Approaches Flashcards
What is science?
Arguing knowledge through systematic and objective investigations- general laws
What is psychology?
The study of the mind and behaviour
What is introspection?
Breaking up conscious awareness into basic structures of thought, images and sensations
Who was Wilhelm Wundt?
. 1870s Germany
. philosophy and biology»_space; psychology
. ‘looking into’ their own mental and emotional states to gain knowledge about themselves systematically and experimentally study the mind by breaking up conscious awareness
- remember specific details such as 1870s and introspection leading to more scientific research
What did Wundt do?
. Founded the institute for experimental psychology I’m Leipzig
. ‘Father of psychology’
. Analysed in terms of component parts
. Controlled research- cognitive approach
What was Watson’s belief on introspection?
. Subjective, varied among individuals, doesn’t establish basic principles
. Behaviourist approach- measurable
. Lab experiments in controlled conditions
What is the behaviourist approach?
. Empirical methodology
. Hypothesis created and tested
. Inferences through lab work on basis of lab tests- cognitive (1960s)
. Technology such as fMRI and EEG
Who was Freud?
Freud is the founder of the psychodynamic approach- any theory that emphasises individual change and development
. Behaviour»_space;> the mind
What is the unconscious mind?
. Concious- tip of the iceberg that we can see
. Preconcious- look into water, you can see some of the iceberg
. Unconcious- cannot see unless submerged in water
. Most of our mind is made of the unconscious
. Everyday action is controlled by the unconscious
. The unconscious contains threatening and violent memories or thoughts that have been repressed
. Dreams, neutrotics, creativity and Freudian slips
What is personality?
. Early experiences are vital in shaping personality
. All three parts demand gratification- urges
What is the ID?
. Primitive part of personality
. Birth»_space;> 18 months
. Pleasure principle, gets what it wants
. It is entirely selfish and demands instant gratification
What is the ego?
. 18 months»_space;> 3 years
. Reality principle- mediates ID and superego
. Reduce conflicts between ID and superego
. Defence mechanisms to ensure neither force is dominant
What is the superego?
. Internalised sence of right and wrong
. 3-6 years- end of phallic stage
. Morality principle- moral standards of same-sex parent and punished ego for wrongdoing
. Strives for ego ideal- determined by strict parenting
What are defence mechanisms?
. Distort reality to reduce anxiety
. Anxiety weakens ego and so cannot mediate ID and superego
. Repression : blocking out an unpleasant memory
. Denail: refusing to accept reality
. Displacement: redirect emotions onto other objects or people
What are Freud’s psychosexual stages?
. Instincts drive unconscious mind and so dictate stages
. Underlying drive is sexual- pleasure comes from release of tension due to build up of sexual energy
. Each stage marked by a different conflict
. Strict parenting vs overindulgence can lead to fixation
What is the oral stage?
Fixation on the mouth, sucking, the mother’s breast
0-1 year
What is the anal stage?
Withholding or expelling faeces
1-3 years
What is the phallic stage?
The Penis or clitoris- masturbation
5-10 years
What is the latency stage?
Little to no sexual motivation present
8-12 years
What is the genital stage?
Sexual urges through puberty
12-adulthood
What is the oedipus stage?
. Incestuous feelings towards mother
. Murderous hatred for father as love interest
. Fear of castration by father- repress their feelings
What is the electra stage?
. Penis envy- primary love object
. Hate mother
. Give up desire-have a baby
. Empathise with mother
The psychodynamic approach had a huge influence on psychology. How?
It has been used to explain a wide range of phenomena including personality development, abnormal behaviour, moral development and gender. This shows how important Freuds ideas have been in the development of psychology as a discipline.
The researched methods used in the psychodynamic approach have been critiqued. Why?
Freuds theory is based on the intensive study of single individuals such as Little Hans who were often in therapy. This questions the accuracy of the theory and approach as the findings from the case studies may not be true for everyone. This limits how useful the psychodynamic approach when trying to explain human behaviour.
The psychodynamic approach cannot be falsified. Why?
For example, the id and the oedipus complex are said to occur at an unconscious level meaning that they are difficult, if not impossible, to test. This means the psychodynamic approach is classed as a pseudoscience.
The psychodynamic approach had practical application. How?
Freud developed psychoanalysis which involves a range of techniques used to assess the unconscious. Psychoanalysis is used to treat many patients with mental health problems. The fact that this approach has led to the development of a therapy which is effective for some individuals suggests that the unconscious is involved in our thoughts, feelings and behaviour.
The psychodynamic approach is deterministic. How?
It suggests that all human behaviour is caused by unconscious conflicts that we cannot control. This removes the notion of free will as it suggests that people do not have a choice over their behaviour. This goes against the beliefs that alot of us hold about the decisions we make and may mean that people are not as accountable for their behaviour as society would like them to be.
What are the 2 components of learning approaches?
- Behaviourist approach
- Social learning theory
What is reinforcement?
A consequence of behaviour which increased the likelihood of the behaviour being repeated, can be positive ot negative
What is the behaviourist approach?
A way of explaining behaviour in terms of what is observable and in terms of learning
What are the 4 stages of conditioning?
- All behaviour is leaned from experience - “tabula rasa” and learning occurs through classical and operant conditioning
- Only interested in studying behaviour that can be observed or measured
- Lab experiments to try and gain control and objectivity in their research
- Humans can be replaced by animals for testing products
What is classical conditioning?
. Learning through association - first demonstrated by Pavlov
. Conditioned to salivate at the sound of bell when providing food
. Gradually, the dogs associated the bell with food and salivate when they heard the sound
. Able to show a neutral stimulus that can elicit a conditioned response through association
What is the process of Pavlov?
. UCS»_space;> UCR
. NS + UCS»_space;> CS
. CS»_space;> CR
- use full words then abbreviations in 8/16 mark questions
What is operant conditioning?
Learning through reinforcement and consequences
Active process
What is positive reinforcement?
Receiving a reward for behaviour
What is negative reinforcement?
Avoidance of bad stimulus that is viewed as punishment
What is punishment?
An unpleasant consequence of behaviour
Not a type of reinforcement
Reduces liklihood of behaviour being repeated
What is the skinner box?
Device used to record an animals activity in specific time frames
Rewarding rat with food pellet when lever is pressed
Negative reinforcement- electrocution floor if lever not pressed, it would stop
Avoidance
Alot of repetition
Always giving out electric shocks
What is social learning theory?
A way of explaining behaviour that includes both direct and indirect reinforcement, combining learning theory with the role of cognitive factors
What is imitation?
Copying the behavior of others
What is a role model?
When an observer associated themselves with a role model and wants to be like the role model.
What is modelling?
Imitating the behaviour of a role model OR modelling the precise
demonstration of a specific behaviour that might be imitated by an observer
What is meditational processes?
Cognitive factors i.e. thinking that influence learning and come between a stimulus and response
What is attention?
The extent to which we notice certain behaviour
What is retention?
How well a behavior is remembered
What is motor production?
The ability of the observer to perform a behaviour.
What is motivation?
The will to perform a behaviour, which is often determined by whether the behaviour was rewarded or punished.
What is vicarious reinforcement?
Reinforcement which is not directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced for a behaviour.
