1. BEHAVIOURISM/SOCIA
L LEARNING
APPROACH
Pavlov, Skinner, Bandura and Rotter

2. History lesson…
 Early 1900s –
If psychology is a
John Watson science,
we must stop
examining mental
states!!!
Conditioning is the key
to understanding
human behaviour!

3. Classical Conditioning recap
 Pavlov

4. Operant conditioning

5. Thorndike’s Puzzlebox

6. Law of effect
 “…responses that
produce a
satisfying effect in a
particular situation
become more likely
to occur again in
that situation, and
responses that
produce a
discomforting effect
become less likely
to occur again in
that situation.”

7. Skinner

8. Link to personality…
 How does conditioning relate to individual
differences in personality?
Personality is “the end
product of our habit
system”…the
combination of
consistent behaviour
patterns brought about
by our unique histories
of conditioning.

9. SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY
BANDU
RA

10. Reciprocal Determinism
There are both internal and
external determinants of
behaviour.
Behaviours, external factors
and internal factors, all
influence one another
BEHAVIOUR
EXTERNAL FACTORS INTERNAL
FACTORS
(rewards/punishments) (beliefs,

11. ROTTER
TO PREDICT HUMAN
BEHAVIOUR, WE MUST
CONSIDER FACTORS SUCH
AS PEOPLE’S
PERCEPTIONS,
EXPECTANCIES AND
VALUES
ROTTER’S BASIC FORMULA FOR PREDICTING
BEHAVIOUR
Behaviour Potential (BP) = Expectancy + Reinforcement
value

12. BEHAVIOUR POTENTIAL
 The likelihood of a given behaviour occurring
in a particular situation.
 Dependent on expectancy and reinforcement
value.

13. Expectancy
 “the probability held by the individual that a
particular reinforcement will occur as a
function of a specific behaviour on his part in a
specific situation or situations”
 The estimated likelihood of being reinforced.

14. What about first time situations?
 Rotter argues that expectancy will be based
on experiences in similar situation.
 Beyond this, Rotter proposes we either believe
our actions lead us to
reinforcements/punishments OR that we will
have little effect on the reinforcements and
punishments received…(LOCUS OF
CONTROL)

15. Locus of control
 A continuum where on one end, people have
an extremely internal orientation/locus of
control and believe that what happens to them
is the results of their own actions.
 On the other end, are people with an extreme
external locus of control, who maintain what
happens is the result of forces outside their
control.

16. REINFORCEMENT VALUE
 “The degree of preference for any
reinforcement to occur if the possibilities of
their occurring were all equal”
 The value that the reward holds for the
individual.

17. Main difference
 Main difference between Rotter’s social
learning theory and Skinner…
 Rotter included cognitive variables in his
model

18. Strengths and Criticisms
 Strengths:
 Empirical research – extensive laboratory
research
 Development of useful therapeutic procedures
e.g. behaviour modification
 Criticisms:
 Reject of free will is difficult to accept.
 Does not adequately consider heredity
 Humans more complex than lab animals.
 Effects of behaviour modification – short lived?

19. SAMPLE CASES
 For each of the following, write down reasons
for which behaviourists and social learning
psychologists may explain their personality.
Include hypothetical situations/examples.

20.  1 – Henry
 Stubborn, arrogant, talks back to authority
figures.
 2 – Roger
 Extraverted, talks a lot in class but sometimes
related to the topic. Has trouble keeping
secrets.
 3 – Julia
 Introverted, hates crowds, writes regularly in
her journal, stays up all night to study