ASSUMPTIONS OF THE
BEHAVIOURIST
APPROACH
STARTER - KEY ASSUMPTIONS
 Read the quote from John Watson
… What does this suggest about the behaviourist approach?
… Do you agree with his statement?
 In the space below, write down three or four personality
traits about yourself. For example your hobbies, things
you are good at, your likes or dislikes etc.
THE ROLE OF THE ENVIRONMENT
 The behaviourist approach assumes that we are
born neutral, with no inherent personality. It is the
environment which shapes who you are.
… For example, if you are sporty, it may be because you
grew up in a family that was interested in sport.
… If you love to read, it is because you grew up surrounded
by books.
 Look back at the traits you wrote about yourself.
Can you explain these personality traits through
your environment? If not, why not, and what
alternative explanation can you come up with?
ASSUMPTION 1: THE ROLE OF THE
ENVIRONMENT
 Tabula Rasa
… Literally means “Blank Slate”
… Behaviourists argue that we are
born “blank” and it is our
environment which shapes us.
… Therefore, they argue that newborns are born almost
completely neutral, with only the most basic of responses
(crying, pain, hunger etc) and will be moulded by the
environment
… Everything you are has come about through experience.
Nothing is innate
ASSUMPTION 1: THE ROLE OF THE
ENVIRONMENT
 Environmental determinism
… All that we are is because of our environment. Our
personalities and behaviour is determined by our
environment
… This also means that in a way, people do not have any
free will over their own behaviour as it has been shaped
by their environment and experiences.
… What things can you think of that are completely
determined by your environment?
ASSUMPTIONS 2: 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.
ASSUMPTIONS 2: 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.
 While they do acknowledge the existence of emotions
and the unconscious mind, to behaviourists they are
immeasurable, and therefore irrelevant to their
investigations.
 As behaviourists only measure what can be observed,
and does not rely on inferences about thoughts and
feelings, it makes it a scientific approach.
COMMON PRINCIPLES IN LEARNING
 Read the section on page 17 and match the term to
the definition
ASSUMPTION 3: BEHAVIOUR CAN BE EXPLAINED
THOUGH CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
 This is learning through ASSOCIATION
 To remember this think ASS!
… clASSical conditioning
… ASSociation
Anyone have any pets?
ASSUMPTION 3: BEHAVIOUR CAN BE EXPLAINED
THOUGH CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
 Experiment: in pairs
… Person one: the participants
… Person two: the
experimenter
 The experimenter will
follow the instructions on
the card.
ASSUMPTION 3: BEHAVIOUR CAN BE EXPLAINED
THOUGH CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
 If I hit you every time I played an Elvis song, you
might start feeling scared when you heard Elvis
 Evidence for CC: Pavlov
… Video Classical Conditioning - Ivan Pavlov - YouTube
CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
 Before conditioning
UCS
UCR
(Food)
(Salivation)
NS
No Response
(Metronome)
CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
 During conditioning
UCS
NS
UCR
(Food)
(Metronome)
(Salivation)
 After conditioning
CS
CR
(Metronome)
(Salivation)
CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
 TASK
… Look back the pet behaviour you wrote down on page 2.
Does classical conditioning provide a good explanation?
Can you think of any of your own behaviour which can be
explained in this way?
More Evidence: Little Albert
(Watson and Rayner)
* Video
LITTLE ALBERT
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt0ucxOrPQE
 Fill in the gaps in the Little Albert Story.
 Using the equation, explain the conditioning that
occurred in the Little Albert Experiment
 TASK
… Briefly outline the conditioning
experiment we did in class
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.”
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 17, 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=vGazyH6fQQ4
OPERANT CONDITIONING
 TASK
… Identify what type of reinforcement is occurring in the
scenarios
OPERANT CONDITIONING
 TASK
… Think of a way that you are rewarded and punished, for
example at school, at home or generally in society. Using
the key terms on page 6, explain how this is intended to
alter your behaviour. How successful is this method?
 HOMEWORK
… Task on page 8 (exam focus: model answer)