Behaviourism - Introduction

Behaviourism is primarily concerned with observable behaviour which can be objectively and scientifically measured.

Behaviourist terms;
Stimulus - Any change in the environment that we register.
Response – Any behaviour that we emit as a result of the Stimulus.
Reflex – A consistent connection between Stimulus and Response.
Unconditioned Reflex – A Stimulus-Response connection that required no learning.
Neutral Stimulus – A Stimulus that produces no Response.

Key assumptions;
The therapeutic process involves a client and their environment. The learning process is not passive – the client is actively learning something but does not control the outcome. The client’s learnings are reinforced by the therapist or environment. The environment controls or shapes the outcome and reinforces the learned behaviours over time.

Behaviourism focuses on reward and punishment (Operant Conditioning). The client will react to a situation depending on how past experiences have educated them to do so. This suggests that personality is the result of conditioning history. Traditional behaviourists believe that all learning can be explained by the processes of classical and operant conditioning.

Behaviourists believe that phobias are an example of classical conditioning. To produce a phobia, a client needs an unconditioned stimulus producing a strong emotional reaction and a situation where it may become associated with a neutral stimulus. This can then lead to generalisation which can then develop into an irrational belief.