Summary of the Behaviourist Approach (PY1 - Approaches in Psychology)
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Course
PY1 - Approaches in Psychology
Institution
WJEC
A summary of all the information needed to answer questions on the behaviourist approach for the unit 1 exam of WJEC AS Level Psychology. Includes: - Assumptions (humans are born like a blank slate, behaviour learned through conditioning, humans and animals learn in similar ways) - Application to r...
Behaviourist
Assumptions
Humans are born like a blank slate
o When we are born our mind is like a ‘tabula rasa’ – a blank slate
o We are born without emotions
o Environmental determinism – our behaviour is determined by the environment we
grow up in
Behaviour learned through conditioning
o Classical conditioning
New behaviours are learnt through conditioning (Ivan Pavlov, 1902)
Before conditioning:
Food = unconditioned stimulus (UCS)
Salivation = unconditioned response (UCR)
During conditioning:
Bell = neutral stimulus (NS)
After Conditioning:
Bell = conditioned stimulus (CS)
Salivation = conditioned response (CR)
o Operant conditioning
New behaviours are learnt through reinforcement
BF Skinner demonstrated via the Skinner box that an animal can
learn to behave in a certain way because of a reward
Positive reinforcement – this is when behaviour is rewarded, and it is likely
they will complete the behaviour again
Negative reinforcement – this is when you behave in a certain way to avoid
something unpleasant happening
Punishment – this is where certain behaviours receive an unpleasant
consequence to discourage them from preforming this behaviour again
Humans and animals learn in similar ways
o We can study animals in labs and make generalisations about human behaviour
o Token system economies is where positive behaviour is rewarded with tokens that
can be used to purchase items
Application to Relationships
Operant conditioning –
o Positive reinforcement – attention, compliment or even having company
o Negative reinforcement – helps us to avoid feeling of loneliness and rejection
We may also feel punished for not being in a relationship (receiving nasty
comments and feeling excluded)
Classical conditioning –
o If being with a person makes you happy you are more likely to spend time with them
when you are unhappy
A previously neutral stimulus is now positively valued
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