PSPE3724 Personality Psychology

Chapter 7: Behavioural and learning theory perspectives of

personality
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 Fundamental Learning Objectives

Behavioural and learning theory perspectives of personality

 Discuss the histories of all the theorists discussed in the chapter, as well as their contributions to the study of
human behaviour.
 Discuss the key concepts in Pavlov’s theory of conditioning.
 Explain the ethical implications of Watson and Rayner’s experiment on Little Albert.
 Contrast Thorndike and Pavlov's theories of learning.
 Discuss the types of selection by consequences according to Skinner.
 Comprehensively discuss operant and respondent behaviour.
 Discuss the schedules of reinforcement and provide practical examples for each schedule of reinforcement.
 Unpack Skinner's concept of shaping.
 Introduction
• Behaviourists do not believe in the unobservable
structural components that cannot be empirically
verified
• Joseph Wolpe – behaviourism and learning theory
Pavlov
• Dominant school of thought in the mid 20 th century
• Lost influence because it did not answer meaning
Watson
making regarding he environment Skinner
• Behaviourism explains behaviour in terms of a
causal relationship to the environment

Guthrie/Tolman/
• This led to cognitive revolution Hull Thorndike

• Arnold Lazarus – internal cognitive processes.

 Ivan P. Pavlov (1849–1936)
• Behaviourism:
- behaviour caused by environmental influences
• Classical conditioning: In Pavlov’s original study:
dog
presented dog salivates bell =
with food when conditioned
hearing bell stimulus

salivates bell sounded salivation =

without food conditioned
given response

bell sounded bell sounded

- neutral before dog
given food
• Key terms: unconditioned response, unconditioned stimulus, conditioned stimulus,
conditioned response, pairing
 John B. Watson (1878–1958)
• Founder of behaviourism, considered emotions as hereditary pattern reactions
• Consistent behaviour pattern  personality
• Conditional reflexes could then be extinct or reinforced and new ones could develop
• Three fundamental emotions in infants: - love
- rage
- fear.

The study involving Little Albert

- Conditioned to fear animal if fear-arousing noise is presented
- Fear generalised to other animals
- How long will the fear persist?

- Ethical issues: Consider what you learned about ethics in research, in which ways
does this case contravene ethical codes?
 Edward L. Thorndike (1874–1949)
• Proposed that the evolution of mind results from the development of nervous tissue
connections
• Combined functionalism and associationism
• Psychological functions controlled by nerve connections that control neural current.

Learning theory:
- Learning = neural connection between stimulus and response
= unsuccessful impulses  extinguished
= successful impulses (linked to pleasure)  retained
- Law of effect = successful steps in learning rewarded/vice versa.
- Pleasure or satisfaction determined which responses would be learned
 E. R. Guthrie, E. C. Tolman, and C. L. Hull
E. R. Guthrie (1886–1959)
- Pairing of a stimulus and a response = required for learning.
- Rewards and consequences do not strengthen learning

E. C. Tolman (1896–1961)
- Cognitive behaviourism = meanings are learned & cognitions developed.

C. L. Hull (1884–1952)
- Reinforcement is the central learning
- Proposed intervening variables between stimulus and response.
 B. F. Skinner (1904–1990)
Behaviour, genetic, and environmental variables are unconscious as long as they are
unobserved.
• Consciousness: causal effect through a verbal environment induces self-observation
• The ego: product of openness to reinforcement and punishment
• Behaviour: shaped by the environment.
Types of
selection by
consequences

Successive Operant and

approximati respondent
on (shaping) behaviour

Schedules of
reinforcement
 B. F. Skinner (1904–1990) cont.
Types of selection by consequences
Personality understood via these three types.
• Phylogenetic:
 natural selection: - environment selects variation
- base selection on survival/reproduction
- reliable behavioural patterns important
 determine types of events:- positive/negative reinforcers
- consequences: greater/lesser likelihood of survival and
reproductive success
• Ontogenetic:
 Behaviours act on environment = consequences or effects
 Successful behaviours selected on principle of reinforcement
• Cultural:
 Development, maintenance and modification of group behaviour
 B. F. Skinner (1904–1990) cont.

Imitation

Modelling Rule adherence

Genetic Cultural Reinforcement /

inheritance practices vice versa
 B. F. Skinner (1904–1990) cont.
Operant and respondent behaviour contingent

Respondent behaviour • Presence of eliciting stimuli

Operant behaviour • No stimuli present

Operant reflex • Spontaneous

Reinforcer • Rely on response

Operant conditioning • Frequency of response

 B. F. Skinner (1904–1990) cont.
Schedules of reinforcement
• After fixed time interval
Fixed interval • For example: Wages/salaries

• After specified number of responses

Fixed ratio • For example: Commission work

• Random
Variable ratio • For example: Gambling

• Reinforcement after first response

Variable interval • Variable time passed
• For example: Fishing
 B. F. Skinner (1904–1990) cont.
Successive approximation (shaping)
• More complex behaviours achieved
• Environment could shape superstitious behaviour
• Connection between reinforcer and behaviour unintentional
 Specific meaning attached to reinforced behaviour
 When behaviour is established Turn Beak
 Persist indefinitely with occasional reinforcement towards touched
spot spot
Experiment on pigeon Move
-pellet -Head
pellet
towards
given aimed at
given
spot Moveme spot
- pellet nts - pellet
given closer to given
spot
pellet
given
 Chapter summary
• Pavlov: - classical conditioning
- experiment on dog
• Watson: - three fundamental emotions in infants
- study on little Albert
• Thorndike: - learning theory – neural connections
- law and effect
• Guthrie: - pairing of a stimulus and a response
• Tolman: - cognitive behaviourism
• Hull: - reinforcement is the central learning
• Skinner: - behaviour shaped by environment
- types of selection by consequences
- operant and respondent behaviour contingent
- schedules of reinforcement
- successive approximation (shaping)
- experiment on pigeon.
Reflection on Bronfenbrenner
Much of our formal learning happens
in the education sector – whether
basic or higher education. Yet, some
fundamental learning takes place in
the other environments within which
we interact.

Use Pavlovian and Skinnerian theory

to explain gang participation.
Remember to apply the different
levels of involvement of gang activity
to Bronfenbrenner’s model.
 Dankie!
Thank you!
Ke a leboha!
Siyabonga!