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2022-2024 Year 13 A-Level Psychology - The Learning Approaches Part 2
This deck covers key concepts and critiques of learning theories in psychology, focusing on classical and operant conditioning, as well as social learning theory.
In Pavlov’s research, who were the participants?
Dogs
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Key Terms
Term
Definition
In Pavlov’s research, who were the participants?
Dogs
During Pavlov’s research, what did the dogs learn to associate?
The food (UCS) + the bell (NS)
What became the conditioned response?
Salivation
What was the conditioned stimulus?
The bell
Which researcher investigated operant conditioning?
Skinner
How were rats positive reinforced in Skinner's research?
Every time they pulled a lever, they were given food
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
In Pavlov’s research, who were the participants? | Dogs |
During Pavlov’s research, what did the dogs learn to associate? | The food (UCS) + the bell (NS) |
What became the conditioned response? | Salivation |
What was the conditioned stimulus? | The bell |
Which researcher investigated operant conditioning? | Skinner |
How were rats positive reinforced in Skinner's research? | Every time they pulled a lever, they were given food |
How were rats negatively reinforced in Skinner's research | Pulling the lever stopped the electric current in the floor |
Positive reinforcement is the only type of reinforcement which increases the likelihood of behaviour being repeated. | False - negative reinforcement ALSO increases the likelihood the behaviour will be repeated |
AO3: If behaviourists believe all behaviour is controlled by stimulus, response, and association, how could this be criticised? | Determinism (environmental) |
AO3: What are two practical applications of the behaviourist approach? | Systematic desensitisation and flooding (treatments of phobias) |
AO3: How could Pavlov and Skinner research be criticised? | Animal bias |
AO3: What does behaviourism reduce human behaviour down to? | Stimulus, response and association |
Social learning theory was proposed by which researcher? | Bandura |
Social learning theory assumes behavioural learning is through … | Observation and imitation of a model |
Social learning theory proposed another type of reinforcement… What is this called? | Vicarious reinforcement |
Name two FEATURES of the social learning theory | Observational learning + the mediational processes |
What does ARRM in the mediational processes refer to? | • Attention • Retention • Reproduction • Motivation (or reinforcements) |
The mediational processes occur between _ and _ | Stimulus (observation) and response (imitation) |
AO3: What is one strength of Bandura's research into SLT | Scientific methods |
AO3: What makes Bandura's bobo dolls study scientific? | High control over extraneous variables (using the same model in both conditions) |
AO3: How was one extraneous variable controlled by Bandura | Using the same model in both conditions |
What did Bandura's research find? | Children in the aggressive condition had significantly higher physical and verbal aggression |
Why is the behaviourist explanation of human behaviour criticised for being environmental deterministic? | This is because the approach states that an individual’s behaviour is controlled by external factors such as learning through stimulus, response and association (classical conditioning) or being rewarded for a behaviour (operant conditioning) that inevitably cause behaviour. Therefore, this neglects the role of free will, and choice that individuals have; this could leave individuals feeling like they have no control over their behaviour. Limiting the appropriateness of the behaviourist explanation of human behaviour. |
Why is the behaviourist explanation of human behaviour an important part of applied Psychology? | The principles of the theory, that behaviour is caused by classical conditioning has led to the treatment of systematic desensitisation. This is effective in treating phobias by helping the individual to unlearn their maladaptive association to a phobic stimulus by gradually exposing them to their phobia whilst they apply relaxation techniques. Therefore, the behaviourist explanation of human behaviour is an important part of applied psychology as it helps to treat people in the real world. |
Why is the behaviourist explanation of human behaviour criticised for being environmental reductionist? | This is because the approach reduces complex human behaviour down to simple basic units for example, learning through stimulus, response and association (classical conditioning) or rewards and reinforcements (operant conditioning). This neglects a holistic approach, which would take in to account how a person’s culture and social context would influence and explain human behaviour. Therefore, the behaviourist explanation of human behaviour may lack validity, as it does not allow us to understand the behaviour in context. |