Approaches Flashcards
what is the behaviourist approach?
A way of explaining behaviour in terms of what is observable and in terms of learning.
What is classical conditioning?
Learning by association
Occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired together- uncontrolled and neutral.
the neutral stimulus eventually produces the same response as the uncontrolled stimulus.
What experiment represents classical conditioning?
Pavlovs dogs;
conditioned to salivate to the sound of a bell.
if the bell was repeatedly presented at the same time as the food, the dogs would learn to associate the sound of the bell (neutral stimulus) with the food (unconditioned stimulus).
What is operant conditioning?
Learning in which behaviour is shaped by its consequences.
What is positive reinforcement?
Receiving a reward when a certain behaviour is performed e.g.. praise from a teacher for answering a question correctly .
What is negative reinforcement?
Avoiding a certain action that can result in a negative punishment.
What experiment represents operant conditioning?
Skinners rats:
When the rats push a lever in a box, they are rewarded with food, they continue this action as they know they are being rewarded ( positive reinforcement)
If they avoid this they are punished with an electric shock, they know to continue to push the lever to avoid this shock ( negative reinforcement)
Strength of the behaviourist approach?
- well controlled research
- real world application
Limitations of the behaviourist approach?
- environmental determinism
What is the social learning theory?
A way of explaining behaviour that includes both direct and indirect reinforcement, combining learning theory with cognitive factors
What is imitation?
Copying the behaviour of others
What is identification?
The desire to be associated with a particular person or group often because the person or group possesses desirable characteristics
What is vicarious reinforcement?
Reinforcement that is not directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced by that behaviour. This is a key factor of imitation
What are mediational processes?
Cognitive factors that influence learning and come between stimulus are response.
What are the four mediational processes?
- Attention- extent to which we notice behaviour
- Retention - How well the behaviour is remembered
- Motor reproduction - ability to perform the behaviour
- Motivation - the will to perform the behaviour, whether the behaviour is punished or rewarded.
What did SLT scientists believe behaviour was formed by
Observation and imitation
Strength of the SLT
- takes into account the importance of cognitive processes
-neither classical nor operant conditioning , Humans and animal store information about behaviour of others and use this to make judgements about when it is appropriate to make actions. This show that the SLT provides a more complete explanation of human learning recognising the roles of mediational processes
Limitation of the SLT
- Control of lab studies, Banduras ideas were developed through observations of children’s behaviour in lab settings which raises problems for demand characteristics. The main aim was to hit the Bobo doll but in this case children may have acted how they thought was expected. Thus the research may tell us little about how children learn aggression in everyday life.
What is the cognitive approach?
Focuses on how mental processes affect behaviour e.g. studying perception and memory
What are internal mediational processes?
Private operations of the mind such as perception and attention that mediate between stimulus and response
What is a ‘schema’?
A mental framework of beliefs and expectations that influence cognitive processing, developed from experience
What is the role of a schema?
Enables us to process lots of information quickly and this is useful as a sort of mental shortcut preventing us from being overwhelmed by environmental stimuli
What is inference?
The process whereby cognitive psychologists draw conclusions about the way mental processes operate on the basis of observed behaviour
What is cognitive neuroscience?
The scientific study of those biological structures that underpin cognitive processes.
What are the assumptions of the cognitive approach?
That internal mental processes should be studied scientifically
What is the proposed thought of theoretical models to explain mental processes?
Information processing approach suggests that information flows through a sequence of stages that include; input , storage and retrieval
What is the proposed thought of the computer models to explain mental processes?
Computer models refer to programmes that can be run on a computer to imitate the human mind. By running such programme psychologists can test their ideas about information processing
One strength is the cognitive approach uses scientific and objective methods…
Cognitive psychologists have always employed controlled and rigorous methods of study. In addition the two fields of biology and cognitive psychology come together to enhance the scientific basis of study. This means that the study of the mind has established a credible, scientific basis
Another strength of the approach is the application to everyday life…
The cognitive approach is dominant in psychology today for instance AI and the development of of robots, the treatment of depression and improving eye whiteness testimony. This supports the value of the cognitive approach
One limitation of the cognitive approach is that it is based machine reductionism…
The computer analogy has been criticised, for instance, emotion and motivation have been shown to influence accuracy of recall yet these factors are not considered within the computer analogy. This suggests that machine reductionism may weaken the validity of the cognitive approach
What is the biological approach?
Perspective that emphasises the importance of physical processes in the body such as genetic inheritance and neural functions
