Behaviourists Explain Maladaptive Behaviour in Terms of...

â€Å"Behaviourists explain maladaptive behaviour in terms of the learning principles that sustain and maintain it. Discuss this statement and show how a behaviourists approach to therapy is in stark contrast to a psychoanalytic one†. Behaviourism is a school of thought in psychology based on the assumption that learning occurs through interactions with the environment. Two other assumptions of this theory are that the environment shapes behaviour and that taking internal mental states such as thoughts, feelings and emotions into consideration is useless in explaining behaviour. Behaviourists are unique among psychologists in believing that it is unnecessary to speculate about internal mental processes. The behaviourist theory believes that†¦show more content†¦In this example the ringing bell had become a conditioned stimulus once it took on the association with food. Another example is the experiment of Little Albert (Watson and Rayner) which was conducted in 1920. Little Albert, a 9 month old child, was conditioned to respond with anxiety to the stimulus of a white rat. This was achieved by pairing the rat with a loud noise that already made Albert anxious. The anxiety response was transferred to the rat because it was presented together with the noise. Operant conditioning is a method of learning that occurs through rewards and punishments for behaviour. Through operant conditioning, an association is made between a behaviour and the consequence for that behaviour. Operant conditioning was first described by psychologist and behaviourist B.F Skinner. As a behaviourist, Skinner believed that internal thoughts and motivations could not be used to explain behaviour. Instead, Skinner suggested that we should look only at the external, observable causes of human behaviour. Skinner used the term Operant to refer to any ‘active behaviour that operates upon the environment to generate consequences’. In other words, Skinners theory explained how we acquire the range of learned behaviours we exhibit each and every day. Reinforcement and punishment are the core tools of operant condition and can be either positive or negative. There are four typesShow MoreRelated‘Behaviourists Explain Maladaptive Behaviour in Terms of the Learning Principles That Sustain and Maintain It. Discuss This Statement and Show How a Behaviourists Approach to Therapy Is in Stark Contrast to a Psychoanalytic One’2665 Words   |  11 PagesThis essay has 2462 words ‘Behaviourists explain maladaptive behaviour in terms of the learning principles that sustain and maintain it. Discuss this statement and show how a behaviourists approach to therapy is in stark contrast to a psychoanalytic one’ Behaviorism was originally founded by John B. Watson who believed that behavior had the means to be measured, trained and changed (1913) The Behavioural theory is firstly based on experiment and secondly by describing how human behaviour is learntRead Moreâ€Å"Behaviourists Explain Maladaptive Behaviour in Terms of the Learning Principles That Sustain and Maintain It. Discuss This Statement and Show How a Behaviourist’s Approach to Therapy Is in Stark Contrast to a Psychoanalytic One†.2459 Words   |  10 Pagesâ€Å"Behaviourists explain maladaptive behaviour in terms of the learning principles that sustain and maintain it. Discuss this statement and show how a behaviourist’s approach to therapy is in stark contrast to a psychoanalytic one†. The term ‘therapy’ has been defined as an activity which ‘involves the treatment of a disease or disorder, by some remedial, rehabilitating, or curative process’. Historically, there has been considerable development in the range and types of therapy that can beRead MoreChrysalis module four behaviourism stud3023 Words   |  13 Pagesï » ¿Ã¢â‚¬ËœBehaviourists explain maladaptive behaviour in terms of the learning principles that sustain and maintain it. Discuss this statement and show how a behaviourist’s approach to therapy is in stark contrast to a psychoanalytic one’ In this essay I will first of all explain the main principles and theories that underpin the behaviourist approach to psychology. I will subsequently outline how behaviourist theory can provide therapists with some insight into both the causes of maladaptive behaviourRead More‘Behaviourists Explain Maladaptive Behaviour in Terms of the Learning Principles That Sustain and Maintain It. Discuss This Statement and Show How a Behaviourist’s Approach to Therapy Is in Stark Contrast to a Psychoanalytic.’2499 Words   |  10 Pages‘Behaviourists explain maladaptive behaviour in terms of the learning principles that sustain and maintain it. Discuss this statement and show how a behaviourist’s approach to therapy is in stark contrast to a psychoanalytic.’ Introduction In this essay I intend to compare and contrast the behaviourist perspective with a psychoanalytical approach to therapy, in relation to the above statement and will explore their fundamental principles and differences. Throughout the centuriesRead MoreChrysalis Module 4 252607 Words   |  11 Pagesï » ¿Behaviourists explain maladaptive behaviour in terms of the learning principles that sustain and maintain it. Discuss this statement and show how a behaviourists approach to therapy is in stark contrast to psychoanalytic one. The term ‘therapy’ literary means, â€Å"curing, healing† and is defined as a treatment intended to relieve or heal a disorder. Historically, there has been considerable development in the range and types of therapy that can be used to help a client overcome their problems in