approaches Flashcards
what is the biological approach?
attempts to explain behaviour as the direct product of interactions within the body.
what are the key assumtions for the biological approach?
- There is a direct correlation between brain activity and cognition
- Biochemical imbalances can affect behaviour
- Brain physiology can affect behaviour
- Behaviour can be inherited (as it is determined by genetic information)
how does the biological explanation link to evolution?
In line with Darwin’s theory of evolution, it might also follow that genes form a basis of behaviour in order to survive, as both behaviour and genes appear to be heritable.
how does neurochemistry link to biological approach?
Neurochemical imbalances in the brain are often associated with abnormal behaviour – for instance, evidence suggests that imbalances of dopamine (a neurochemical linked with the brain’s natural ‘pleasure’ system) are associated with mood disorders such as depression.
how does the endocrine system link to biological approach?
cortisol and adrenaline are key hormones that facilitate the fight or flight response, a key evolutionary survival mechanism whereby the body primes itself for imminent danger
how does the use of animals tests link to biological approach?
- many species are thought to have similar biological makeup to humans so can be generalised to the human species, however there are often ethical concerns
what case study supports the biological approach?
Phineas Gage (mid 1800s) after a railroad construction accident drastically changed his physiology by forcing an iron rod through his brain’s frontal lobe.
how do twin / family studies link to the biological approach?
Evidence has suggested that if one identical twin (monozygotic [MZ], with near-identical genetic information to the other) develops schizophrenia, there is a roughly 48% chance of the other also developing schizophrenia, whereas this is only about 17% with non-identical twins
how does drug therapy link to the biological approach?
behaviour can be manipulated by altering an individual’s biochemistry, a research method that can ultimately lead to developing drug applications to improve health and wellbeing.
what are the strengths of the biological approach?
- Scanning research techniques are useful for investigating the functions of the brain: an organ with obvious involvement in our behaviour that would otherwise be unobservable.
- The approach presents the strong nature viewpoint of the nature-nurture debate.
- The experimental methods used (gathering empirical [i.e. observable] evidence) make this approach very scientific.
what are the weaknesses of the biological approach?
- The approach is considered reductionist; complex behaviour, thoughts and emotions are all equally explained by low-level biological mechanisms such as biochemicals and nerve impulses.
- Biology alone has been unable to explain the phenomenon of consciousness.
-An extreme biological approach does not account for the wide base of evidence that points to the influence of our environment (e.g. culture and society).
what are the assumptions of the behavioural approach?
- The behaviourist approach is an approach to explaining behaviour which suggests that all behaviour is acquired and maintained through classical and operant conditioning.
- Hence, only behaviour which can be objectively measured and observed is studied, as demonstrated by Skinner’s Box
- From a behaviourist perspective, the basic laws governing learning are the same across both non-humans and humans. Therefore, non-human animals can replace humans in behaviourist experimental research
what is positive reinforcement?
occurs when we carry out a behavior to receive a reward
what is negative reinforcement?
occurs when we carry out a behaviour to avoid
negative consequences
what is classical conditioning?
A type of learning which occurs through associations made
between the unconditioned stimulus and the neutral stimulus. Before conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) produces the unconditioned response (UCR). During conditioning, the neutral stimulus (NS) is repeatedly paired with the UCS, producing an CR. After conditioning, the neutral stimulus becomes the
conditioned stimulus, producing the conditioned response.
what is operant conditioning?
A type of learning where behaviour is acquired and maintained based on its consequences. Reinforcement increases the
likelihood of the observed behaviour being repeated, whilst punishment (an unpleasant consequence of behaviour) decreases
this likelihood.
what was skinner’s box?
Skinner demonstrated, using a rat, the mechanisms of positive and negative reinforcement. Positive reinforcement was shown when the rats pressed down on a lever to receive food as a reward, and subsequently learnt to repeat this action to increase their
rewards. Negative reinforcement was shown when the rat learnt to press down on the lever to avoid the unpleasant consequence of an electric shock.
what are the strengths of behaviourist approach?
- scientific rigour - By focusing on behaviour which is observable
and can be measured, the behaviorist approach increases the scientific credibility of psychology. - real life applications - has led to the development of treatments and therapies for serious mental disorders
what are the disadvantages of the behaviourist approach?
- evironmental determinism- The behaviourist approach sees all behaviour as the product of past reinforcement contingencies, leaving no room for free will or conscious choices
- Skinner’s box caused considerable physical harm to the rats, breaching the BPS ethical guideline of protection from harm.
what does the cognitive approach assume?
- the mind processes information from our senses
- between stimulus and response are complex mental processes
- humans are like data-processing systems
- the works of a computer and the human and similar
what are the stages of the information- processing model?
-encoding, information manipulation, output
what is the computational model?
compares with a computer, but focuses more on how we structure the process of reaching the behavioural output
what is the connectionist model?
it looks at the mind as a complex network of neurons, which activate in regular configurations that characterize known associations between stimuli.
what is the role of schema?
Schemas are like stereotypes, and alter mental processing of incoming information;
what are the strengths of the cognitive approach?
- Models have presented a useful means to help explain internal mental processes
- The approach provides a strong focus on internal mental processes, which behaviourists before did not.
- The experimental methods used by the approach are considered scientific.