the UCS?
Unconditioned stimulus- The food
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What is the NS?
Neutral stimulus- The bell before classical conditioning
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What is the skinner box?
A cage with a small animal inside that has to press a lever/peck a button to recieve food or avoid an electric shock.
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What does the electric shock in skinner's box represent?
Positive punishment
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What type of reforcement is it when the rats press the button to avoid an electric shock?
Negative reinforcement
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What type of reforcement is it when the rats press the button to recieve treats?
Positive reinforcement
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Why is replication of Skinner's experiments easy?
Because it uses a standardised procedure within controlled conditions, and so there is less likely to be other variables at play, i.e. cats on the streets that frighten the rats
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Why is replication important?
It gives greater validity to the findings as it demonstrates that it is not just a fluke. It also means results can be generalised to a larger population, as the same results have been found with a different set of individuals.
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What makes measurements objective in the context of Skinner's study?
The time it took the animal to push the lever is a quantifiable measurement.
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What is a scientific issue with using animals in research?
Humans
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How is behaviourism stronger than approaches such as SLT or the cognitive approach?
They see it as unscientific to observe internal mental processes as we cannot see them.
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How do we deconstruct the argument that we cannot see internal mental processes?
Scientific advancements mean we can observe the activity of the brain with fMRI or EEG- although these are still inferences.
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What is the evidence to contradict the behaviourist's nurture driven concept that the mind is a tabula rasa?
Identical twins levels of extraversion correlate 0.5+, non identical +0.25
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What does the twin evidence show in regards to the mind being a tabula rasa?
We are not just a blank slate from birth, but we inherit characteristics, supporting the nature debate.
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How could token economy systems be abused?
Could be used to mould individuals to carry out horrific acts against state/society.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

How do behaviourists conduct their research and why?

Back

Lab experiments, to maintain control and objectivity.

Card 3

Front

Why are many behaviourist experiments conducted on animals?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

Outline Pavlov's research on classical conditioning.

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

Outline Skinner's research on operant conditioning.

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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