All behaviours are learned.
Abnormal behaviours are those
that are MALADAPTIVE.
Behaviour
is learned
through...
Classical
conditioning.
Operant
conditioning.
Social
learning.
CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
Learning through
association: e.g., a
neutral stimulus (a
bell) is paired with
an unconditioned
stimulus (food) to
produce a new
stimulus-response
link (drooling).
LITTLE
ALBERT -
WATSON
& RAYNER
(1920)
Showed a little child a rat, and
he liked it. Everytime the white
rat was shown, a metal bar
was struck to make a scary
noise. NEUTRAL STIMULUS
of the RAT was paired with the
UNCONDITIONED STIMULUS
of the SCARY NOISE to
produce the
STIMULUS-RESPONSE LINK
of FEAR OF THE RAT.
Psychological
disorders occur when a
neural experience
produces an
unpleasant response;
the neutral experience
is then avoided in
future. Eg, being bitten
by a dog may result in a
phobia of all dogs.
Preparedness.
OHMAN ET AT
(2000) could
condition people
to fear spiders...
but not flowers.
OPERANT CONDITIONING
Learning
occurs
through
reinforcement.
SKINNER (1974)
Conditioned rats so that
when a level is pulled, food
is released. POSITIVE
REINFORCEMENT.
Then, level produces electric shock. PUNISHMENT.
Decreases likelihood of behaviour being repeated.
POSITIVE AND
NEGATIVE
REINFORCEMENT
increases likelihood of
behaviour being repeated.
PUNISHMENT decreases
likelihood of behaviour
being repeated.
Psychological disorders
occur when a
MALADAPTIVE behaviour is
POSITIVELY REINFORCED
e.g. when a child gets what
she wants through tantrums,
she is more likely to behave
violently as an adult.
SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY
A
development
of operant
conditioning
by
BANDURA
(1960s)
VICARIOUS REINFORCEMENT is
when behaviours are learnt through
WATCHING OTHERS and SEEING
REWARDS or PUNISHMENTS
THEY RECIEVE.
Psychological disorders occur when a
MALADAPTIVE BEHAVIOUR is seen to be
POSITIVELY REINFORCED e.g. EATING
DISORDERS are often linked to
SUPER-THIN MODELS AND ACTRESSES.
EVALUATION
OF THE
BEHAVIOURAL
APPROACH
STRENGTHS
Provides
explanations for
disorders such as
eating disorders.
BECKER (1999)
found that when TV
was introduced in
Fiji there was a 16%
rise in numbers of
girls at high risk of
eating disorders.
Treatments based of behavioural approaches are successful in treatment of
some disorders. Because the treatment is based on the model, the if treatment
works, then the basis of the model works, proving the model is correct.
WEAKNESSES
Many
people
who
suffer
from
phobias
have
NOT
suffers
traumas
that
caused
them.
Overly simplistic. Ignores
genetics, cognitive and
emotional factors; places all
emphasis on learned
behaviours.