Learning theories supporting evidence
Theory Supporting evidence Conflicting evidence
Classical conditioning - Pavlov, conditioned - Only explains basic
dogs to salivate at reflex responses e.g.
the sound of a salivation, anxiety
metronome and sexual arousal,
- Watson and Rayner cannot account for
Little Albert - more complex
conditioned a baby learned behaviour
to fear fluffy white e.g. behaviours
objects learned to avoid fear
- Both used CC
Social Learning Theory - Bandrua’s studies, - Ignores effect of
children would biological factors on
omitted an aggression e.g.
aggressive role Raine’s findings on
model on a bobo brain structure
doll, especially if the
role model was
same-sex
- Nichol and Pope
1999, chickens
would selectively
imitate high-status
same-sex models in
pecking a pad for
food, behaviour can
be acquired by
observation and
imitation and the
likelihood of imitation
is affected by
vicarious
reinforcement
Operant conditioning - Skinner’s box, shows - Only animals Rudis
how animals rate of to back theory, not
behaviour can generalisable to
increase with a humans BUT basic
rewards following the conditioning
behaviour pathways in animals
- Can be used for are same as in
token economy humans
programmes
Individual differences
Theory Individual difference
Theory Supporting evidence Conflicting evidence
Classical conditioning - Pavlov, conditioned - Only explains basic
dogs to salivate at reflex responses e.g.
the sound of a salivation, anxiety
metronome and sexual arousal,
- Watson and Rayner cannot account for
Little Albert - more complex
conditioned a baby learned behaviour
to fear fluffy white e.g. behaviours
objects learned to avoid fear
- Both used CC
Social Learning Theory - Bandrua’s studies, - Ignores effect of
children would biological factors on
omitted an aggression e.g.
aggressive role Raine’s findings on
model on a bobo brain structure
doll, especially if the
role model was
same-sex
- Nichol and Pope
1999, chickens
would selectively
imitate high-status
same-sex models in
pecking a pad for
food, behaviour can
be acquired by
observation and
imitation and the
likelihood of imitation
is affected by
vicarious
reinforcement
Operant conditioning - Skinner’s box, shows - Only animals Rudis
how animals rate of to back theory, not
behaviour can generalisable to
increase with a humans BUT basic
rewards following the conditioning
behaviour pathways in animals
- Can be used for are same as in
token economy humans
programmes
Individual differences
Theory Individual difference
