The document discusses the behaviorist perspective in psychology. It focuses on classical conditioning, explaining how Ivan Pavlov discovered that dogs could associate food with other stimuli like bells through conditioning. An example is provided of a girl, Laura, who becomes fearful of her doctor's surgery after a negative experience of getting a vaccination there, showing how classical conditioning can explain the development of phobias. The behaviorist perspective is evaluated, noting that it reduces behavior to stimulus-response explanations without considering other factors, and that results from animal studies may not generalize well to human behavior.

1. Psychology
What do you already know?

2. What do Psychologists do?
They explain behaviour
But how do they explain it?
Many different APPROACHES or
PERSPECTIVES to explaining behaviour

4. Unit 8:
Psychological Approaches
For our first assignment we will be looking
at 6 different psychological approaches &
evaluating them.
This will form your P1 & M1 submission.

5. Todays Lesson:
The Behaviourist Perspective
By the end of this lesson you will be able to…
Tell me what the Behaviourist perspective is
What Classical Conditioning is…
Apply at least ONE example
Evaluate the Behaviourist Perspective

6. The Behaviourist
Perspective
Classical Conditioning
(Pavlov)
Operant Conditioning
(Skinner)

7. The Behaviourist Perspective
This Perspective believes that we
are born a blank slate, and that
we learn our behaviour as a
result of our experiences in our
environment.
Therefore this is a NURTURE
explanation.
Q. What do you think?

8. Classical Conditioning:
The Behaviourist Perspective
Classical conditioning was first observed
by Ivan Pavlov in the late 1800’s.
He was studying how dogs salivation helps
digest food, whilst studying this he noticed
that dogs would salivate sometimes before
their food arrived.
Pavlov then realised that that the dogs has
ASSOCIATED food with other stimulus…
Such as the door opening.
He later made the dogs associate food with
bells…
Pavlov applied this lleeaarrnniinngg bbyy
aassssoocciiaattiioonn to humans…

9. Classical Conditioning

10. Have you been classically
conditioned?
At the dentist… are you
frightened as you walk through
the door? As you sit in the
chair?
Going to the dentist is
associated with pain – you
expect pain whenever you go
to the dentist

11. So what is classical
conditioning?
Classical conditioning is when
a stimulus creates a
response….
But this is a new response..
One we never had before

12. Pavlov’s Dogs This is our example…. Note down what happens in
your own words….

13. Classical Conditioning
Before Conditioning:
Bell No
response
Food
(UCS)
Salivates
(UCR)
Unconditioned
Stimulus
Unconditioned
Response

14. Classical Conditioning
During Conditioning:
Bell
Food
(UCS)
Salivates
(UCR)
Unconditioned
Stimulus
Unconditioned
Response

15. Classical Conditioning
After Conditioning:
Bell
(CS)
Salivates
(CR)
Conditioned Stimulus Conditioned Response

17. Applying Pavlov’s ideas to
care settings – Your Turn
Amy is 5 years old and has gone to the
hospital to visit her grandmother who is
unwell. When Amy arrives at the hospital she
does not like the strong smell on the wards
and starts to vomit. The next day when
Amy’s mum says shall we visit grandma Amy
instantly feels sick again.
Q. How would Pavlov explain this?

18. Classical Conditioning
Before Conditioning:
Hospital No
response
Strong Smell
(UCS)
Vomit
(UCR)
Unconditioned
Stimulus
Unconditioned
Response

19. Classical Conditioning
During Conditioning:
Hosptial
Strong Smell
(UCS)
Vomit
(UCR)
Unconditioned
Stimulus
Unconditioned
Response

20. Classical Conditioning
After Conditioning:
Hospital
(CS)
Vomit
(CR)
Conditioned Stimulus Conditioned Response

21. Amy
 Amy has learnt through
association. Amy associates
the hospital with vomiting
 Amy has been classically
conditioned to feel sick at
the thought of going to the
hospital
Note - Both of these situations could turn into
pphhoobbiiaass iin later life

22. Little Albert…
Classical Conditioning & Phobias…

23. The Case Study of little Albert
Raynor & Watson (1920)
carried out a famous
experiment using classical
conditioning to
demonstrate the origins of
fears and phobias.
They looked at the
behaviour of a little boy
called Albert and found
that he was fond of a
white rat and wasn’t
frightened at all, in fact
the only thing that he was
frightened of was a loud
noise which would make
him cry.

24. Little Albert Experiment
Before the experiment
During the experiment
After the experiment
*Rat = No fear
Noise = Fear
*Rat + Noise = Fear
*Rat = Fear

25. Classical Conditioning
Evaluation
 Classical condition has
successfully been used to
explain phobias.
 It shows the importance
of…..
 The study was conducted
in a lab so….?
M1
The environment on our behaviour…
The study is considered scientific & valid…
so this is strong support for this perspective

26. Classical Conditioning
Evaluation
M1
 It ignores what happens between the stimulus
and response (e.g.: thinking).

27. The Behaviourist Perspective
 it oversimplifies human
behaviour to
‘object = response”
and ignores other possible
explanations.
- This is called
reductionism as it
reduces behaviour down
to one explanation…
what else could affect our
behaviour? M1

28. The Behaviourist Perspective
Behaviourists like to do
research on animals and
then generalise the
findings to humans.
So?
- The behaviour of
animals and humans is very
different, so results should
not be generalised.
M1

29. Behaviourist Perspective Case Study: Laura
Classical Conditioning
Laura is 3 years old and has recently visited her GP’s
surgery to see the nurse who has given her a vaccination
injection. Laura was frightened and tearful during this
visit and her mum says that even when they now have to
visit the surgery for routine appointments and check-ups,
Laura cries and becomes fearful and refuses to go into
the building.
Using classical conditioning explain why Laura has
developed this fear of the surgery.
Refer to:
Stimulus & response association