Operant conditioning and classical conditioning are two major concepts in behaviorism. Operant conditioning involves using rewards and punishments to shape behaviors, while classical conditioning uses association to link stimuli and responses. Some classic studies that demonstrate these principles include Pavlov's dogs, which showed classical conditioning, and Little Albert, which showed a phobia could be conditioned in a human. Behaviorism takes a scientific approach but has been criticized for ignoring internal mental processes and long-term effectiveness of only targeting behaviors.

1. Behaviourist Approach

2. Operant Conditioning
Operant conditioning is the learning
of new skills through reward and
punishment, or positive and negative
reinforcement, If we do something
well and get praise for it we are more
likely to do it again, at the same time
if we get punished, or told off we are
more likely not to do it again.

3. Classical conditioning is the learning
of a new skill through association. A
baby will cry and because of this
the mother/caregiver will provide
comfort, therefore every time the
baby wants comfort it will associate
it with crying, therefore the baby will
cry when it wants comfort.
Classical Conditioning

4. Social Learning is learning through
someone else’s is punishment and
rewards. If a child sees an adult
smoke and not be punished, they
will think it is acceptable for them to
smoke. Bandura saw adults beating
a doll with no punishment and then
saw children go and do the exact
same thing without be told to.
Social Learning

5. ttle Albert
Watson & Rayner 1920)
 AIM:
 Albert was 9-month-old infant who was tested on his reactions
to various stimuli. Pavlov showed that classical conditioning
applied to animals; Watson and Rayner wanted to see if it
applied to humans.
 METHOD:
 He was shown a white rat, a rabbit, a monkey and various
masks.
 Albert showed no fear of any of these stimuli.
 However what did startle him and cause him to be afraid was if
a hammer was struck against a steel bar behind his head. The
sudden loud noise would cause Albert to burst into tears. The
same thing was done in the presence of the furry animals
 This resulted in Albert being frightened by furry objects as he
expected a scary loud noise to simultaneously occur.

6. Pavlov's Dogs-classical conditioning
Pavlov 1902)
 Pavlov saw that dogs salivated
in the presence of food, he
wanted to see if he could make
the dogs salivate on command
without the presence of food.
 The food is the unconditioned
stimulus and salivation is the
unconditioned response.
 When the bell was rang by itself
the dog gave no response and
was merely confused.
 When the bell was rung while
the dogs were being fed the
dogs began to associate the
bell with the food.
 When the bell was then rang
(conditioned stimulus) alone
the dogs salivated (conditioned
response)

7. Strengths
o Scientific: The behaviourist approach uses scientific methods of
research. This is a strength because the experiments are objective,
measurable and observable. An example of this is Bandura's bobo
doll study of aggression.
o Highly applicable in real life: Behaviourism has supplied practical
solutions to many human problems. Operant conditioning has proven
an effective way of modifying behaviour amongst people who may
be difficult to teach in other ways (e.g. autistic children. It has also
been useful for providing therapy for treating abnormal behaviours.
o Can treat phobias: The behaviourist approach has successfully
applied classical and operant conditioning to its theories. Systematic
desensitisation is based on classical conditioning and is useful for
treating phobias.

8. o Not a long-lasting solution: The behavioural therapies have been
effective so far but they may not be a long term solution due to the
symptoms being a small factor in an abnormality. Even if you treat
the symptoms and remove them, the cause still remains and the
symptoms may simply resurface. This is called symptom substitution
and suggests that although the symptoms of many disorders are
behavioural , the cause may not be.
o Freud (psychodynamic approach): Freud criticizes behaviorism as it
does not take into account influence of the unconscious mind on
behavior, and instead focuses on external observable behavior.
Freud also rejects that idea that people are born a blank slate and
states that people are born with instincts.
o Ignores biology: The biological approach states that all behaviour
has a physical or organic cause and emphasise nature over nurture.
For example hormones such as testosterone is a large influence
which the behavioural approach does not consider
Weaknesses 1

9. Weaknesses 2
o Do not explain mental illnesses: Behaviourist explanations of mental
disorders have been criticised for offering an extremely limited view
of factors that cause abnormal factors. The explanations tend to
ignore the role of cognition in relation to the outbreak and treatment
of abnormality.
o Cannot compare humans and animals: Much of the behavioural
model of abnormality, including the principles of operant and
classical conditioning, has been established through studying
animals. This is a weakness because humans and animals cannot be
compared; we are different!
o Experiments have low ecological validity: Humanism rejects the
scientific method of using experiments to measure and control
variables because it creates an artificial environment and has low
ecological validity.