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PsychologyWhat do you already know?

What do Psychologists do?

They explain behaviour

But how do they explain it?

Many different APPROACHES or PERSPECTIVES to explaining behaviour

Unit 8: Psychological Approaches

For our first assignment we will be looking at 6 different psychological approaches & evaluating them.

This will form your P1 & M1 submission.

Todays Lesson: The Behaviourist Perspective

By the end of this lesson you will be able to…

Tell me what the Behaviourist perspective is

What Classical Conditioning is…

Apply at least ONE example

Evaluate the Behaviourist Perspective

The Behaviourist Perspective

Classical Conditioning (Pavlov)

Operant Conditioning (Skinner)

The Behaviourist PerspectiveThis Perspective believes that we

are born a blank slate, and that we learn our behaviour as a result of our experiences in our environment.

Therefore this is a NURTURE explanation.

Q. What do you think?

Classical Conditioning: The Behaviourist PerspectiveClassical conditioning was first observed by Ivan Pavlov in the late 1800’s.

He was studying how dogs salivation helps digest food, whilst studying this he noticed that dogs would salivate sometimes before their food arrived.

Pavlov then realised that that the dogs has ASSOCIATED food with other stimulus… Such as the door opening.

He later made the dogs associate food with bells…

Pavlov applied this learning by learning by association association to humans…

Classical Conditioning

Have you been classically conditioned?

At the dentist… are you frightened as you walk through the door? As you sit in the chair?

Going to the dentist is associated with pain – you expect pain whenever you go to the dentist

So what is classical

conditioning?

Classical conditioning is when a stimulus creates a response….

But this is a new response.. One we never had before

Pavlov’s Dogs This is our example…. Note down what happens in your own words….

Classical Conditioning

Before Conditioning:

BellNo

response

Food(UCS)

Salivates(UCR)

Unconditioned Stimulus

Unconditioned Response

Classical Conditioning

During Conditioning:

Bell

Food(UCS)

Salivates(UCR)

Unconditioned Stimulus

Unconditioned Response

Classical Conditioning

After Conditioning:

Bell(CS)

Salivates(CR)

Conditioned ResponseConditioned Stimulus

Applying Pavlov’s ideas to care settings – Your Turn

Amy is 5 years old and has gone to the hospital to visit her grandmother who is

unwell. When Amy arrives at the hospital she does not like the strong smell on the wards

and starts to vomit. The next day when Amy’s mum says shall we visit grandma Amy

instantly feels sick again.

Q. How would Pavlov explain this?

Classical Conditioning

Before Conditioning:

HospitalNo

response

Strong Smell(UCS)

Vomit(UCR)

Unconditioned Stimulus

Unconditioned Response

Classical Conditioning

During Conditioning:

Hosptial

Strong Smell(UCS)

Vomit(UCR)

Unconditioned Stimulus

Unconditioned Response

Classical Conditioning

After Conditioning:

Hospital(CS)

Vomit(CR)

Conditioned ResponseConditioned Stimulus

Amy Amy has learnt through association. Amy associates the hospital with vomiting

Amy has been classically conditioned to feel sick at the thought of going to the

hospital

Note - Both of these situations could turn into phobiasphobias iin later life

Little Albert… Classical Conditioning & Phobias…

The Case Study of little Albert

Raynor & Watson (1920) carried out a famous

experiment using classical conditioning to

demonstrate the origins of fears and phobias.

They looked at the behaviour of a little boy called Albert and found that he was fond of a white rat and wasn’t

frightened at all, in fact the only thing that he was frightened of was a loud noise which would make

him cry.

Little Albert Experiment

Before the experiment

During the experiment

After the experiment

*Rat = No fear

Noise = Fear

*Rat + Noise = Fear

*Rat = Fear

Classical Conditioning Evaluation

Classical condition has successfully been used to

explain phobias. It shows the importance

of…..

The study was conducted in a lab so….?

M1

The environment on our behaviour…

The study is considered scientific & valid… so this is strong support for this perspective

Classical Conditioning Evaluation

It ignores what happens between the stimulus and response (e.g.: thinking).

M1

The Behaviourist Perspective

it oversimplifies human behaviour to

‘object = response”

and ignores other possible explanations.

- This is called reductionism as it reduces behaviour down to one explanation…

what else could affect our

behaviour?M1

The Behaviourist Perspective

Behaviourists like to do research on animals and then generalise the findings to humans.

So?

- The behaviour of animals and humans is very different, so results should not be generalised.M1

Behaviourist Perspective Case Study: LauraClassical Conditioning

 Laura is 3 years old and has recently visited her GP’s

surgery to see the nurse who has given her a vaccination injection. Laura was frightened and tearful during this

visit and her mum says that even when they now have to visit the surgery for routine appointments and check-ups,

Laura cries and becomes fearful and refuses to go into the building.

 Using classical conditioning explain why Laura has

developed this fear of the surgery.  

Refer to:Stimulus & response association