All Definitions (Approaches)

Question 1

Behaviourist approach

Answer 1

A learning approach that suggests all children are born as “tabular rasae” (blank states), learning through their interactions with their environment.

Question 2

Biological approach

Answer 2

A learning approach that views human behaviour as a result of genetics and proposes that individual psychology stems from internal psychology.

Question 3

Classical conditioning

Answer 3

A form of learning which occurs by associating naturally occurring instinct with a new stimuli, thus creating a “conditioned” response.

Question 4

Cognitive approach

Answer 4

A learning approach which likens the human mind to a computer, with internal mental processes turning an input to an output. This approach suggests studying these internal processes by interference is the key to understanding human psychology.

Question 5

Congruence

Answer 5

When a person’s ideal self and actual self are aligned.

Question 6

Defence mechanism

Answer 6

Strategies employed by the ego to protect the mind from feelings that may be too overwhelming.

Question 7

Denial

Answer 7

A defence mechanism utilised by the unconscious mind. This is the complete refusal to acknowledge the occurrence of an event, in an attempt to prevent harm.

Question 8

Displacement

Answer 8

A defence mechanism utilised by the unconscious mind. This mechanism works by substituting the real target of overwhelming emotions with a (usually) defenceless target. This allows for a cathartic release of emotions that would not be possible with the original target.

Question 9

Ego

Answer 9

One of three components of personality according to the psychodynamic approach. The ego develops after the Id and functions to mediate between the desires of the Id and what is attainable. The ego is the decision-making component.

Question 10

Free will

Answer 10

The idea that we are in full control of our behaviour and decisions.

Question 11

Genotype

Answer 11

The genetic profile of an individual I.e. the genes they carry.

Question 12

Humanistic approach

Answer 12

A learning approach which presumes all humans are fundamentally good, and encourages the holistic study of the entire individual.

Question 13

Id

Answer 13

One of three components of personality according to the psychodynamic approach. The Id is the most primitive and selfish part of the personality, the only one at birth and only concerned with desires and achieving them.

Question 14

Identification

Answer 14

A form of learning according to the social learning theory, which suggests humans can learn by observing role models whom they perceive as similar to themselves. It suggests we internalise the beliefs of someone we “identify” with I.e. are similar to, perhaps in gender, age or goals.

Question 15

Imitation

Answer 15

A form of learning suggested by social learning theory, which proposes that people learn through copying the behaviour of a role model they identify with.

Question 16

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Answer 16

A theory that suggests humans have multiple needs that need to be achieved in a particular order to fully achieve a persons potential.

Question 17

Modelling

Answer 17

When a role model enacts a behaviour that can be imitated by an observer

Question 18

Mediational processes

Answer 18

Internal processes that contribute to producing certain behaviours, hence “mediators” between observation and imitation.

Question 19

Negative reinforcement

Answer 19

A behaviour performed in response to a negative stimulus in the expectation that the negative stimulus will be removed, for example a mother comforting a crying child. They learn to comfort their child again and again (reinforced behaviour) to avoid the child crying (negative stimulus).

Question 20

Operant conditioning

Answer 20

A form of learning by direct consequences for behaviour, whether that be reinforcement (consequences that increase behaviour) or punishment (consequences that decrease behaviour).

Question 21

Phenotype

Answer 21

An organism’s physical manifestation of their genotype.

Question 22

Positive reinforcement

Answer 22

Administration of a positive stimulus that aims to increase a certain behaviour. An example would be giving a child a treat (positive stimulus) if they clean their room, so they clean their room more often (reinforced behaviour)

Question 23

Psychodynamic approach

Answer 23

A learning approach that describes human behaviour as a product of unconscious processes.

Question 24

Psychosexual stages

Answer 24

A theory by Freud which suggests personality develops via overcoming a series of stages in childhood. Failure to complete a stage would result in fixation, which manifests as some sort of disorder in adulthood.

Question 25

Repression

Answer 25

A defence mechanism utilised by the unconscious mind. This mechanism prevents disturbing thoughts/memories reaching the conscious mind, in an attempt to prevent harm.

Question 26

Schema

Answer 26

A mental framework based on previous information that allows us to interpret new information efficiently.

Question 27

Self actualisation

Answer 27

Essentially, a person’s full potential, which can be achieved after primary needs have been met.

Question 28

Social learning theory

Answer 28

A learning approach that combines the behaviourist ideas of learning through our environment and the cognitive ideas of involvement of internal mental processes. It proposes that new behaviours can be acquired by observing and imitating others.

Question 29

Superego

Answer 29

One of the three components of the personality according to the psychodynamic approach. The superego develops last and aims to be the moral component of personality that encourages the ego to achieve perfection via self-criticism.

Question 30

Vicarious reinforcement

Answer 30

Indirect encouragement of behaviour through observation of consequences for other peoples’ behaviour.