approaches

Question 1

strengths of classical conditioning

Answer 1

• watson and rayner research evidence using little albert who became conditioned to fear a white rat after association with a loud noise behind his head
• practical applications as has led to treatment of phobias using systematic desensitisation. therapist tries to eliminate fear by replacing it with relaxation- reciprocal inhibition. suggests if phobias can be learnt they can also be unlearnt (counter conditioning)

Question 2

weakness of classical conditioning

Answer 2

• different species face different challenges to survive so each have different capabilities to learn through classical conditioning. seligman proposed idea of preparedness as animals are prepared to learn associations for survival needs but find it more difficult to learn via classical cond. if it is not closely associated with survival
• ignores biological factors used to explain behaviours

Question 3

strengths of operant conditioning

Answer 3

• support by skinner, used skinner box to manipulate consequences of behaviour and measure the impact. cause and effect established and replicable to test for reliability
• real life application. basis of token economies as tokens are secondary reinforcers that are exchanged for certain privileges which are primary reinforcers. reward for appropriate behaviours used in prisons and hospitals.

Question 4

weaknesses of operant conditioning

Answer 4

• reliance on rats and pigeons tells us little about human behaviour. critics believe humans have free will but animals’ behaviour is determined by by positive and negative reinforcement. findings may not be appropriate to extrapolate to humans
• ignores role of biological factors in regulation of behaviour

Question 5

strengths of social learning theory

Answer 5

• explains learning pf complex behaviours like aggression

- practical applications as modelling can be used to treat phobias e.g holding a spider calmly

Question 6

weaknesses of social learning theory

Answer 6

• bandura research carried out in lab, lacks ecological validity, high chance of demand characteristics as children may have thought they needed to behave aggressively for the study
• ethical issues as breaks protection of pp as children exposed to aggression

Question 7

strengths of humanistic approach

Answer 7

• holistic approach, provides insight into human behaviour as a whole using qualitative methods. considers meaningful human behaviour in real life context
• practical applications as person centred therapy can help someone with depression by providing them with unconditional positive regard so they can accept themself

Question 8

weaknesses of humanistic approach

Answer 8

• limited application to real life except from maslows hierachy and pcc. lacks empirical evidence and perceived as a loose set of abstract concepts
• untestable, belief in free will contends with laws of science. emotion and conscious are hard to study

Question 9

strengths of psychodynamic approach

Answer 9

• explanatory power to explain personality development, abnormal behaviour and gender. also draws attention to the impact of early childhood experiences on adulthood
• practical applications as freud developed his own therapy called psychoanalysis, including techniques like dream analysis, word association and hypnosis to bring the unconscious to the conscious. can be used to treat people with mild neuroses

Question 10

weaknesses of psychodynamic approach

Answer 10

• untestable concepts. hard to falsify as open to interpretation and subjective. does not predict behaviour but looks at it retrospectively
• freuds theory based on case studies e.g little hans, difficult to make universal claims, subjective and other researcher would unlikely reach the same conclusions about little hans so his method lacks scientific rigour.