The Behaviourist Approach

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  • Created by: asusre
  • Created on: 09-04-21 23:31
What are the basic assumptions of the behaviourist approach?
1. All behaviour is learned from our experiences and interaction with the environment.
2. Focuses on studying behaviour that can be observed and measured (e.g., rejects introspection).
3. Humans and animals learn the same way.
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Which study introduced classical conditioning.
Pavlov (1927) came up with classical conditioning.
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What is classical conditioning?
Classical conditioning is learning by association of stimuli with responses.
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How did Pavlov condition his dogs?
Pavlov conditioned his dogs to associate the sound of a bell ringing with food. This meant that they were conditioned to salivate when they heard the bell ringing.
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Before conditioning, what is the neutral stimulus, the unconditioned stimulus and the unconditioned response?
Bell = neutral stimulus
Food = unconditioned stimulus
Salivation = unconditioned response
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After conditioning, what is the conditioned stimulus and the conditioned response?
Bell = conditioned stimulus
Salivation = conditioned response
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How does timing affect classical conditioning?
If the neutral stimulus cannot be used to predict the unconditioned response then conditioning does not take place.
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What is extinction?
Extinction means that after a few presentations of the conditioned stimulus in the absence of the unconditioned stimulus, it loses its ability to produce the conditioned response.
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What is spontaneous recovery?
Spontaneous recovery means that following extinction, the link between the unconditioned stimulus and the conditioned stimulus is made much quicker when presented together again.
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What is stimulus generalisation?
Stimulus generalisation means that once an animal has been conditioned, they will also respond to other stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimulus.
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Which study introduced operant conditioning?
Skinner (1953) came up with operant conditioning.
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What is operant conditioning?
Operant conditioning is learning through consequences, where reinforcement and punishment are used to encourage or discourage a response.
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How did Skinner (1953) investigate the effect of reinforcement?
Skinner put rats in Skinner boxes. When the rat pressed the lever and a red light flashed, a food pellet was released. When the rat pressed the lever and a green light flashed, he gave the rat an electric shock. The rats learned to press the lever on the
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What is positive reinforcement?
Positive reinforcement – something pleasant/a reward is given.
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What is negative reinforcement?
Negative reinforcement – something unpleasant is avoided.
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What is punishment?
Punishment is an unpleasant consequence.
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What is the effect of reinforcement and punishment?
Reinforcement increases the chance of recurrence/encourage a response.
Punishment decreases the chance of recurrence/discourages a response.
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What are the effects of schedules of reinforcement?
A continuous reinforcement schedule (e.g., every time the lever is pressed) is the most effective in establishing a response but a partial reinforcement schedule (every third time the lever is pressed) is more effective at maintaining a response and avoid
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What is one strength of the behaviourist approach?
The behaviourist approach is based on well-controlled research.
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What are the limitations of the behaviourist approach?
The behaviourist approach is environmentally determinist and uses non-human animals in research.
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What is one strength of classical conditioning?
Classical conditioning has a therapeutic practical applcation of systematic desensitisation therapy to treat phobias.
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What is one limitation of classical conditioning?
One limitation of classical conditioning is that some species are harder to condition than others.
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Which study explains why some species are harder to condition than others?
Seligman (1970) suggested the concept of preparedness to explain why some species are harder to condition than others.
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What is preparedness?
Preparedness means that some animals are more prepared to learn associations that are significant in terms of their survival needs (e.g., dogs quickly associate the smell of meat with food) but unprepared to learn associations that are insignificant to th
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What is one strength of operant conditioning?
Operant conditioning has a real-world application in schools and of token economies in prisons and psychiatric institutions.
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What is one limitation of operant conditioning?
There are ethical issues with Skinner's (1953) research - he kept his animals in cramped conditions and underfed them.
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Card 2

Front

Which study introduced classical conditioning.

Back

Pavlov (1927) came up with classical conditioning.

Card 3

Front

What is classical conditioning?

Back

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Card 4

Front

How did Pavlov condition his dogs?

Back

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Card 5

Front

Before conditioning, what is the neutral stimulus, the unconditioned stimulus and the unconditioned response?

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