psychology
Describe the behaviourist approach in psychology and evaluate the research methods used by behaviourist psychologists.
The behaviourist approach in psychology states that all behaviour is learnt from experience and from the environment we are in. John Locke (1690) a psychologist described the mind as ‘Tabula Rasa’, believing when we are born our minds are completely blank slates, and that all of our behaviour is dependent upon our interactions and experiences with the environment. Behaviourists believe all our behaviour is determined by stimulus response links - the idea that behaviour depends upon consequences. It is believed that internal mental processes cannot be studied scientifically and that psychology should be only scientific and objective. A lot of the testing and research in the behaviourist approach is taken out on animals as according to the approach, animals and humans both learn in the same way. Therefore the results we get from animals we can apply to humans. The behaviourist approach is a strong support of the nurture side of the nature-nurture debate in psychology. Therefore the approach is very much an opposite to the biological approach with few similarities between them both. Both do in fact believe that psychology should be scientific and highly controlled, meaning their results are more reliable and replicable. Both approaches also focus on being objective rather than subjective. Both also use animals in their research. The differences however are the behaviour approach focuses on everything being influenced by environment where as biological focuses on everything being influenced by genetics. Therefore strongly supporting the Nature side rather than behaviour which supports the Nurture side.
One of the biggest psychologists involved with the behaviourist who really established the behaviourist approach is John Broadus Watson (1878-1985). He stated that consciousness could not be seen of meaningfully defined therefore shouldn’t be
The behaviourist approach in psychology states that all behaviour is learnt from experience and from the environment we are in. John Locke (1690) a psychologist described the mind as ‘Tabula Rasa’, believing when we are born our minds are completely blank slates, and that all of our behaviour is dependent upon our interactions and experiences with the environment. Behaviourists believe all our behaviour is determined by stimulus response links - the idea that behaviour depends upon consequences. It is believed that internal mental processes cannot be studied scientifically and that psychology should be only scientific and objective. A lot of the testing and research in the behaviourist approach is taken out on animals as according to the approach, animals and humans both learn in the same way. Therefore the results we get from animals we can apply to humans. The behaviourist approach is a strong support of the nurture side of the nature-nurture debate in psychology. Therefore the approach is very much an opposite to the biological approach with few similarities between them both. Both do in fact believe that psychology should be scientific and highly controlled, meaning their results are more reliable and replicable. Both approaches also focus on being objective rather than subjective. Both also use animals in their research. The differences however are the behaviour approach focuses on everything being influenced by environment where as biological focuses on everything being influenced by genetics. Therefore strongly supporting the Nature side rather than behaviour which supports the Nurture side.
One of the biggest psychologists involved with the behaviourist who really established the behaviourist approach is John Broadus Watson (1878-1985). He stated that consciousness could not be seen of meaningfully defined therefore shouldn’t be