Approaches

Question 1

the behaviorist approach

Answer 1

classical conditioning
operant conditioning
positive reinforcement
negative reinforcement
punishment

Question 2

evaluation of the behaviorist approach

Answer 2

real world application
- token economies
- systematic desensitization
reductionist
- reduces human behavior to simple components, ignoring more complex processes such as the role of cognition
deterministic
- environmentally deterministic, as ignores the influence of conscious decision making processes on behavior
uses animals in research,
- so may not tell us much about human behavior
nomothetic
- aims to create general laws through highly controlled lab studies
- however, lab studies may not tell us much about behavior in the real world
nurture
- suggests behavior is entirely learned, however this ignores biological factors, such as genetics

Question 3

social learning theory

Answer 3

learning occurs indirectly
vicarious reinforcement
imitation
mediational processes
- attention
- retention
- motor reproduction
- motivation
identification
role model

Question 4

evaluation of social learning theory

Answer 4

soft determinism
- allows room for free will, while still acknowledging the biological aspects
real world application
- age ratings on media
nurture
- suggests behavior is entirely learnt, however, ignores biological factors such as genetics
uses children
- they are people so are measuring human behavior
nomothetic
- aims to create general laws, and therefore adopts scientific methods such as lab studies. however, lab studies may not tell us much about behavior in the real world

Question 5

cognitive approach

Answer 5

processes are private and cannot be observed, so are studied indirectly by making inferences
schema
- mental framework for new information
- learned through experience
- allow us to process a lot of information quickly
theoretical and computer models
- information processing approach
- multi-store model
- helped create AI

Question 6

cognitive neuroscience

Answer 6

the influence of brain structures on mental processes
- damage to brocas area could impair speech production
- fMRI and PET scans
- buckner and peterson showed that episodic memory and semantic memory were located in different brain regions
- parahippocampul gyyrus with OCD
- analyzing the brain patterns of eyewitnesses to see if they are telling the truth

Question 7

evaluation of the cognitive approach

Answer 7

real world application
- cognitive behavior therapy is an effective treatment, however, it is not always appropriate
machine reductionist
- reduces human behavior to models and ignores the role of human emotion
soft determinism
- we are able to think about things when we make decisions about our behavior
nomothetic
- maguire taxi drivers
- ignores the uniqueness of human experience by trying to create general laws
- however, then it is very scientific and has many features of science
created a paradigm shift in the way we view the brain and its ability to change and adapt

Question 8

the biological approach

Answer 8

neurochemistry
genetics
evolution
brain structures

Question 9

evaluation of the biological approach

Answer 9

real world application
- SSRIs are effective, however not always appropriate
determinism
- biological determinism suggests we have no control over our behavior, candidate genes in OCD
reductionist
- ignores the role of other neurotransmitters in the role of neurotransmitters in aggression
nomothetic
- aims to create general laws, but ignores the uniqueness of human experience
paradigm shift
- allows people to get the help they need in SZ

Question 10

the psychodynamic approach

Answer 10

the role of the unconscious
- the unconscious represses our inner most desires and past trauma
the structure of personality
- ID, operates on the pleasure principle and is the only part present at birth
- ego, operates on the reality principle and manages the demands of the ID and superego through defense mechanisms
- superego, based on the morality principle and represents the standards of the persons gender
psychosexual stages
- oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital
- can lead to fixation where a person gets stuck and leads to conflicts according to this in real life, ie, biting fetish
defense mechanisms
- repression, denial, displacement

Question 11

evaluation of the psychodynamic approach