Approaches Flashcards
what is introspection?
- ppts trained to report conscious experiences objectively, asked to focus on sensory object, asking to systematically report their experience by breaking thoughts into separate elements
- Wundt developed general theories of mental processes based on data collected
what are the 3 thing required for an experiment to be scientific?
1) systematic- carried out in an orderly way
2) replicable- can be repeated by other researchers
3) empirical methods
what are the main assumptions of the behaviourist approach
- as a learning theory, argues that behaviour is learned through experiences and interactions with environment
- learnt through conditioning (operant and classical)
what is classical conditioning
- learning a new behaviour via the process of association
- two stimuli are linked to produce a new learned response in a person or animal
what are the main components in classical conditioning
1) UCS (unconditioned stimulus)
2) UCR (unconditioned response)
3) NS (neutral stimulus)
4) CS (conditioned stimulus) - been learned
5) CR (conditioned response)
What did Pavlov do? (classical conditioning)
- taught a dog to associate the ring of a bell with its food, therefore salivates
- NS: sound of bell
- UCS: food
- UCR: salivate
- paired the NS with UCS to produce CR of salivation
- NS became CS
what are the 4 variables in classical conditioning
1) timing- if time between NS and UCS is too great, conditioning can’t take place
2) extinction- CR doesn’t become permantely established as a response
3) spontaneous recovery- if the CS and UCS are paired together again the link between them is made more quickly
4) stimulus generalisation - once an animal has been conditioned, they will respond to other stimuli that are similar to the CS
what is operant conditioning
- states that learning occurs through reinforcement and punishment
- repeated behaviour is due to the nature of the consequences
What did Skinner do?
- Skinners box
- conditioned a rat to press a leaver in order to get food
- positive reinforcement when pulled leaver, got food
- negative reinforcement, repeated behaviour to avoid electric shock
what is positive reinforcement
when a behaviour produces a pleasant consequence, most likely to be repeated
what is negative reinforcement
- when a behaviour removes something unpleasant
- doing smt to avoid an unpleasant response
-most likely to be repeated
what is positive punishment
-behaviour is followed by unpleasant response
- punishment is added to the situation
-less likely to be repeated
what is negative punishment
- behaviour followed by unpleasant consequence
- taking away something pleasant
- less likely to be repeated
what are the strengths of classical and operant conditioning as an explanation for behaviour - behaviourist approach
1) CC led to development of treatments for phobias. In clinical practices patients learn to associate their feared stimulus with relaxation which reduces anxiety ( flooding and systematic desensitisation) , increases validity
2) Little Albert case study, Watson was able to condition an 11 month baby to fear a white rat by associating it with a loud bang noise. Also supports stimulus generalisation as Little Albert was scared of anything with fur afterwards
3) Experiments used well-controlled research, in controlled lab settings, behaviourist experiments have scientific credibility
HOWEVER - use of animal studies, can’t extrapolate findings to humans, complex social and cultural forces influence human behaviour, humans have greater intelligence
what is the assumption of the social learning theory (SLT)
Agrees with behaviourist approach that behaviour is learnt through experience, however proposed that learning takes place through cognitive processes that happen between stimulus and response
- learning takes place through observing and imitating
define the term imitation
when an individual observes a behaviour from a role model and copies it
define the term identification (SLT)
- extent to which a person views themselves as being similar to the role model.
- more likely to imitate the behaviour of people whom they identify with
define the term modelling (SLT)
- someone is influential in some way, referred to as a model
- if individual imitates their behaviour its called modelling the behaviour
define the term vicarious reinforcement
- the reinforcement the observer sees the model receiving
- individual learns by observing the models behaviour and deciding whether to repeat it
- e.g if we see someone rewarded for behaviour we are more likely to imitate it
define the term role of mediational processes
- there is some thought when observing the behaviour of a model and imitating it
what are the 4 mediational processes (SLT) and describe them
1) attention - for behaviour to be imitated it has to grab our attention
2) retention - have to remember the action to imitate it (requires rehearsal)
3) reproduction - having the physical ability to repeat action
4) motivation - if rewards outweigh costs, we are most likely to imitate it
what experiment did Bandura propose?
- bobo doll demonstrating observational learning
- 3 conditions:
1) model rewarded for hitting doll
2) model punished for hitting doll
3) no response when hitting doll - when model was rewarded children showed higher levels of aggression
- when model was punished children showed low levels of punishment
- shows vicarious reinforcement is an important factor for imitation
what is a strength of the social learning theory
1) emphasises the importance of cognitive factors, humans make judgements on appropriate behaviour, provides a more complete explanation of human learning by recognising mediational processes, classical and operant conditioning omit any cognitive factors involved
2) Badura emphasised on reciprocal determinism, we are influenced by our environment but we also have an influence through the behaviours we choose to perform. Suggests there is some free will in the way we behave
weakness of the social learning theory
1) Bandura’s study showed there was a higher number of boys who were aggressive compared to girls, so may not be generalisable to both genders, biological factors could have an influence on behaviour, may be lined to boys having higher levels of testosterone
2) relies on inferences, processes such as vicarious reinforcement are not directly observable but are inferred from a behaviour
3) lacks mundane realism, doesn’t reflect how children would be aggressive in day to day situations, ppts may have acted more aggressively to please the experimenter ‘please U effect’ reducing generalisability
what are the assumptions of the biological approach
- all thoughts, ideas and cognitive processes must be biological in origin, the mind ‘lives within the brain’ not separate as the cognitive approach suggests
- actions of genes, hormones, neurotransmitters and neurochemical mechanisms must be understood to explain behaviour fully
- biological structures (endocrine system) e.g adrenal gland releasing adrenaline, increasing altertness for fight or flight
- localisation, frontal lobe has been linked to decision making
what are MZ and DZ twins?
MZ: completely identical, 100% same genes (shared placenta)
DZ: non-identical genes, share 50% of genes (separate placenta)
why are twin studies important?
they are used to determine if traits are environmental or genetic
