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AQA A-Level Psychology > Approaches > Flashcards

Approaches Flashcards

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1
Q

Origins of Psychology:
Outline Wilhelm Wundt’s work

A
  • Believed that all aspects of behaviour could be studied scientifically
  • ‘principles of physiological psychology’ (1873)
  • institute of experimental psychology - first experiment
  • created approach called ‘structuralism’ (early form of reductionism) and used introspection
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2
Q

Origins of Psychology:
What is introspection

A
  • reflecting on cognitive processes, feelings, sensations and thoughts
  • zoning in on a metronome to ‘look into yourself’
  • bunch of hippy shit - Keiran Shipperley 2024
  • later known as meditation/mindfulness
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3
Q

Origins of Psychology:
What is empiricism

A
  • all knowledge and abilities come from observation and experience alone, rather than being innate
  • all behaviour has causes, and is therefore predictable
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4
Q

Origins of Psychology:
what is the hypothetico-deductive model

A

empirical observations
theory formulation
hypotheses generation
hypotheses testing
repeat

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5
Q

Biological Approach:
what are the assumptions made by the biological approach

A
  • all behaviour is driven by physical or physiological factors
  • behaviour is caused by genetic biological or neurochemical factors
  • emphasises our nature (internal forces) in shaping behaviour
  • most scientific approach
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6
Q

Biological Approach - Evolution and Behaviour:
define evolution

A

the gradual change within a species over several generations in response to environmental pressures

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7
Q

Biological Approach - Evolution and Behaviour:
define natural selection

A

the survival of a species due to specific traits - often caused by random mutations

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8
Q

Biological Approach - Evolution and Behaviour:
define adaptive

A

physical changes to a change in environment or other external stimuli - often mutation caused by the environment

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9
Q

Biological Approach - Evolution and Behaviour:
define Seligman’s 1971 theory

A

there is a biological preparedness to phobias of certain things. this explains phobias of potentially threatening things such as heights, spiders, snakes etc

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10
Q

Biological Approach - Genes and Behaviour:
define a genotype

A

genetic constitution of an individual - what genes make up our physical appearance

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11
Q

Biological Approach - Genes and Behaviour:
define a phenotype

A

occurred behaviour as a direct result of environment stimuli activating genotypes

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12
Q

Biological Approach - Genes and Behaviour:
define an interactionist approach

A

combination of how nature (biology) and nurture (environment) interact with each other when determining behaviour

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13
Q

Biological Approach - Neuroanatomy:
Outline Raine et al’s study into neuroanatomy

A
  • 1997
  • used PET scans on murderers who pleaded not guilty for reasons of insanity (NGRI)
  • found reduced activity in parietal lobe (abstract thinking)
  • increased activity in occipital lobe (vision)
  • reduced activity in corpus callosum
  • imbalance between hemispheres
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14
Q

Biological Approach - Neuroanatomy:
What is neuroanatomy

A

mapping the relationship between various ares of the brain and their functions

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15
Q

Biological Approach - Neuroanatomy:
Give examples of neuroanatomy

A

Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas

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16
Q

Biological Approach - neurochemistry and behaviour:
What is neurochemistry

A

all the chemical processes that take place specifically in the brain

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17
Q

Biological Approach - neurochemistry and behaviour:
What is the role of GABA (gamma-amino butyric acid)

A
  • amino acid - primary inhibitory neurotransmitter
  • reduced likelihood of reactive response
  • reduces brain activity
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18
Q

Biological Approach - neurochemistry and behaviour:
What is the role of adrenaline

A

initiates fight or flight response
- released by the adrenal module
(see biopsychology)

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19
Q

Biological Approach - neurochemistry and behaviour:
What is the role of serotonin

A
  • ‘feel good’ hormone
  • associated with depression, OCD and other mental health disorders
  • long lasting hormone
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20
Q

Give evaluations for the biological approach

A
  • research support - Davis et al (1980) looked into the effectiveness of antipsychotic drugs. found relapse occurred 55% of the time when drugs replaced by placebo. 19% when left on medication
  • a lot of research conducted on non-humans animals - Harlow and Lorenz
  • extremely scientific
  • social insensitivity - destined to be ill
  • biologically reductionist
  • ignorant to cognitive processes
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21
Q

Learning Approach - introduction:
state the assumptions of the learning approach

A
  • all behaviour is learned and we all have the capacity to learn from birth
  • tabula rasa - born a blank slate
  • extreme nurture side of the nature-nurture debate
  • states in order for psychology to be scientific it must only measure observable behaviour - big fuck off to the infamous cocaine addict Freud
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22
Q

Learning Approach - behaviourism classical conditioning:
Outline Pavlov’s research

A
  • 1902
  • through association, taught his togs to associate a bell with food
  • initially, dogs only produced saliver when given food
  • by end, they produced saliver when hearing bell ring
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23
Q

Learning Approach - behaviourism classical conditioning:
outline the processes of classical conditioning

A

-before conditioning:
unconditioned stimulus (UCS) = unconditioned response (UCR)
- during conditioning:
neutral stimulus (NS) + unconditioned stimulus (UCS) = unconditioned response (UCR)
- after conditioning:
conditioned stimulus (CS) = conditioned response (CR)

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24
Q

Learning Approach - behaviourism classical conditioning:
outline the term extinction in terms of classical conditioning

A

if the CS is continually presented without the UCS then the CR gradually dies out

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25
Q

Learning Approach - behaviourism classical conditioning:
outline the term spontaneous recovery in terms of classical conditioning

A

if a CR is not reinforced, it dies out. after a period of rest, the response may suddenly reappear

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26
Q

Learning Approach - behaviourism classical conditioning:
outline the term discrimination in terms of classical conditioning

A

ability to respond differently to similar but different stimuli
(opposite of generalisation)

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27
Q

Learning Approach - behaviourism classical conditioning:
outline the term generalisation in terms of classical conditioning

A

responding the same way to similar but different stimuli
generalising one response to to multiple stimuli which are similar
(opposite of discrimination)

think little albert projecting his phobia

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28
Q

Learning Approach - behaviourism classical conditioning:
outline the term one trial learning in terms of classical conditioning

A

when only one trial is required for the association to take place
conditioning occurs immediately

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29
Q

Learning Approach - behaviourism operant conditioning:
outline Skinner’s research

A
  • 1930
  • electric floor
  • two buttons, one for food, the other electrocuting the mice
  • learnt through positive and negative reinforcement
  • switched the buttons round - rats learnt new pattern
  • made random or both electric - rats experienced learned helplessness (starved to death rather than risking electrocution)
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30
Q

Learning Approach - behaviourism operant conditioning:
outline primary reinforcers

A

an individuals natural response to a stimuli

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31
Q

Learning Approach - behaviourism operant conditioning:
outline secondary reinforcers

A

response to stimuli which is learned/conditioned

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32
Q

Learning Approach - behaviourism operant conditioning:
outline continuous reinforcement

A

behaviour reinforced all of the time

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33
Q

Learning Approach - behaviourism operant conditioning:
outline partial reinforcement

A

only reinforced part of the time

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34
Q

Learning Approach - behaviourism operant conditioning:
outline positive reinforcement

A

increasing the frequency of a desired behaviour by giving a pleasant consequence

35
Q

Learning Approach - behaviourism operant conditioning:
outline negative reinforcement

A

increasing the frequency of a desired behaviour by removing something unpleasant

36
Q

Learning Approach - behaviourism operant conditioning:
outline positive punishment

A

reducing the frequency of an undesired behaviour by giving something unpleasant

37
Q

Learning Approach - behaviourism operant conditioning:
outline negative punishment

A

reducing the frequency of an undesired behaviour by taking something pleasant away

38
Q

Give evaluations for the learning approach behaviourism

A
  • research support - Skinner and Pavlov
  • practical applications - school
  • environmentally reductionist - doesn’t take into account biological or cognitive processes
  • deterministic - no free will, you are the result of reward and punishment
39
Q

Learning Approach - social learning theory:
outline the social learning theory (SLT)

A

still using the concepts of behaviourism, but further suggests that we can learn by imitation of others in social settings

40
Q

Learning Approach - social learning theory:
outline imitation in terms of the SLT

A

mimicking the behaviour of a role model but not the attitudes or beliefs

shallow and superficial form (temporary)

41
Q

Learning Approach - social learning theory:
outline identification in terms of the SLT

A

mimicking the behaviour, attitudes and beliefs of role models

shallow and superficial form (temporary)

42
Q

Learning Approach - social learning theory:
outline modelling in terms of the SLT

A

observing the behaviour of role models to understand how to behave in certain situations

43
Q

Learning Approach - social learning theory:
outline vicarious punishment in terms of the SLT

A

observing someone being punished for behaving in a certain way and then not behaving in the same manner

44
Q

Learning Approach - social learning theory:
outline the mediational processes in social learning theory and their definitions

A
  • Attention - paying attention to the behaviour in order to copy it
  • Retention - strong memory of the behaviour from the attention phase
  • Reproduction - physically replicating the behaviour
  • Motivation - wanting to replicate the behaviour

the more of these met to a greater extent, the better the replication of the behaviour

45
Q

Learning Approach - social learning theory:
outline bandura’s research (named)

A
  • Aim - can aggression be taught. would kids be more likely to imitate same-gender models
  • Sample - 36 boys, 36 girls from 37-69 months old. mean age 4 years
  • Procedure - 72 kids in three groups. 24 with aggressive model. 24 with non-aggressive model. 24 with no model (control group). control group had 12 boys and 12 girls. the other two groups were split between male or female model, with 12 in each sub-group. 6 boys, 6 girls.
  • activities - model would enter room and participate in certain tasks, either sit at a desk and play with toys or beat the living shit out of a blow out doll in front of the kids
  • results - nearly 90% of the kids in the aggressive group also beat the shit out of the doll, with 40% of them exhibiting the same behaviour after 8 months
46
Q

Give evaluations for Bandura’s 1961 study

A
  • standardised
  • practical apps - parenting
  • ethically questionable - taught kids aggressive behaviour
47
Q

Give evaluations for the learning approach social learning theory

A
  • practical applications
  • research support
  • deterministic - neglects possible biological and cognitive processes
48
Q

Cognitive Approach - introduction:
outline the assumptions of the cognitive approach

A
  • assumes all behaviour is driven by internal mental processes (cognitive primacy)
  • focusses on cognitive processes
  • assumes we process information in a linear systematic way and can therefore use the computer analogy
  • assumes psychology can be scientifically researched and observed
49
Q

Cognitive Approach - theoretical and computer models to explain mental processes:
outline the information processing model

A

input –> processes <–> output

e.g. multistore model of memory

50
Q

Cognitive Approach - theoretical and computer models to explain mental processes:
outline the computer analogy

A

views the brain as computers so that hardware is the physical aspect (brain) and the soft ware is the cognitive processes.

whilst everyone’s ‘hardware’ is the same, ‘software’ varies from person to person

51
Q

Cognitive Approach - role of schemas:
define a schema

A

a mental/cognitive structure which contains knowledge about an object, person, activity, or roles based on experience. these beliefs and expectations help us make sense of the world

52
Q

Cognitive Approach - role of schemas:
outline the advantages of schemas

A
  • they help identify danger
  • tell us how to behave in unique or unfamiliar scenarios
53
Q

Cognitive Approach - role of schemas:
outline the disadvantages of schemas

A
  • may result in you behaving inappropriately to the situation
  • made from your experiences - you may have shit experiences
54
Q

Cognitive Approach - emergence of cognitive neuroscience:
outline the purpose of cognitive neuroscience

A

aims to explore the neuroanatomy, chemical and/or mechanisms that cause our cognitive processes

this is done using brain scans
(see biopsychology)

55
Q

Give evaluations of the cognitive approach

A
  • research support for cognitive factors in behaviour - loftus and palmer
  • cognitive processes cannot be observes - not scientific
  • practical applications - cognitive behavioural therapy
  • cognitive mechanical reductionism
  • purely inferential - not scientific
56
Q

Psycho pee pee Approach - introduction:
outline the assumptions of the psycho pee pee approach

A
  • behaviour can be motivated by unconscious motives and event that occurred in early childhood
  • dreams have meanings
57
Q

Psycho pee pee Approach - role of the unconscious mind:
outline the various consciouses and each purpose

A
  • conscious mind consists of thoughts we are aware of. including perceptions and everyday thoughts.
  • preconscious mind includes memories and stored knowledge which whilst we don’t always have access to it, we can gain access to it at any time and pull information from the preconscious mind into the conscious mind
  • unconscious includes information that is either really hard or impossible to retrieve. this includes our fears, instincts, distressing, painful or embarrassing material and traumatic past experiences
58
Q

Psycho pee pee Approach - structure of personality:
outline the three aspects of the personality and each definition

A
  • id - urges and impulses (instinct). also includes libido (generalised sexual energy used for everything sexual and otherwise). pleasure principle
  • ego - acts as a bridge between the id and superego. e.g. accepting i can’t kill the cunt on the bus because i’ll go to prison. reality principle
  • superego - morality, social values and laws. elicits guilt when standards are not met (I guess mine must be broken then) opposite to the id
59
Q

Psycho pee pee Approach - defence mechanisms:
outline displacement in terms of defence mechanisms for psycho pee pee

A

redirection of an impulse (usually aggression) onto a powerless substitute - could be person or object

  • occurs when id wants to do something not permitted by the superego, results in ego redirecting
60
Q

Psycho pee pee Approach - defence mechanisms:
outline repression in terms of defence mechanisms for psycho pee pee

A

employed by ego to keep disturbing or threatening thoughts from becoming conscious. ensures safety of conscious

also known as motivated forgetting

61
Q

Psycho pee pee Approach - defence mechanisms:
outline denial in terms of defence mechanisms for psycho pee pee

A

refusal to accept reality. blocking external events from awareness

‘ignorance is bliss’

62
Q

Psycho pee pee Approach - defence mechanisms:
outline projection in terms of defence mechanisms for psycho pee pee

A

projecting your unwanted thoughts and feelings onto someone else

63
Q

Psycho pee pee Approach - psychosexual stages of development:
state the five stages of psychosexual development

A

oral
anal
phallic
latency
genital

64
Q

Psycho pee pee Approach - psychosexual stages of development:
outline the oral stage of psychosexual development

A
  • age - 0-1 years
  • pleasure source - mouth
  • personality developed - oral desire/pleasure
  • adult behaviour if unresolved - talkativeness
65
Q

Psycho pee pee Approach - psychosexual stages of development:
outline the anal stage of psychosexual development

A
  • 1-3 years
  • pleasure source - anus
  • personality developed - withholding and releasing shit
  • adult behaviour if unresolved - anal obsession
66
Q

Psycho pee pee Approach - psychosexual stages of development:
outline the phallic stage of psychosexual development

A
  • 3-6 years
  • pleasure source - genitals (not sexual)
  • personality developed - beginning awareness of sexual desires
  • adult behaviour if unresolved - unhealthy obsession with opposite gender parent
67
Q

Psycho pee pee Approach - psychosexual stages of development:
outline the latency state of psychosexual development

A
  • 6 years to puberty
  • role - earlier conflicts are repressed/resolved
68
Q

Psycho pee pee Approach - psychosexual stages of development:
outline the genital state of psychosexual development

A
  • puberty onwards
  • pleasure source - genitals (sexual)
  • personality developed - complete sexual desires
  • adult behaviour if unresolved - unhealthy sex life/sexual activity
69
Q

Psycho pee pee Approach - phallic anxieties and gender development:
Outline the Oedipus complex

A
  • only in boys
  • at age 3 (during phallic stage) boys begin to desire their mother and want to kill their father out of jealousy and rivalry
70
Q

Psycho pee pee Approach - phallic anxieties and gender development:
outline the Electra complex

A
  • only in girls
  • during phallic stage, girls desire their father for having a penis (penis envy) and hate their mother for not giving them a penis. girls then want to be a boy, until they grow out of it. and if they don’t, they become gender dysphoric, not transgender
71
Q

Psycho pee pee Approach - phallic anxieties and gender development:
outline the case study little Hans

A
  • 5 year old with phobia of horses
  • at age 3 Hans developed a liking towards his, other people’s and animals dicks
  • mother threatened to cut his off if he didn’t stop playing with it (not sexually)
  • Freud linked the phobia of horses to big cocks. black harness on horses represent father’s moustache (suggestion from dad)
  • linked to Oedipus complex as Hans feared his father
  • Freud successfully treated Hans’ phobia by having him imagine he had a big dick and married his mother
72
Q

Give evaluations for the psycho pee pee approach

A
  • over-reliant on case study support
  • subjective inferences - not scientific
  • practical applications - PTSD
  • doesn’t explain development into and throughout adulthood
73
Q

Humanistic Approach - Introduction:
outline the assumptions made by the humanistic approach

A
  • argues that people are born with free will and wish to grow and fulfil their potential (the need to self-actualise)
  • people have an innate need to make themselves and the world better (innately good)
74
Q

Humanistic Approach - free will, self-actualisation and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs:
outline free will in terms of the humanistic approach

A

having the ability to control your actions and behaviour without disruption from outside factors

opposite of determinism

75
Q

Humanistic Approach - free will, self-actualisation and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs:
outline self-actualisation in terms of the humanistic approach

A

from birth, humans have an innate desire to reach their full potential based on their perceived self and their ideal self

if disconnected, they are incongruous

76
Q

Humanistic Approach - free will, self-actualisation and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs:
outline Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in terms of the humanistic approach

A

set of criteria required to become congruent and fully self-actualise

self-actualisation - morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, lack of prejudice, acceptance of facts

esteem - self-esteem, confidence, achievement, respect of others, respect by others

love/belonging - family, friends

safety - security of body, of employment, of resources, or morality, or family, of health, or property

physiological - breathing, food, water, homeostasis, sex

77
Q

Give evaluations for free will, self-actualisation and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

A
  • cultural bias - hierarchy is based on Maslow’s culture. Not all cultures share the same goals or values
  • practical applications
  • cannot be measured - not scientific
78
Q

Humanistic Approach - the self, congruence and the role of conditions of worth:
outline the three selves and each meaning

A
  • ideal self - who you want to be
  • actual self - who you actually are
  • perceived self - who you think you are
79
Q

Humanistic Approach - the self, congruence and the role of conditions of worth:
outline congruence in terms of the humanistic approach

A

the degree of similarity between the ideal self, actual self and perceived self

80
Q

Humanistic Approach - the self, congruence and the role of conditions of worth:
outline conditions of worth in terms of the humanistic approach

A

personalised requirements an individual believes that they must have to bo loved

attempt to appeal to those they love

potential for unconditioned positive regard

81
Q

Humanistic Approach - the influence of the humanistic approach on counselling psychology:
outline the therapy technique developed from the humanistic appraoch

A
  • client centred therapy
  • created to help individuals reach self-actualisation
  • rather than the therapist exploring the individual, the client explores themselves with the assistance of the therapist
  • aims at reducing the gap between someone’s real, ideal and perceived selves

solution focused as opposed to problem focused (normal therapy)

82
Q

Give evaluations for the humanistic approach

A
  • practical applications - client centred therapy
  • cannot be measured - not scientific
  • non-scientific approach takes into account individual/subjective experiences
83
Q

Give research support for the humanistic approach

A

Elliot (2002):
- meta-analysis of 86 studies
- humanistic therapies were shown to produce significant improvement to no therapy

Gibbard and Hanley (2008):
70% of participants showed significant improvement aft taking part in client-centred therapy - 5 year study

AQA A-Level Psychology (7 decks)

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