Weebly · Web viewKey term definition Apply to an example Social Learning Theory Imitation Modelling Vicarious reinforcement Mediational processes Fill in the key terms as we go along:

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The behaviourist & learning approach

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Specification Content:What you need to know for Paper 2 Section A.

What is the behaviourist approach? Classical conditioning including Pavlov’s research Operant conditioning including types of reinforcement and Skinners research Social Learning Theory including imitation, identification, modelling, vicarious reinforcement,

the role of mediational processes and Bandura’s research.

Questions may be based specifically on:

Area Content

Lear

ning

app

roac

hes

The behaviourist approach including classical conditioning and Pavlov’s research

Operant conditioning, types of reinforcement and Skinner’s research

Social learning theory including imitation, identification, modelling, vicarious reinforcement

The role of mediational processes

Bandura’s research

Evaluation of the learning approach

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You will be assessed using both multiple choice and short to long answer questions (maximum of 12 marks)

The learning approach: behaviourism

What is the behaviourist approach? What do you think the behaviourist approach means? Write some ideas in the box below.

The behaviourist approach emerged at the beginning of the 20th century and became the dominant approach in psychology during that time. The behaviourists were only interested in studying behaviour which can be measured and observed. They didn’t believe in looking at mental processes of the mind. Behaviourists use lab experiments as their main way of looking at behaviour.

Darwin and other behaviourists believed that the processes that govern learning are the same in all species. Therefore this meant that they could also use animals in their research. The main types of learning behaviourists focus on are:

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What are the assumptions of the behaviourist approach?

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Classical conditioning

What is classical conditioning?

Classical conditioning is learning through association. It was first demonstrated by Ivan Pavlov. Pavlov revealed that dogs could be conditioned to salivate to the sound of a bell if that sound was repeatedly presented at the same time as they were given food. They then learnt to associate the sound of a bell (a stimulus) with the food (another stimulus)

and would produce the salivation response every time they heard the bell.

Pavlov was able to show how a neutral stimulus (in this case a bell), can elicit a new learned response (conditioned response) through association.

Task: Watch the YouTube clip of Pavlov’s dogs. Make notes as you go along

How does classical conditioning work?

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Classical conditioning is basically learning by association. When a person’s behaviour is a conditioned response to a conditioned stimulus.

Fill in the diagram using the correct terms, on how the process of classical conditioning works.

A major application of Classical Conditioning is the development of phobias. We will watch a video of Little Albert. After watching this video you should identify the following:

NS

UCS

UCR

CS

CR

Operant conditioning: Learning through positive and negative reinforcement

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Key:

UCS – unconditioned stimulus

UCR – unconditioned response

CS – conditioned stimulus

CR – conditioned response

Operant Conditioning

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B.F.Skinner was very much influenced by Watson’s behaviourist ideas. However, he also realised that the psychology proposed by Watson had some serious shortcomings. In particular, a psychology based wholly on classical conditioning assumes that organisms are essentially passive – they just hang around waiting for stimuli to respond to. To Skinner it seemed obvious that people and animals actively engage with their environments. Skinner’s important insight was that an animal’s – or a person’s – behaviour was determined by the consequences of its past behaviour.

Skinner called learning from consequences ‘operant conditioning’ because it is based on how organisms operate on their environment. Essentially, Skinners theory is that the likelihood of future behaviour is determined by the consequences of past behaviour. In common with Watson, Skinner did not think it necessary to speculate on what went on in people’s minds. He believed that the environment and behaviour were all that was necessary to an understanding of psychology.

Positive reinforcement is:

Some examples of this are…

Negative reinforcement is:

Some examples of this are…

Punishment is:

Some examples of this are…

Apply your knowledge the Skinner box!

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1. Skinner conducted experiments with rats and sometimes pigeons, in specially designed cages called skinner boxes. Every time the rat activates the lever (or a pigeon pecked a disk) within the box it was rewarded with a food pellet. From then on, the animal would continue to carry out this behaviour.

2. He also showed how the rats or pigeons could be conditioned to perform the same behaviour to avoid an unpleasant stimulus, for example an electric shock.

Questions:

1. Which aspect of operant conditioning is number 1 showing?

2. Which aspect of operant conditioning does paragraph B illustrate?

Evaluation of the learning approach

Evaluation Point Strength Weakness ReasonScientific credibility – behaviourism was able to bring the language and methods of the natural sciences into psychology by focusing on the measurement of observable behaviour within highly controlled lab settings. This therefore emphasises objectivity and replication.Real life application – the principles of conditioning have been applied to real world behaviours and problems. For example token economy systems have been used in prisons and schools.The behaviourist approach uses animals as a foundation for their research. The animals involved were exposed to stressful conditions which may have affected how they reacted to the experimental situation.Hint: there are two problems here!Another problem with using animals in research is can the findings be applied to humans? Is a rat’s behaviour similar to a human?

Environmental determinism – the behaviourist approach suggests that our past experiences determine our behaviour. This ignores any influence free will may have on behaviour.

The approach is reductionist, it focuses solely on behaviour and how our behaviour is learnt (nurture. The approach ignores any biological factors in our behaviour (nature).

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Social Learning theory

Key term definition Apply to an example

Social Learning Theory

Imitation

Modelling

Vicarious reinforcement

Mediational processes

Fill in the key terms as we go along:

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What does the spec say?

You need to know what social learning theory is including imitation, identification, modelling, vicarious reinforcement, the role of mediational processes and bandura’s research.

Assumptions of Social Learning Theory

Albert Bandura agreed with behaviourists that much of our behaviour is learned from experience. However his social learning theory (SLT) proposed a different way in which people learn: through observation and imitation of others within a social context, thus social learning. SLT suggested that learning occurs directly, through classical condition and operant conditioning but also indirectly.

Watch the video of Bandura’s bobo doll study – What does it tell us about how we learn from watching others?

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Can you think of any other examples of behaviour we might learn from watching others?

Bandura’s modelling theory

Research task: research Bandura’s modelling theory and answer the following questions…

Help? Use page 108 of the textbook or the following website http://www.simplypsychology.org/bandura.html

What is Bandura’s modelling theory?

What is vicarious reinforcement?

Explain the role of mediational processes in your own words.

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Complete the following mnemonic

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R

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Bandura Key Study (1961)

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Evaluation of Bandura’s

(1961) research

Media and computer games…

How can we apply social learning theory to computer games? Use the following pictures to help you..

Bandura’s bobo doll experiments have implications for the media – are children and adults influenced by the violence and aggression they see on television, media and video games?

The debate was brought into sharp focus in 1990 following the death of James Bulger, a toddler from Liverpool murdered by two 10-year old boys. At the time it was argued by many UK newspapers that the child killers were inspired by the horror film ‘child’s play 3’ and there were many ruled for censorship on such ‘video nasties’ to be tightened.

However, may researchers dispute the link between the media and real life violence. For example Guy Cumberbatch (2001) argues that ‘video nasties’ are more likely to frighten children rather than make them aggressive towards others. He argues that isolated incidents such as these are better explained by other factors such as social deprivation, child abuse and early exposure to violence in the home.

1. Using SLT principles explain why media (such as violent video games) may potentially have a negative impact on children’s behaviour.

2. How might the media vicariously reinforce violence and aggression?

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Evaluation of the learning approach: Social Learning Theory

Evaluation Point Strength Weakness ReasonSocial learning theory provides a more comprehensive explanation of human learning than classical or operant conditioning by recognising the role of mediational processes.Many of Bandura’s ides were developed through observation of children’s behaviour in lab settings. Lab settings have been criticised for being unlike real situations and participants responding to demand characteristics. The main purpose of a bobo doll is to hit it, therefore the children may have just responded to it in a way they thought was expected. Therefore this may tell us little about how children behave in everyday life.Social learning theory ignores the impact of biological factors on social learning. In the bobo doll experiment the boys were often more aggressive than the girls, this could be explained by differences in levels of testosterone, however this is not accounted for in SLT.Social learning theory has the advantage of being able to explain cultural differences in behaviour. It accounts for how children learn from other individuals around the as well as media.

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Questions

1.Evaluate the behavioural approach (4)2.Discuss the contributions of Pavlov and

Skinner to our understanding of human behaviour (6)

3.Outline the mediational processes involved in social learning theory. (4)

4.Define the terms vicarious reinforcement and modelling. (4)

5.Outline the process of classical conditioning (4)

6.Define the terms; positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement and punishment. (6)

7.Evaluate Social Learning theory (4)8.Describe two limitations of the behavioural

approach in psychology. (6)9.Describe and evaluate the behavioural

approach in psychology (12) or (16)

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