Behaviourism - Extended Episode
Are we born to behave the way we do? Or, is our behaviour learned?In this extended episode of Psychology Revision with PsychApply, we're exploring the fascinating science of learning through Classical Conditioning, Operant Conditioning and Social Learning Theory.Designed for A-level Psychology students, this comprehensive revision episode explores:Classical Conditioning: Pavlov's dogs, Watson and Rayner's Little Albert experiment, stimulus generalisation, extinction and how learned associations influence our behaviour.Operant Conditioning: Thorndike's Law of Effect, Skinner's research, positive and negative reinforcement, punishment, shaping and schedules of reinforcement.Social Learning Theory: Bandura's famous Bobo doll experiments, observational learning, identification, vicarious reinforcement and the four mediational processes.Strengths and weaknesses: Critically evaluating the research, scientific evidence and real-world applications of each approach.Applying psychology: Meet Megan, our fictional case study, as we explore how each theory explains her behaviour and develop your AO1, AO2 and AO3 examination skills.Packed with key terminology, memorable examples, research findings and practical exam tips, this episode will help you move beyond memorising theories to genuinely understanding how learning shapes human behaviour.Explore PsychApply Academy: https://app.psychapplyacademy.comShow references:Pavlov, I. P. (1927). Conditioned Reflexes: An Investigation of the Physiological Activity of the Cerebral Cortex.Watson, J. B., & Rayner, R. (1920). Conditioned Emotional Reactions. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 3(1), 1–14.Skinner, B. F. (1938). The Behavior of Organisms: An Experimental Analysis.Bandura, A., Ross, D., & Ross, S. A. (1961). Transmission of Aggression Through Imitation of Aggressive Models. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 63(3), 575–582.Bandura, A. (1965). Influence of Models' Reinforcement Contingencies on the Acquisition of Imitative Responses. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1(6), 589–595.