Apporaches (AS Paper 2)

Question 1

What was the name of Wundt’s textbook

Answer 1

Principles of psychological psychology

Question 2

Where was Wundt’s first lab located and what year was it built

Answer 2

A small town in Germany called Leipzig and it was built in 1879

Question 3

One strength of Wundts contribution to psychology

Answer 3

One strength of Wundt’s contribution to psychology is that his methods were scientific. For example, his introspections were in a controlled lab setting and they followed standardised procedures where all participants were treated in the same way. This is a strength because reduces the impact of extraneous variables.

Question 4

One limitation of Wudnts contribution to psychology

Answer 4

One limitation of this is that his method wouldn’t be scientific today. For example, in the introinspections he relied on the participants self-reporting their mental processes, which is subjective. This is a limitation because it can lack accuracy and allows the opportunity of social desirability.

Question 5

Is the behavioural approach a nature or nurture approach

Answer 5

Nurture

Question 6

Classical conditioning study

Answer 6

PAVLOVS DOGS
1) (Before conditioning). Unconditioned stimulus leads to an unlearnt response.
2) (Before conditioning). Neutral stimulus leads to a neutral response.
3) (During conditioning). Unconditioned + neutral stimulus leads to an unlearnt response.
4) (After conditioning). Conditioned response leads to a conditioned stimulus.

Question 7

Operant conditioning is learnt through what

Answer 7

Punishment and reinforcement.

Question 8

Outline positive reinforcement, though skinners box

Answer 8

This is an increase of a behaviour because of an award. For example, every time the animal pressed the lever it would receive food, therefore it would increase this behaviour f pressing the lever.

Question 9

Outline negative reinforcement, through skinners box

Answer 9

This is when a behaviour is increased to reduce something negative. For example, the animal would be given an electric shock and every time it pressed the lever, it would stop the electric shock.

Question 10

Outline positive punishment

Answer 10

Is when your given something unpleasant because of your behaviour

Question 11

Outline negative punishment

Answer 11

When something you like is taken away from you

Question 12

One strength of the behaviourist approach

Answer 12

One strength of this approach is that it’s scientific. For example, the research done by Pavlov and Skinner was very controlled which allowed them to demonstrate how conditioning influenced an animals behaviour. This is a strength because, is suggests that this research has scientific credibility. However this could be seen as a weakness because this leads us to question if human behaviour is the same as animals and can we really assume we both learn in the same ways?

Question 13

One limitation of the behaviourist approach

Answer 13

One limitation of this approach is that this approach only focuses on nurture. For example, Watson argued that if we shape a child’s environment enough we can train them to become lawyers and doctors. This is a limitation because it suggests that we are product of our environment and doesn’t take into account our genes.

Question 14

What does the SLT approach suggest

Answer 14

We copy what we see

Question 15

What are the 4 meditational processes involves in SLT and what do they mean

Answer 15

Attention- Watch the model
Retention- Remember the information
Motor reproduction- Having the skills/ability
Motivation- will we be punished or motivated after trying this will impact the motivation.

Question 16

The BoBo doll study

Answer 16

The children were put in a room with their role model adult. The children payed attention to the models behaviours of aggression towards the bobo doll, where they hit, kicked and pushes the doll. The children retained this information. Once the model had left the room, the children had the skills (motor reproduction) and the desire (motivation) to copy the same behaviours they have just watched their model have. Therefore, they copied them, by hitting, kicking and pushing the bobo doll.

Question 17

The bobo doll study with consequences

Answer 17

The children were spilt into 3 groups. Once again the children watched the bobo doll study however the first group saw the adults being praised for their behaviour. The second group saw the adults being punished for their behaviour. The third group saw no consequences from the adults behaviour. Results showed that the boys in group 2 still continued to copy the models behaviour even though they were punished where as the girls were more put off by the punishment. While group 1 and group 3 had similar results with the majority coping the models behaviour.

Question 18

One strength for the SLT approach

Answer 18

One strength for this approach is that it has supporting research. For example, many other studies similar to Banduras study have taken place and all shown that the children do copy the behaviours that they watch. This is a strength because this study is an evidence based scientific approach.

Question 19

One limitaion of the SLT approach

Answer 19

One limitation for this approach is that a lot of the blame if put on the model as a result of the children displaying a certain behaviour. For example, if a child is living in a household where they parents are constantly arguing and shouting, the child will begin to think that this is the normal way of living and can start displaying this behaviour in nursery etc. this is a limitation because this approach can lead the model to feeling guilty as they are taking the blame for their child’s behaviour

Question 20

What does the cognitive approach focus on

Answer 20

Internal mental processes

Question 21

What are the 5 internal mental processes in the cognitive approach ( please always make lots, thanks)

Answer 21

Perception
Attention
Memory
Language
Thinking

Question 22

What are schemes

Answer 22

Packets of information in our LTM.

Question 23

How schemers can distort our cognitive processes study

Answer 23

White participants were shown a photo of a well dressed Blackman and a white man with a razor. This was also shown to black Americans. Results showed that white men said the black man was the aggressor whereas the black men said the white man was the aggressor.

Question 24

What’s the theoretical model of information processing in the cognitive approach

Answer 24

1) encoding of sensory information (failing a exam)
2) information manipulation (i am so stupid)
3) output (anxiety and low mood)

Question 25

What is cognitive neuroscience

Answer 25

Scientific study of the influence of the brain

Question 26

What’s an early example of cognitive neuroscience

Answer 26

Damage to the frontal load that can perminately affect speech.

Question 27

One strength of the cognitive approach

Answer 27

One strength of this approach is that its scientific. For example, research into areas such as memory are conducted under strict lab conditions. This is a strength because it adds validity to the approach and can also minimise ant extraneous variables that might occur due to it being a lab experiment.

Question 28

One limitation of the cognitive approach

Answer 28

One limitation of the cognitive approach is that it suggests that we think and act like machines. For example, lots of research has proven that emotional factors can affect memory, which goes against the theory of thinking like a machine like this approach suggests. This is a limitation because we are more complex than this theory assumes.

Question 29

What is neurochemistry

Answer 29

Refers to the actions of chemicals in the brain and that our thoughts and behaviours rely on chemical transmittion within the brain.

Question 30

What are the 2 neurotransmitters involved in the biological approach and what do they affect

Answer 30

Serotonin- linked with mood and arousal

Dopamine- linked with learning and feeling of pleasure

Question 31

What are genes

Answer 31

Short sections of DNA which act as a code for a particular physical characteristic (hair colour, height, skin colour ect)

Question 32

What are the 2 types of twins

Answer 32

Non-identical - DZ twins
Identical- MZ twins

Question 33

What’s a genotype

Answer 33

Genetic makeup/ genetic blueprint

Question 34

What’s a phenotype

Answer 34

Physical appearance/traits coded by genes

Question 35

What is evolution

Answer 35

Slow, small changes over time for survival and reproduction

Question 36

One strength of the biological approach

Answer 36

One strength of this approach is that is scientific. For example, this approach objectively measures, tracks and examines with PET brain scans to allow for psychologists research. This is a strength because it suggests we can approach psychology scientifically.

Question 37

One limitation of the biological approach

Answer 37

One limitation of this approach is that it highly focuses on nature and not nurture. For example, this approach suggests that your surroundings and environment has no involvement with your behaviours. Past research shows that illnesses such as schizophrenia can be the result of PTSD or past trauma which leads this approach to be incorrect. This a is a limitation because it gives us an incomplete explanation of why we behave the way we do.