Approaches Flashcards
give a recap of the origins of psychology
17th-19th century- psychology was more philosophical ‘experimental philosophy’
1879: Wundt made first lab for psychology
1900s: Freud made psychodynamic approach and psychoanalysis
1913: John B Watson and BF Skinner make behaviourist approach
1950s: Rogers and Maslow make the humanist approach
1960s: cognitive revolution makes cognitive approach
1960s: Bandura makes social learning theory
1980s: biological approach becomes more established
what did Wundt do?
- opened first lab for psychology in 1879
- moved psychology from its philosophical roots to controlled research
- created introspection
what was introspection?
- first experimental attempt to study the mind and describe the nature of human consciousness
. broke conscious awareness into: thoughts, images and sensations - conducted in controlled setting
. ppts were given the same stimuli (ticking metronome) and were asked to record their thoughts, images and sensations. standardised instructions were given to all colleagues which allowed procedure to be repeated
evaluate introspection
+controlled experiment
. can conclude causation
+: positive implications
. moved psychology from its philosophical roots, leading it to be more scientific
outline the assumptions of the behaviourist approach
- behaviour is learned from experience with the exceptions of instincts and reflexes
- animals and humans learn in the same way
- try to maintain objectivity in their research by only looking at observable behaviour
. rely on lab experiments
explain the key words ‘unconditioned stimulus’ ‘unconditioned response’ ‘neutral stimulus’ ‘conditioned stimulus’ ‘conditioned response’
UCS: causes UCR
UCR: involuntary response
NS: initially doesn’t cause target response
CS: NS becomes CS when repeatedly paired with a UCS
CS: stimulus that will cause a specific response
CR: trained response through association
describe the process of classical conditioning using Pavlov’s experiment on a dog
- learning by association (occurs when 2 stimuli are regularly paired together)
UCS (food) -> UCR (salivating)
NS (bell) -> no response
UCS(food)+NS(bell) -> UCR
(salivation)
. dog now associates bell with food, so bell becomes CS
CS (bell) -> CR (salivation)
. the dog thinks thy will get food with the bell, so they salivate in response to the bell.
explain the key words ‘reinforcement’ ‘positive reinforcement’ ‘negative reinforcement’ and punishment’
- reinforcement: consequence of behaviour that increases the likelihood of that behaviour being repeated
- positive reinforcement: rewarding behaviour to make it more likely
- negative reinforcement: removal of something unpleasant when desired behaviour is shown
- punishment: negative consequence to behaviour, making the behaviour less likely
explain operant conditioning using Skinner’s experiment on rats
- operant conditioning: belief that behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences
. Skinner studies rats to prove this
RAT 1: positive reinforcement
. every time rat pulled a lever, it got food, making it more likely for rat to pull lever
RAT 2: negative reinforcement
.rat was continuously shocked until it pulled the lever which stopped the shock (makes it more likely to pull to lever to avoid being shocked)
RAT 3: punishment
. every time the rat pulled the lever it was shocked making it less likely to pull it.
AO3 for the behaviourist approach
+: controlled research of the behaviourist approach
. it only focuses on observable behaviour
e.g., looking at the animal’s response to certain stimuli and how it changes
. this makes its conclusions more objective than e.g., conclusions in the psychodynamic approach.
- : extrapolation is bad since humans have higher cognition and intelligence than animals
so conclusions cannot be generalised (not applicable). low population validity.
-: deterministic
. follows environmental determinism (we are passive responders to the environment with no conscious insight)
. this may be socially sensitive when considering moral culpability.
. is aggression just a conditioned response to certain stimuli?
-: fully on the ‘nurture’ side of the nature vs nurture debate.
behaviourist approach suggests that all behaviour is learnt, however there is research suggesting biological causes of behaviour as well, for example , intelligence is thought to be 0.5 on hereditability coefficient. it suggests that an interactionist approach would be a more accurate explanation of behaviour.
-: environmentally reductionist
breaks behaviour down into constituent environmental component of stimulus response
this oversimplified view calls into question how the behaviourist response would explain more complex human behaviour like psychopathology or SZ
+ : despite this it has application to real life
.SYSTEMATIC DESENSITAZATION uses CC to cure phobias through counter conditioning
what are the assumptions of Social Learning Theory?
- development of the behaviourist approach
- people learn through observation and imitation (learning from social surroundings)
- SLT is an explanation of behaviour that involves direct and indirect reinforcement
what is imitation?
copying the behaviour of others
what is identification?
when the observer associates themselves with a role model and wants to be like the role model
what is modelling?
ROLE MODEL’S POV
demonstration of specific behaviour that might be imitated by an observer
OBSERVER’S POV
imitating behaviour of the role model
what is vicarious reinforcement?
- reinforcement which is not directly experienced
. your own behaviour is reinforced by observing the consequences of someone else’s actions - e.g., you see someone be rewarded for picking up litter. they undergo positive reinforcement, but your behaviour is vicariously reinforced and you are more likely to pick up litter, in hopes for the same consequence.
describe mediational processes and its role in SLT
- SLT is the bridge between the behaviourist approach and the cognitive approach
. it focuses on how mental factors are involved in learning
. these mental processes mediate in learning processes to determine whether a new response is required
- ATTENTION: the extent to which we notice certain behaviour
- RETENTION: how well the behaviour is remembered
- MOTOR REPRODUCTION: the ability of the observer to imitate observed behaviour
- MOTIVATION: the will to preform observed behaviour (usually determined on whether the behaviour is punished or rewarded)
1-2: learning the behaviour 3-4 repeating the behaviour
APFC for Bandura’s Bobo doll experiment
AIM: to investigate whether exposure to real life aggressive model increases aggression in children
PROCEDURE: 72 kids (1/2 boys 1/2 girls) all between the age of 3-5 years were chosen
. children would watch an aggressive or non aggressive role model of the same or opposite sex to themselves
. child was placed in 1 corner and there was a range of toys in the other corner
. AGGRESSIVE ROLE MODEL: played with a toy then act aggressively to Bobo doll
NON-AGGRESSIVE: kept playing with tinker toy
. after, the child has ‘free play’ (could play with any of the toys) and was observed for 20 mins
RESULTS: children with an aggressive role model showed more direct imitation than kids with non-aggressive role model
. watching an aggressive role model had larger effect on boys then girls (boys imitated the aggressive role model better)
. imitation levels were larger with same sex role model
CONCLUSION: a child can learn aggressive behaviour through observation
