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Britain & the wider world: 1745 -1901
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Psychology
13 Dec 2025
430
4 pages
Keira King @keiraakingg
The Behaviourist Approach focuses on how behaviours are learned through interaction with the environment. This psychological perspective emphasizes... Show more
The behaviourist approach is founded on the idea that all behaviour is learned from the environment. Unlike other psychological approaches, behaviourists are only interested in studying behaviour that can be directly observed and measured.
Key figures shaped this approach in different ways. Pavlov demonstrated classical conditioning with his famous dog experiments, establishing stimulus-response associations. Watson applied similar principles with "Little Albert," creating fear associations with a white rat. Skinner developed operant conditioning using pigeons and rats to show how consequences influence learning.
Behaviourists maintain that we are born as a tabula rasa (blank slate) and learn everything through conditioning. They prefer controlled lab experiments for objectivity, often using animals as subjects since they believe the same learning principles apply across species.
Learning Tip Think about how many of your everyday behaviours might be conditioned responses. Do you get hungry at certain times of day? That's conditioning at work!
Classical conditioning, discovered by Pavlov, occurs when a neutral stimulus (like a bell) is repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus (like food) that naturally produces a response (salivation). Eventually, the neutral stimulus alone triggers the same response, becoming a conditioned stimulus producing a conditioned response.
If the conditioned stimulus appears without the unconditioned stimulus multiple times, extinction occurs and the response disappears. However, spontaneous recovery can happen if the stimuli are paired again.
Operant conditioning, developed by Skinner, focuses on how voluntary behaviours are influenced by consequences. Behaviours followed by rewards (positive reinforcement) or removal of unpleasant things (negative reinforcement) increase. For example, giving a child a treat for politeness is positive reinforcement, while applying sunscreen to avoid sunburn is negative reinforcement.
Skinner demonstrated this using his famous "Skinner box" where animals learned to press levers for food rewards. The frequency of lever-pressing showed how strongly the behaviour had been conditioned.
Remember In operant conditioning, reinforcement (positive or negative) increases behaviours, while punishment decreases them!
Punishment occurs when behaviour leads to unpleasant consequences, making it less likely to be repeated. This principle complements reinforcement in the behaviourist framework of learning.
The behaviourist approach has practical applications, particularly in therapy. Systematic desensitisation treats phobias using classical conditioning principles by gradually eliminating the learned anxious response associated with feared objects or situations.
Despite its contributions, behaviourism has significant limitations. Critics point out that experiments on rats and pigeons may not apply directly to humans, who have more complex cognitive and social systems. This makes the approach somewhat biologically reductionist by overlooking human complexity.
While behaviourist research has high experimental control and internal validity, it challenges the notion of free will. Skinner argued that free will is merely an illusion and that all behaviour results from environmental conditioning—a view that conflicts with humanistic psychology's emphasis on personal choice.
Critical thinking point Consider something you've learned recently. Was it purely through conditioning, or were there cognitive factors involved that behaviourism doesn't account for?
The behaviourist approach has been criticised for ignoring other important aspects of human psychology. By focusing solely on observable behaviour, behaviourists neglect cognitive factors and emotional states that significantly influence how we act.
Treating humans as merely products of conditioning means overlooking substantial evidence for how our thoughts, feelings, and internal processes shape our behaviour. This creates an incomplete picture of human psychology.
This simplistic view limits our understanding of complex human behaviours that involve conscious decision-making, emotional responses, and thought processes that can't be directly observed through behaviourist methods.
Broader perspective When explaining your own behaviour, try considering both environmental influences (as behaviourists would) AND your internal thoughts and feelings. Which explanation feels more complete?
Our AI Companion is a student-focused AI tool that offers more than just answers. Built on millions of Knowunity resources, it provides relevant information, personalised study plans, quizzes, and content directly in the chat, adapting to your individual learning journey.
You can download the app from Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
That's right! Enjoy free access to study content, connect with fellow students, and get instant help – all at your fingertips.
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Transform this note into: ✓ 50+ Practice Questions ✓ Interactive Flashcards ✓ Full Mock Exam ✓ Essay Outlines
Quotes from every main character
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The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
Keira King
@keiraakingg
The Behaviourist Approach focuses on how behaviours are learned through interaction with the environment. This psychological perspective emphasizes observable actions rather than internal mental processes, suggesting that all behaviour can be explained through conditioning principles.
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
The behaviourist approach is founded on the idea that all behaviour is learned from the environment. Unlike other psychological approaches, behaviourists are only interested in studying behaviour that can be directly observed and measured.
Key figures shaped this approach in different ways. Pavlov demonstrated classical conditioning with his famous dog experiments, establishing stimulus-response associations. Watson applied similar principles with "Little Albert," creating fear associations with a white rat. Skinner developed operant conditioning using pigeons and rats to show how consequences influence learning.
Behaviourists maintain that we are born as a tabula rasa (blank slate) and learn everything through conditioning. They prefer controlled lab experiments for objectivity, often using animals as subjects since they believe the same learning principles apply across species.
Learning Tip: Think about how many of your everyday behaviours might be conditioned responses. Do you get hungry at certain times of day? That's conditioning at work!
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Classical conditioning, discovered by Pavlov, occurs when a neutral stimulus (like a bell) is repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus (like food) that naturally produces a response (salivation). Eventually, the neutral stimulus alone triggers the same response, becoming a conditioned stimulus producing a conditioned response.
If the conditioned stimulus appears without the unconditioned stimulus multiple times, extinction occurs and the response disappears. However, spontaneous recovery can happen if the stimuli are paired again.
Operant conditioning, developed by Skinner, focuses on how voluntary behaviours are influenced by consequences. Behaviours followed by rewards (positive reinforcement) or removal of unpleasant things (negative reinforcement) increase. For example, giving a child a treat for politeness is positive reinforcement, while applying sunscreen to avoid sunburn is negative reinforcement.
Skinner demonstrated this using his famous "Skinner box" where animals learned to press levers for food rewards. The frequency of lever-pressing showed how strongly the behaviour had been conditioned.
Remember: In operant conditioning, reinforcement (positive or negative) increases behaviours, while punishment decreases them!
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Punishment occurs when behaviour leads to unpleasant consequences, making it less likely to be repeated. This principle complements reinforcement in the behaviourist framework of learning.
The behaviourist approach has practical applications, particularly in therapy. Systematic desensitisation treats phobias using classical conditioning principles by gradually eliminating the learned anxious response associated with feared objects or situations.
Despite its contributions, behaviourism has significant limitations. Critics point out that experiments on rats and pigeons may not apply directly to humans, who have more complex cognitive and social systems. This makes the approach somewhat biologically reductionist by overlooking human complexity.
While behaviourist research has high experimental control and internal validity, it challenges the notion of free will. Skinner argued that free will is merely an illusion and that all behaviour results from environmental conditioning—a view that conflicts with humanistic psychology's emphasis on personal choice.
Critical thinking point: Consider something you've learned recently. Was it purely through conditioning, or were there cognitive factors involved that behaviourism doesn't account for?
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
The behaviourist approach has been criticised for ignoring other important aspects of human psychology. By focusing solely on observable behaviour, behaviourists neglect cognitive factors and emotional states that significantly influence how we act.
Treating humans as merely products of conditioning means overlooking substantial evidence for how our thoughts, feelings, and internal processes shape our behaviour. This creates an incomplete picture of human psychology.
This simplistic view limits our understanding of complex human behaviours that involve conscious decision-making, emotional responses, and thought processes that can't be directly observed through behaviourist methods.
Broader perspective: When explaining your own behaviour, try considering both environmental influences (as behaviourists would) AND your internal thoughts and feelings. Which explanation feels more complete?
Our AI Companion is a student-focused AI tool that offers more than just answers. Built on millions of Knowunity resources, it provides relevant information, personalised study plans, quizzes, and content directly in the chat, adapting to your individual learning journey.
You can download the app from Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
That's right! Enjoy free access to study content, connect with fellow students, and get instant help – all at your fingertips.
5
Smart Tools NEW
Transform this note into: ✓ 50+ Practice Questions ✓ Interactive Flashcards ✓ Full Mock Exam ✓ Essay Outlines
Quotes from every main character
English LiteratureApp Store
Google Play
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
Sociology