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1: What factors, according to the behavioural approach determine

behaviour?
The behavioural approach states that we learn things by doing them. To expand on that,
we respond to stimuli and learn from the response given from our actions.

2: Briefly describe one experiment that demonstrates classical

conditioning.
Pavlov's dog is a very good example of this. Ivan Pavlov wanted to know why dogs
salivated, and he discovered that they salivated whenever food was around them. He took
that finding further by doing an experiment with a bell. He rung the bell each time before
feeding time, and discovered that the dogs salivated when they heard the bell enough
times.

This suggests that the dogs found a link between the bell and food, and had learnt, been
conditioned.

3: Outline the principles of classical conditioning.

Classical conditioning is a form of learning things which works by learning by association.
For classical conditioning to happen, the person to be conditioned must already have an
existing reflex or reaction to some stimulus.

4: Describe one therapy based on the principles of classical

conditioning.
A counsellor, or a Neuro Linguistic Programmer, like Paul McKenna can use operant
conditioning in order to link things together in order to help people. He links good
memories and emotions to the behaviours his patients want to have or keep, and links
negative memories and feelings to the behaviour his patients want to eradicate. For
example, he linked a food which his patient found utterly revolting to chocolate in his tv
show “I Can Make You Thin”; then the patient no longer had a desire for chocolate
anymore.

5: Briefly describe one experiment that demonstrates operant

conditioning.
A good example consists of creating a phobia with a baby by clashing loud cymbals to
scare the baby each time it played with its favourite animal, the white rat. It was found that
his phobia spread to other things white or furry. He was thankfully conditioned back to
normal.

6: Outline the principles of operant conditioning

Operant conditioning requires a schedule of reinforcement. If a reward is always given for
good behaviour, the person will begin to expect it, or feel the need to stop being good if
they don’t get the reward. By always punishing bad behaviour and choosing to selectively
reward the good behaviour, the strongest good behaviour will be done by that person.
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7: Is punishment the same as negative reinforcement.

Punishment is not the same as negative reinforcement. As negative reinforcement can be
something as small as shaking your head, looking away from someone who is speaking to
you, or calling them an idiot; all of which are not punishments.

As people look for affirmation, and acceptance in life, people will wish to avoid negative
reinforcement, and instead look for positive reinforcement.

8: Give two reasons why punishment may be ineffective.

A punishment can be ineffective if the person being punished believes that they are getting
the punishment they are having to make the other person happy. If someone is beaten up
for being rude, after being beaten up, they will find no reason to stop being rude, they will
instead find a reason for why they shouldn’t have such a harsh punishment next time they
are rude. And if they stop being rude, it’s because they’re scared of being beaten up, not
because they don’t wish to, or know it’s wrong.

A punishment can also be ineffective if it is too quick. If a small child is sent to their room
for two minutes, they will be upset due to their punishment, and it is likely they will cry or
be bored in their room. But once out of their room, they will have a change of mind, and
realise that their parents are being too soft on them. And they will do it again, or do
something else to find their boundaries.

9: Describe one therapy based on the principles of operant

conditioning.
Operant conditioning therapy consists of a person getting reward and punishment for their
behaviour in order to condition them. A good example is teaching a dog to sit.

Operant conditioning is a type of conditioning where the person learns by actually doing
things. Something happens, and there is a direct result of that action. A common way of
operant conditioning is to make someone associate something such as a dog sitting once
told to, with a reward. Creating association through reward and punishment is a great
example of operant conditioning.

10: Briefly describe one experiment that demonstrates social

learning theory
One experiment which demonstrates social learning theory is one where children watch
the same video but in three ways. In an experiment by Arthur Bandura; also known as
“The Bobo Doll Experiment”, two groups children watch the same video, but in different
forms, cartoon form, and in real life. The experiment was designed to find out whether
children were susceptible to violence on television. The children who watched the cartoon
were not violent; whereas the children who watched the violent actions in real life
performed on the Bobo doll were violent.
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11: Is social learning theory an extension of classical or operant

conditioning.
I’m unsure. It’s an extension in the sense that it fills the gap which both conditioning
theories don’t fill. But really it doesn’t review the same phenomena that classical and
operant conditioning goes over.

12: Outline the principles of social learning theory.

Social learning theory describes the gap found in both operant and classical conditioning.
Social learning theory says that we learn from observing and listening to others. It is why
we can learn things without doing them. It says that we observe others, using them to
modelling their behaviour from them and then imitate them.

Social learning theory can explain why celebrities who take drugs are looked down upon,
and why MPs who have affairs are sacked. It can also explain why people choose to never
shoplift or to drink and drive.

13: How is social learning theory different from operant

conditioning?
Social learning theory is different from operant conditioning as operant conditioning
requires that we have to of done something in order to learn from it. Social learning theory
says that’s not the only way we learn.

14: Describe one therapy based on the principles of social learning

theory.
Social learning theory can be used to make people into better citizens. I think that soaps
give out social learning theory everyday as they teach people how to behave.