1. ASSUMPTIONS OF THE BEHAVIOURIST APPROACH

2. 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.

3. 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?

4. 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

5. 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?

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. COMMON PRINCIPLES IN LEARNING  Read the section on page 17 and match the term to the definition

9. 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?

10. 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.

11.  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 - YouTubeClassical Conditioning - Ivan Pavlov - YouTube ASSUMPTION 3: BEHAVIOUR CAN BE EXPLAINED THOUGH CLASSICAL CONDITIONING

12. CLASSICAL CONDITIONING  Before conditioning UCSUCR (Food)(Salivation) NSNo Response (Metronome)

13. CLASSICAL CONDITIONING  During conditioning UCSNSUCR (Food)(Metronome)(Salivation)  After conditioning CSCR (Metronome)(Salivation)

14. 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

15. LITTLE ALBERT  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt0ucxOrPQE 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

16. 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.”

17. OPERANT CONDITIONING  Operant conditioning is learning through consequence  It focuses on reward and punishment.  Have you been rewarded or punished this week?

18. 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

19. OPERANT CONDITIONING  Can pigeons read? … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_ctJqjlrHA&feature =related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_ctJqjlrHA&feature =related  Or play ping pong? … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGazyH6fQQ4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGazyH6fQQ4

20. OPERANT CONDITIONING  TASK … Identify what type of reinforcement is occurring in the scenarios

21. 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)