... organisms are capable of performing a wide range of complex responses, however these are seen as combinations of simpler responses in behaviourism. Continuity is assumed between humans and all other animals, which means that they are all capable of making similar responses even if those of humans are more complex. Reflexes are the simple biological processes that behaviourists have used as the fundamental model for explaining human behaviour. For example the smell of food may make us salivate and in this way, the stimulus and response are connected so that whenever the stimulus appears the response will follow. Other stimuli and responses, which are not normally associated with one another, can become so through 'conditioning'. Three factors can influence the conditioning process, contiguity, frequency and reinforcement. A stimulus and response are contiguous events because they occur at nearly the same time and in the same place. The amount of times ...

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