Explain and Evaluate the Methodology of the Behaviourist Approach

Behaviourist

Lab experiments

Behaviourist psychologists use lab experiments in order to study behaviour in an objective manner. Lab experiments have proved useful when studying behavioural concepts like learning aggression through immitation. An example if this is Bandura's investigation on how children could learn aggressively behaviour indirectly through observational learning. Lab experiments allow us to be able to establish causal relationships as all variable are tightly controlled. They are also able to be replicated to to standardised procedures to ensure validity. They also produce quantitative data. Bandura was able to measure the aggressive behaviour performed by children after observing a model in an objective, controlled way.

However lab experiments do have their disadvantages. Because of the high controls and artificial setting, Lab experiments have low ecological validity and generalisation may be a problem. For example, it is questioned if Bandura's research is valid as children watched a model perform aggressive behaviour in an artificial setting. One must question if different results would be given if they witnessed this as a ‘real life' traumatic event. There may also be a danger of researcher bias and demand characteristics. Due the artificial setting, individuals may change their behaviour and this is unnatural and would affect the results. Also, the experimenter also may encourage behaviour to support their hypothesis and research.

Use of animals in research

Behaviourist psychologists use animal research in order to make generalisations to human behaviour. A strength of using animal participants is that it has proven successful to many therapies. An example of this is that Pavlov's experiment (classical conditioning) involving dogs. The same principles have been applied to the human