ABSTRACT
Psychologists from the learning/behavioural approach believe that all animals (including humans) learn through the same general laws of stimulus–response. In this chapter, we will look at these laws of learning and consider how different types of conditioning shape behaviour. Learning theories help to explain how animals learn to perform “tricks” and the reasons why humans behave in the way they do. We will also consider the learning theory approach to ways in which we can alter behaviour and thereby treat phobias and other problem behaviours. What's in this unit?
The specification lists the following things that you will need to be able to do for the examination:
Describe the principles of classical conditioning: unconditioned stimulus; unconditioned response; conditioned stimulus; conditioned response; extinction; spontaneous recovery; generalisation; discrimination; the contributions of Pavlov
Describe the principles of operant conditioning: Thorndike’s Law of Effect and the contributions of Skinner; behaviour shaping; the distinction between positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement and punishment
Describe and evaluate attempts to apply conditioning procedures to the treatment of phobias (flooding and systematic desensitisation) and to change unwanted behaviour (aversion therapy and Token Economy), and the ethical implications of such attempts
