1. Access Psychology Hannah Butler hbutler@stvincent.ac.uk

2. The Learning Approach Introduction to the Learning Approach

3. The Learning Approach When did the learning approach become popular in psychology? The learning approach (a.k.a. behavioural psychology or the behaviourist approach) was founded in the early 20 th century by John Watson.

4. The Learning Approach It challenged the view that the causes of behaviour were unobservable (psychodynamic approach-look at next week) and wanted to treat psychology as a science.

5. Key assumption of the Learning Approach The learning approach is primarily concerned with observable behaviour, as opposed to internal events like thinking and emotion. Observable (i.e. external) behaviour can be objectively and scientifically measured.

6. The Learning Approach All behaviour is learnt from the environment. NURTURE

7. The Learning Approach There is little difference between the learning that takes place in humans and that in other animals. Therefore research can be carried out on animals as well as humans.

8. Key assumption of the Learning Approach It is possible to establish GENERAL LAWS of learning which will allow us to predict and control behaviour

9. How do humans and animals learn? We can learn through: Association (Classical Conditioning) Reinforcements (Operant Conditioning) Imitation (Social Learning Theory)

10. Classical conditioning – learning through association Learning is based on reflex behaviours that all living organisms have. It involves learning to associate a stimulus which naturally brings about a response with a new stimulus so that it also brings about the same response.

11. Operant conditioning – learning through reinforcements Learning is based on the consequences of behaviour. Behaviour which is reinforced will be strengthened whilst behaviour which is punished will be weakened.

12. Social learning- learning through imitation Learning is based upon observation and imitation of role models. Also involves reinforcement either directly or indirectly.

13. Research methods Observational studies are used where the researcher observes a situation and records what happens. Can be covert or overt.

14. Albert bandura Born in 1925 Over almost six decades he has been responsible for many contributions in many fields of psychology. He is the founder of the social learning theory. He is responsible for the famous 1961 “Bobo doll” experiment.

15. Social learning theory In social learning theory Albert Bandura (1977) states behaviour is learned from the environment through the process of observational learning. Children observe the people around them behaving in various ways.

16. In a nutshell...... Children/people copy They make a choice about who they copy They are more likely to copy a higher status same sex role model They are most likely to copy if they see their model rewarded. (Vicarious reinforcement)

17. Behaviour has to be noticed The behaviour has to be remembered the person has to be capable of reproducing the behaviour There has to be a motivation to repeat the behaviour

18. Modelling Refers to the behaviour being demonstrated as well as being reproduced

19. In more detail..... Individuals that are observed are called models. In society children are surrounded many influential models, such as parents within the family, characters on children’s TV, friends within their peer group and teachers at school. They pay attention to some of these people (models) and encode their behaviour. At a later time they may imitate (i.e. copy) the behaviour they have observed.

20. First, the child is more likely to attend to and imitate those people it perceives as similar to itself. Consequently, it is more likely to imitate behaviour modelled by people the same sex as it is.

21. Second, the people around the child will respond to the behaviour it imitates with either reinforcement or punishment. If a child imitates a model’s behaviour and the consequences are rewarding, the child is likely to continue performing the behaviour. If parent sees a little girl consoling her teddy bear and says “what a kind girl you are”, this is rewarding for the child and makes it more likely that she will repeat the behaviour. Her behaviour has been reinforced (i.e. strengthened).

22. Third, the child will also take into account of what happens to other people when deciding whether or not to copy someone’s actions. This is known as vicarious reinforcement. E.g. other people’s reactions to that behaviour, action etc http://youtu.be/zerCK0lRjp8

23. Social learning theory and criminality According to social learning theory, people engage in crime because of their association with others who engage in crime. Their criminal behaviour is reinforced and they learn beliefs that are favourable to crime. They essentially have criminal models that they associate with.

24. As a consequence, these individuals come to view crime as something that is desirable, or at least justifiable in certain situations. Learning criminal or deviant behaviour is the same as learning to engage in conforming behaviour: it is done through association with or exposure to others. In fact, association with delinquent friends is the best predictor of delinquent behaviour other than prior delinquency.

25. Application of theory oApplying social learning theory to understanding how people learn to be criminals involves describing a suggested process oYou have to describe the process that goes on when a person decides to copy a certain behaviour and further processes involved in continuing to copy that behaviour to the point that the person themselves become a criminal

26. Homework On the moodle, complete ‘A boy called Joe’ worksheet