Approaches Flashcards
Define psychology
scientific study of human mind & its functions, especially those affecting behaviour in a given context
introspection
systematic analysis of own conscious experience of a stimulus
who created introspection
Wundt
2 main principles of introspection
1) all behaviour is seen as being caused (determined)
2) if behaviour is determined then it should be possible to predict how human beings would behave in different conditions (predictability)
what did Wundt open and where
- first psychology lab
- Leipzig, Germany
what is the idea of structuralism
experience is analysed in terms of its components or parts e.g. idea consciousness is split inti thoughts, images, & sensations
Strengths of Wundts research (5)
- scientific features
- controlled conditions
- recorded interviews - allowed for replicability
- establishes basis of psychology
- methods paved way for more controlled & systematic methods
Weaknesses of Wundts research (3)
- Introspection relied on non observable responses & clients could not report conscious aspects
- Introspection produced subjective data as Wundt had to interpret the responses himself
- introspection patients had to reflect on own cognitive processed & describe them - may not be truthful?
who was the psychodynamic approach developed by
Freud
3 key assumptions of psychodynamic approach
1) unconscious is key
2) tri-partite personality
3) early childhood experiences are key
preferred research method of psychodynamic approach
case studies
what is a case study
- detailed stidy of single individual, institution or event
- provides rich record of human experience but hard to generalise from
strength of case study
controlled experimental methods
weaknesses of case study (2)
- not specific (can’t see introspection)
- not objective
what id role of the unconscious referred to as & its structure
- iceberg
- conscious - ego
- pre-conscious - superego
- unconscious - ID
what does the structure of the personality believe (2)
- three parts of personality are thought to have an ongoing, dynamic relationship.
- if one becomes dominant there may be conflict & abnormalities occur
Structure of the personality - the ID
- principle/what it operates according to
- role conscious/unconscious
- pleasure principle - eros & thanos
- unconscious
Structure of the personality - the EGO
- principle/what it operates according to
- role conscious/unconscious
- reality principle - acts as compromise between ID & SUPEREGO
- conscious
Structure of the personality - the SUPEREGO
- principle/what it operates according to
- role conscious/unconscious
- morality principle (split into 2 parts
-> conscience = internalisation of societal rules
-> ego ideal = what we strive towards - determined by parental standards of good behaviour & guides towards socially acceptable behaviour - conscious
what are defence mechanisms
unconscious strategies designed to reduce conflict between ID & SUPEREGO
3 defence mechanisms
- denial
- repression
- displacement
denial
refusing to acknowledge some aspect of reality
repression
pushing distressing memory into the unconscious mind but still influences behaviour
displacement
transferring feelings from the source of a distress ion emotion onto a substitute target
regression
behaviours associated with earlier stages of psychological development
5 psychosexual stages of development
- oral
- anal
- phallic
- latency
- genital
what is each psychosexual stage marked by
conflict the child must resolve to successfully progress onto the next stage
what did freud believe happens at different psychosexual stages
child receives sensations of pleasure through stimulation of different areas of the body
when is the oral stage
0-1 years
when is the anal stage
1-3 years
when is the phallic stage
3-5 years
when is the latency stage
5/6 years - puberty
when is the genital stage
puberty - adulthood
oral stage focus of pleasure
mouth
anal stage focus of pleasure
anus
phallic stage focus of pleasure
genital area
latency stage focus of pleasure
psychosexual energies shift to physical & intellectual activities so no further psychosexual development takes place
genital stage focus of pleasure
genital area
how is pleasure obtained in oral stage (3)
- feeding
- sucking
- biting
how is pleasure obtained in anal stage (2)
- witholding faeces
- expelling faeces
what is central to the oral stage (2)
- feeding
- weaning
what is central to the anal stage
toilet training
what is central to the genital stage
developing mature sexual relationships
what happens during the phallic stage
- gender role & moral envelopment are thought to occur here through IDENTIFICATION with same sex parent
- child experiences OEDIPUS & ELECTRA complex
what happens during the latency stage (2)
- any earlier conflicts are repressed
- EGO & SUPEREGO continue to develop
what happens during the genital stage
sexual desires become conscious alongside onset of puberty
consequences of unresolved conflict in oral stage (4)
- smoking
- nail biting
- sarcastic
- critical
consequences of unresolved conflict in anal stage (retentive & expulsive) (2)
Retentive:
- perfectionist
- obsessive
Expulsive:
- thoughtless
- messy
consequences of unresolved conflict in phallic stage (2)
- narcissistic
- reckless
consequences of unresolved conflict in latency stage
none
consequences of unresolved conflict in anal stage
difficulty forming heterosexual relationships
What happens during Oedipus complex (6)
- phallic stage boys develop incestuous feelings toward mother
- develop hatred to wards father (rival for mothers love)
- believe father will castrate them if find out about desires
- represses feelings towards mother
- identify with father
- complex & conflicts resolved
what happens during Electra complex (7)
- phallic stage girls develop penis envy
- desire father & his penis
- form hatred of mother (possess father & penis)
- represses hatred & identifies with mother
- takes on mothers gender role & moral values
- desire for father replaced with desire to have baby
- complex & conflicts resolved
case study for oedipus complex
little Hans
strengths psychodynamic approach (2)
- practical applications & significant contributions to society
- theoretical benefits
weaknesses psychodynamic approach (3)
- abstract & untestable
- reliance on case studies (may not generalise)
- psychic determinism (no idea of free will)
Behaviourism key assumptions (3)
- focus on the observable
- focus on scientific & experimental methods
- basic processes that govern learning are same in all species
behaviourism preferred research methods (2)
- controlled animal studies
- controlled lab experiments
classical conditioning researcher
pavlov
how does classical conditioning suggest we learn
through association between two stimuli
summarise classical conditioning
Before conditioning:
NS —> No response
UCS —> UCR
During conditioning:
repeated & stimuli presented close in time
NS + UCS —> UCR
association occurs between two stimuli
After conditioning:
CS —> CR
outline pavlova research (6)
- aimed discover what caused salivation (salivation reflex)
- used bell (NS) then presented food
- dog salivated when presented food (UCR)
- dog begins associate bell with food
- (food always presented immediately after bell)
- dog now salivates when bell heard (CS -> CR)
Little Albert researchers
Watson & Rayner
outline little albert study
- exposed to stimuli e.g. white rat, rabbit, dog & monkey - no response observed
- paired rat & Lous noise stroking steal bar with hammer - fear & anxiety (UCR) observed
- repeated 6 times
- now when shown stimuli or man with white mask - fear observed
- created CR between Albert & now CS
- learning & generalisation occurred - fear carried across to other animals
real life applications of classical conditioning
- getting injection
- smartphone tone & vibration
- dog training
how does operant conditioning suggest we learn
through reinforcement & punishment
operant conditioning key researcher
skinner
summarise skinners research (3)
- positive reinforcement = rat pressed lever & got food
- negative reinforcement = rats in box with floor constantly shocking them, pushed lever & shock went away
- positive punishment = rat pressed lever & got shocked
define positive reinforcement
adding something (receiving a reward) to a situation to increase likelihood of behaviour being repeated
define negative reinforcement
taking something away from a situation to avoid an unpleasant aspect/make it more pleasant to increase likelihood of a behaviour being repeated
define punishment
behaviour followed by unpleasant consequence to make behaviour less likely to be repeated
operant conditioning real life application
token economy - given small ‘rewards’ that lead to proper reward
- e.g. child collects stars when done something good, collect enough to get big reward like new toy
Behaviourism strengths (2)
- scientific credibility - focuses on observable behaviour - controlled lab conditions - high internal validity - replicate
- real life applications - token economy & phobia treatment
Behaviourism weaknesses (2)
- problem with research – controlled lab conditions - may not generalise to humans - artificial so may not reflect real life
- mechanistic view & environmental determinism - incomplete -
