The Behaviourist Approach

THE BEHAVIOURIST APPROACH

Key assumptions

STARTER - KEY ASSUMPTIONS Read the quote from John Watson

… What does this suggest about the behaviourist approach?

THE ROLE OF THE ENVIRONMENT Tabula Rasa

… Literally means “Blank Slate”… We are born “blank” and it is

our environment which shapes us.

Environmental determinism… All that we are is because of

our environment. Our personalities and behaviour is determined by our environment

THE IMPORTANCE OF OBSERVABLE EVENTS IN RESEARCH This approach is primarily concerned with

observable behaviour (measurable behaviour)

Behaviourists don’t believe in studying thoughts, emotions and similar things which cannot be measured.

THE IMPORTANCE OF OBSERVABLE EVENTS IN RESEARCH Behaviourists believe that the behaviour of

people and animals (as they assume that there is little difference between people and other animals) is the result of stimulus-response relationships.

E.g.: you burn your hand on a stove, and therefore do not touch the stove again.

COMMON PRINCIPLES IN LEARNING Read the section on page 22-23 and match

the term to the definition

CLASSICAL CONDITIONING This is learning through ASSOCIATION

To remember this think ASS!

…clASSical conditioning…ASSociation

CLASSICAL CONDITIONING Does anyone have a dog or a cat? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpoLxE

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CLASSICAL CONDITIONING Before conditioningUCS UCR(Food) (Salivation)

NS No Response(Metronome)

CLASSICAL CONDITIONING During conditioningUCS NS UCR(Food) (Metronome) (Salivation)

After conditioning CS CR(Metronome) (Salivation)

CLASSICAL CONDITIONING Explain:

… “You eat a banana and shortly afterwards you are sick. You are sick not because of the banana, but because you have a stomach bug; however, from now on the smell and taste of bananas makes you feel nauseous.”

LITTLE ALBERT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt0ucx

OrPQE Read pages 24-25 and fill in the gaps. Using the equation, explain the

conditioning that occurred in the Little Albert Experiment

OPERANT CONDITIONING

Operant conditioning is learning through consequence

It focuses on reward and punishment. Have you been rewarded or punished this

week?

OPERANT CONDITIONING Read the section on page 25-5, and insert

the key terms with the definition, and give an example.

If you find it a bit confusing trying to remember all of the terms, just remember the following… Reinforcement increases behaviour… Punishment decreases behaviour… Positive is where something is given… Negative is where something is taken away

OPERANT CONDITIONING Can pigeons read?

… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_ctJqjlrHA&feature=related

Or play ping pong?… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGazy

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OPERANT CONDITIONING http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8nL-Bv

2oqc… In your own words, describe how in the video

above, operant conditioning has been used to train the Guinea pig.

… Use the correct terms.

Read the scenarios and state what type of conditioning it is.

PLENARY