There are many ways in which humans are able to learn, some which are a result of reacting to environmental stimuli which alters their behaviour, this is known as behaviourism. Behaviourism comes in two main forms, learning and conditioning. Learning is known as change in information processing and behaviour as a result of experience. The definition of conditioning is a type of learning whereby a specific stimuli elicits a specific response. Conditioning branches into two different types; Classical and Operant conditioning.
Classical conditioning involves learning behaviour through the process of association, to which there are three stages with a stimuli and response. Before conditioning the unconditioned stimulus produces an unconditioned …show more content…
Little Albert was also too young to provide his consent to the study. It is clear that ethical guidelines in the 1920’s were not fully developed as they are today. Such research could be considered a contribution to the movement of establishing the precise and heavily followed ethical guidelines we have today. Another limitation is the external validity of the case study, every stage took part within a lab rather than natural everyday settings. This brings to question whether Albert would have reacted in the same way in an environment he was familiar to and comfortable. Positively the study was strictly controlled and all variables were closely monitored giving the study strong reliability. Regardless of the fact that the study proved humans can be classically conditioned, further research proves individual differences must be taken into account. It was found that Little Albert had a disability called hydrocephalus which is the build-up of fluids in the brain, such innate factors makes it difficult for us to say the study can easily be generalised to all as others without such a disability could have reacted in a different way, along with the fact that the case study only consisted of one child, lessening the possibility of generalising even more. However, as it was a case study the …show more content…
Thorndike (1874-1949) proposed the ‘Law of Effect’, he saw that if a response is followed by a reward then it will be strengthened. He discovered this by using his puzzle box with cats to which the gates opened to give access to food, once the lever within the box was stepped on. The cats eventually learned this action was required in order for a successful outcome therefore continued the behaviour. Burrhus F. Skinner was influenced by Watson’s ideas on behaviour. Skinner called learning from consequence operant conditioning. He saw that reinforcement was a key aspect when it came to learning. These types of reinforcement are Positive, Punishment and Negative. Positive reinforcement involves presenting the being with something they find pleasant, strengthening their behaviour. Negative reinforcement involves removing something the being doesn’t find pleasant strengthening their behaviour. Whilst punishment involves presenting the being with something they don’t find pleasant, weakening behaviour.
Skinner conducted research such as Skinners Box (1948) which proved the principles of operant conditioning and identified the relationship between operant and classical conditioning. However his work was done with rats and pigeons. Such animal studies make it difficult to generalise to human beings. Human studies in operant conditioning
Classical conditioning involves learning behaviour through the process of association, to which there are three stages with a stimuli and response. Before conditioning the unconditioned stimulus produces an unconditioned …show more content…
Little Albert was also too young to provide his consent to the study. It is clear that ethical guidelines in the 1920’s were not fully developed as they are today. Such research could be considered a contribution to the movement of establishing the precise and heavily followed ethical guidelines we have today. Another limitation is the external validity of the case study, every stage took part within a lab rather than natural everyday settings. This brings to question whether Albert would have reacted in the same way in an environment he was familiar to and comfortable. Positively the study was strictly controlled and all variables were closely monitored giving the study strong reliability. Regardless of the fact that the study proved humans can be classically conditioned, further research proves individual differences must be taken into account. It was found that Little Albert had a disability called hydrocephalus which is the build-up of fluids in the brain, such innate factors makes it difficult for us to say the study can easily be generalised to all as others without such a disability could have reacted in a different way, along with the fact that the case study only consisted of one child, lessening the possibility of generalising even more. However, as it was a case study the …show more content…
Thorndike (1874-1949) proposed the ‘Law of Effect’, he saw that if a response is followed by a reward then it will be strengthened. He discovered this by using his puzzle box with cats to which the gates opened to give access to food, once the lever within the box was stepped on. The cats eventually learned this action was required in order for a successful outcome therefore continued the behaviour. Burrhus F. Skinner was influenced by Watson’s ideas on behaviour. Skinner called learning from consequence operant conditioning. He saw that reinforcement was a key aspect when it came to learning. These types of reinforcement are Positive, Punishment and Negative. Positive reinforcement involves presenting the being with something they find pleasant, strengthening their behaviour. Negative reinforcement involves removing something the being doesn’t find pleasant strengthening their behaviour. Whilst punishment involves presenting the being with something they don’t find pleasant, weakening behaviour.
Skinner conducted research such as Skinners Box (1948) which proved the principles of operant conditioning and identified the relationship between operant and classical conditioning. However his work was done with rats and pigeons. Such animal studies make it difficult to generalise to human beings. Human studies in operant conditioning