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Psychology A-Level > Approaches > Flashcards

Approaches Flashcards

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1
Q

Outline factors that make something a science

A

Controlled, experimental conditions that can show cause and effect and can test hypotheses

Highly standardised experiments that are replicable and reliable

Use of IVs and DVs

Scientific method- objective, systematic, replicable observation

Scientific cycle- objective, systematic, replicable observation.
Building, refining or falsifying, development of a scientific theory

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2
Q

Give reasons for psychology being a science

A

Relies on objective and systematic methods, it’s more than the passive acceptance of facts.

Scientific beliefs rely on determinism,
Can establish cause and effect through use replicable methods

Psychologists always replicating each others work so poor theories become redundant quickly

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3
Q

Give reasons agains psychology being a science

A

Concentrates on objectivity and control that it doesn’t explain much of the impact of the natural environment.

Most is unobservable, can’t be measured with accuracy

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4
Q

Briefly describe Wilhelm Wundt

A

German scientist
First person referred to as a psychologist

Wrote “principles of physiological psychology” in 1873

Viewed psychology as a scientific study of conscious experience

Studied it using introspection

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5
Q

Describe introspection

A

“Internal perception”

Someone examines their own conscious experience as objectively as possible

  • uses a trained observer
  • repeated stimuli that always produced the same experience in the subject
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6
Q

Outline problems with introspection

A

Not reliable,
Can’t objectively measure a person’s responses, unobservable

Processes are unobservable contrasts ie memory and perception

Not accurate or valid

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7
Q

What is reductionism

A

Reduces a complex phenomenon to the simplest explanation possible

+gives greater understanding of something by revealing evidence for a cause of behaviour

  • humans too complex that the explanation doesn’t fully explain
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8
Q

Who introduced the behaviourist approach and with what

A

Watson

Behaviourists manifesto. ( 1913)

Identifies :

Behaviour is a response to environmental stimulus

Behaviourism is only concerned with observable stimulus-response behaviours

This can be studied in a systematic, objective way

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9
Q

Outline the principles of classical conditioning

A

Generalisation-
CR happens to a similar CS

Discrimination-
When person learns to differentiate between similar CS and a CR no longer occurs to a similar stimulus

Extinction-
When CS is no longer paired with UCS eventually CR will cease

Spontaneous recovery-
After extinction, only takes a few pairings of UCS and CS for the CR to reappear

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10
Q

Evaluate classical conditioning

A

Scientific approach,
Objective
Practical applications,therapies

Ignores cognition and free will,
Mechanistic view of human behaviour
Ethics of animal experiments
Ignores biology, nature v nurture

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11
Q

Describe skinners rat experiment

A

Rat placed in a Skinner box that has a lever

When rat pushes the lever, the box can either produce
Positive reinforcement like food
Punishment like an electric shock
A token conditioner like light

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12
Q

Describe social learning theory

A

Proposed by Albert Bandura

Takes cognitive process into account through looking at observational learning, modelling and vicarious reinforcement

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13
Q

Describe Banduras ideas on social learning theory

A

Pure behavioursim couldn’t explain why learning could take place in the absence of external reinforcement

Internal mental states must have a role,
Observational learning involves much more than imitation

  • in imitation a person copies what the model does
  • in observational learning, we learn by watching others, then imitating, or modeling
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14
Q

What were banduras three models

A

Live
Demonstrates a behaviour

Verbal
Doesn’t perform the behaviour, explains or describes it

Symbolic
Fictional character or real person who demonstrates behaviour in books or movies

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15
Q

Describe the factors for learning

A

Attention
Focused on what model is doing

Retention
Remember what you’ve observed

Reproduction
Must be able to perform the behaviour

Motivation
Must want to copy the behaviour

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16
Q

Describe vicarious reinforcement and vicarious punishment

A

Vicarious reinforcement
When a model is reinforced for their behaviour

Vicarious punishment
When you observe the model being punished

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17
Q

Describe Bandura’s bobo doll experiment

A
18
Q

Describe the cognitive approach

A

Explains human behaviour in terms of internal mental processes

Contrasts learning approaches,
They focus only on the external behaviour

19
Q

What is a schema

A

A cognitive structure where thoughts and linked together.

Influences future thinking

Influenced by the culture in which you grow up

20
Q

Describe assimilation

A

When new information is added to a schema

21
Q

Describe accomodation

A

When a new schema forms due to inconsistent information

22
Q

Describe Bartlett’s War of the Ghosts study

A

Hypothesis,
Memory is reconstructive

Experimental design
20 students
Told them an unfamiliar story of Native American folklore
Asked to recall it several different time intervals,
Ranging from hours to years later

Findings

Ps changed the story as they tried to remember it, distortion
3 patterns of distortion
1- assimilation, more consistent with their own cultural expectations(fit British norms)
2- levelling, became shorter
3- sharpening, change order of the story to make sense of it using terms more familiar to their own culture

23
Q

Give an example of a computer model

A

AS model
MSM
Views memory as being based on processing and storing information

24
Q

What are limitations to computer analogies

A

The brain came first,
Wrong way round

Machine reductionism
Reduce comp,ex thought processes down to simple mechanical processes

25
Q

Describe research that supports the biological approach

A

Gottesman(1991)

Concordance rate of schizophrenia in twins

Meta analysis of European twin studies

48% in MZ
17% in DZ

Conc
MZ tw8ns share 100% same dna, suggests that schizophrenia has a large genetic component,
H conc isn’t 100 so not all play a part

Evaluate

Reliable
Meta analysis

MZ share same environment

26
Q

Describe the 1848 phineas gage experiment

A

Phineas suffered accident,
Iron tamping bar went through his eye socket and came out the top of his head.

Survived but underwent a personality change,
Frontal lobe damaged(decision making)

Helped study localisation in the brain

27
Q

Describe a study on taxi drivers brains

A

Maguire et al(2000)

Studied London taxi drivers to see whether changes in the brain could be detected as a result of their extensive navigation experience

Natural experiments
Used fMRI scanner, calculated amount of grey matter in the brains

Posterior hippocampi were significantly larger relative to those of control group

Demonstrates brain plasticity,
Structure of the brain can change in response to the demands placed upon iy

28
Q

Describe Freud’s structure of personality

A

Id, ego, superego

Id,
Instinct, unconscious desires, impulses,
Demands instant gratification of its needs
Primitive, pleasure principle

Ego,
Conscious mind
Develops around 2-3 years
Balance the Id in society
Demands of id can’t always be met, ego is logical and seeks to satisfy the id.
Reality principle

Superego

5-6 years
Morality principle
Ensures the ego doesn’t use unacceptable means to satisfy the demands of the Id.
Conscience- what we shouldn’t do
Ego ideal- what we should do

29
Q

Describe and give examples for defence mechanisms

A

Triggered to help us deal with confrontation ,
Unconscious, distort reality so that anxiety is reduced

Only temporary
Can be psychologically damaging

Repression
Block out painful memories ie childbirth

Denial
Refusal to accept reality

Displacement
Redirection of hostile feeling towards a more acceptable target

30
Q

Describe the little Hans study

A

Aim to discover evidence to support the Oedipus complex and displacement theories

Little Hans father was a supporter of Freud and corresponded with him about his son’s fear of horses.
Recorded conversations between ages 3-5 and accounts of his dreams

Freud claimed hans obsession with his penis and his mother showed that he was in the phallic stage of psychosexual sexual development and had an unresolved Oedipus complex

Fear of horses was a displaced fear of his father

Strengths
In depth, detailed
Led to development of therapy, talked cure

Limits
Unfalsifiable
Can’t generalise
Other plausible explanations for fear of horses ie behaviourism

31
Q

Describe psychosexual development

A

Stages:
Oral
0-1
Fixations = smoking, drinking, overeating

Anal
1-3
Anal retentive, anal expulsive

Phallic
3-6
Desire in opposite sex parent, Oedipus or electra

Latency
6 years to puberty
Sexual feelings dormant

Genital
Sexual reawakening

If we don’t have the proper nurturing and parenting during a stage, we will be stuck or fixated as adults

Contraversial theory
(Freud made it at a time of sexual repression in Vienna)

32
Q

Describe the humanistic approach

A

Focused on the individual person
Emphasises the potential for good that is innate in all humans

Individualistic, looks at observable behaviour and persons feelings

Free will is important factor

33
Q

Describe self-actualisation

A

Humans strive to fulfil their potential

Self-concept and ideal self

Once the same, they are congruent

34
Q

Describe unconditional positive regard

A

When someone receives lobe and support no matter how they behave,
Helps to develop a positive self-concept

35
Q

Describe Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

A

Bottom-
Physiological needs
Security
Loved
Self worth
Self actualisation

36
Q

Give characteristics of self actualised people

A

Perceive reality efficiently
Accept themselves and others
Spontaneous in though and action
Problem centres not self centred
Unusual sense of humour
Able to look at life objectively

37
Q

Evaluate Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

A

Subjective nature
Inability to account for phenomena in the real world

38
Q

Describe a study that investigated how the hierarchy of needs related to different job demands

A

Aronoff(1967)

Natural experiment
Compared cane cutters and fishermen in the west indies

Cane cutters had high job security but paid a small amount
Fishermen worked alone, low job security but paid well

Fishermen had higher levels on hierarchy

Only those who had physiological needs could become fishermen

39
Q

Describe client centred therapy

A

Rogers

Patient takes a lead role in the therapy session

R believed therapist needed to display 3 features to maximise effectiveness

Unconditional positive regard
Genuineness
Empathy

40
Q

Describe a study that evaluates the effectiveness of person-centred therapy

A

Gibbard and Hanley(2008)

Core Outcome Measure administered at referral and at the beginning and end of therapy
Over 5 years

Effectiveness for 697 individuals was 1.2

Psychology A-Level (7 decks)

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