Lecture notes
Behaviourist approach summary notes, A01 and A03
- Module
- Approaches
- Institution
- AQA
full a01 and a03 notes for the AQA behaviourist approach, condensed so that you don't have to read the whole textbook
[Show more]
Content preview
Behaviourist ApproachAssumptions
-All behaviour is acquired by classical conditioning and maintained by operant conditioning.
-Only behaviour that is observed and measured can be studied.*
-*Criticises Wundt’s introspection
-Animals are used in behaviourist’s research
Classical conditioning (Pavlov)
-Classical conditioning-> learning by association
-(BEFORE) UCS produces UCR (UCS=food, UCR=salivation)
-(DURING) NS is repeatedly paired UCS, producing UCR (NS=Bell)
-(AFTER)NS=CS, producing CR (CR=salivation to bell)
-Extinction occurs when CS is no longer paired with UCS (CS becomes extinct)
Operant conditioning (Skinner)
-Operant conditioning->learned by consequences
-Pos. Reinforcement-carrying out behaviour to receive reward
-Neg. Reinforcement- carrying out behaviour to avoid negative consequences
-Skinner’s box= positive reinforcement shown when rats pressed on lever to receive food, negative reinforcement
shown when rat pressed lever to avoid electric shock.
Lab experiment= high reliability
-Strictly controlled conditions reduce confounding and extraneous variables
-increasing reliability and internal validity
-easy to replicate, finding are likely to be same
-focussing on observable and measurable behaviours increases scientific credibility
Real life applications
-Increased understanding on conditioning led to development of treatments for mental disorders
-E.G. token economies in institutes as a reward for good behaviour (tokens for good behaviour can be used to
trade for priveliges)
-Behaviourist principles have had positive impacts on both treatments and institutions such as schools and prisons
Ethical issues on animal studies
-Skinner caused harm to rats, breaching BPS ethical guidelines (protection from harm)
-Little Albert wasn’t protected for psychological harm, and wasn’t given opportunity to withdraw
-Many behaviourists research is unethical
HOWEVER- cost benefit analysis shows the high benefit of increased understanding of learning outweighs cost
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller gsnotes. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £3.99. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
66579 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 14 years now