Approaches

Question 1

🧠Define psychology

Answer 1

The study of the mind, behaviour and experience

Question 2

🧠Define introspection

Answer 2

The study of the mind through breaking up conscious awareness into basic structures of thoughts, images and sensations

Question 3

🧠Wilhelm Wundt’s firsts

Answer 3

Psychology lab in Leipzig, Germany

Wrote first textbook

Question 4

🧠Wilhelm Wundt’s objectives (2)

Answer 4

Standardised procedures: observations recorded

Structuralism: consciousness divided into three categories+ the same stimuli order and instructions

Question 5

🧠Evaluation of Wundt (4)

Answer 5

+Somewhat scientific: controlled environment, standardised procedures

-Subjective data: Self-reports are subjective and things could be left out. General laws not possible

+ Father of psychology: set foundation for approaches, particularly behaviourist

+ Introspection used: in investigation in fruit machine addicts

Question 6

🧠Timeline (9)

Answer 6

17th/19th c: roots in philosophy
1879: Wundt
1900s: Psychodynamic (Freud)
1913: Behaviourist (Watson+Skinner)
1950s: Humanistic (Rogers +Maslow)
Cognitive; analogy w/ digital computer
1960s: SLT (Bandura)
1980s: Biological; tech advances
Eve 21st c: cognitive neuroscience

Question 7

🧠Timeline evaluation (3)
🧪😇📜

Answer 7

+ Science: Learning, Cog and Bio all use scientific methods

• Subjective: Psycho and Humanistic rely on unscientific case studies. Research hampered by demand characteristics
• Paradigm: Philosopher Kuhn said a science must have a set of principles, methods, etc that all people in a subject must agree on. The very fact there are so many different approaches suggests it’s not a science.

Question 8

🔔Behavourist Approach (5 points)

Answer 8

Only interested in observable, measurable behaviour.

Mental processes irrelevant.

All behaviour learnt; baby’s mind= blank slate written on my experience.

Basic processes that govern learning the same in all species.

Conditioning.

Question 9

🔔Classical conditioning ( who and what) (4)

Answer 9

Pavlov. Learning through association.

Dogs taught to salivate at sound of bell if repeatedly presented with food. Gradually they associate the sound of bell with food. Eventually the dog produces salivation response to bell even without food.

So a neutral stimulus can come to elicit a conditioned response.

Question 10

🔔Operant conditioning (who and what) (6)

Answer 10

Skinner. Learning through reinforcement/consequences.

*Positive reinforcement: reward increases the likelihood of behaviour.
*Negative reinforcement: avoidance of something unpleasant increases the likelihood of behaviour.

E.g. rat getting food pellet (pr) or avoiding a shock (nr) by pulling a lever.

*Punishment: unpleasant consequence that decreases the likelihood of behaviour.

Question 11

🔔Behaviourist approach evaluation (5) 🥼🕺🪙🫥🐀

Answer 11

+ Well-controlled research: stimulus-response experiments. Removes extraneous variables.
- Reductionist

+ Real-world application: token economies

• Environmental determinism: All behaviour determined by past conditioning, not conscious decision-making. So no free will?

-Ethical issues: not good for animals

Question 12

🤡Social Learning Theory Approach

Answer 12

Behaviourist +

Learn directly (classical + operant conditioning)
Also indirectly (vicarious reinforcement)

Question 13

🤡Vicarious reinforcement (who and what) (4 points)

Answer 13

Bandura. Vicarious reinforcement= learning through observation and imitation.

Bobo doll study: Children who observed adults behaving aggressively towards a bobo doll were more likely to do the same.

Mediational Processes:
Attention, retention, motor reproduction, motivation

Identification: more likely to imitate role models you identify with.

Question 14

🤡 Social Learning Theory evaluation (5) ⚙️🪞😇📺🤔

Answer 14

+Cognitive factors: more comprehensive than behaviourists, considers cog factors.
“Learning would be exceedingly laborious, not to mention hazardous, if people had to rely solely on the effects of their own actions to inform them what they do” - Bandura.
- Underestimates biology e.g. mirror neurons

-Contrived lab studies. Participants respond to demand characteristics- bobo dolls meant to be hit. May not actually reflect how children learn aggression.

+ Real world application: SLT can account for development of cultural differences and have implications for the media (death of James Bulgar 1990)

• Less deterministic than behaviourism. Bandura emphasised reciprocal determinism- we are not merely influenced by our environment, we also exert influence upon it through the behaviours we choose to perform

Question 15

💻Cognitive Approach (3)

Answer 15

Internal mental processes can and should be studied scientifically.

Investigate area of human behaviour neglected by behaviourists- memory, perception, thinking.

These processes cannot be observed so Cog psychologists make inferences.

Question 16

💻Schemas (3)

Answer 16

Schemas= mental frameworks that contain everything we know, believe and have experienced of a certain thing.

Enable us to process lots of information quickly which prevents us from getting overwhelmed by environmental stimuli. However, can lead to perceptual errors.

Assimilation (addition) and Accomodation (alteration).

Question 17

💻Theoretical and computer models (3)

Answer 17

Basically: Theoretical= abstract. Computer= concrete. Actually they overlap

Theoretical: Information processing approach. Suggests information flows through the cognitive system sequentially. E.g. MSM of memory.

A computer model would involve programming a computer to see if instructions produce a similar output. If yes, suggests humans and computers have similar processes. Used in AI.

Question 18

💻Emergence of Cognitive Neuroscience (3)

Answer 18

Scientific study of how brain structures affect mental processes

Biological structures link to mental state e.g. Tulving et al found dif types of LTM found in opposite sides of the prefrontal cortex.

Brain imaging used

Question 19

💻 Cognitive Approach evaluation (5)
🥼🤔🌏📠🍦

Answer 19

+Scientific methods: Lab studies produce objective data. Cog Neuroscience is very scientific
- use of inferences (too theoretical) and artificial stimuli = lack of external validity

+Real world application: Applied to AI, depression and eyewitness testimony

-Machine reductionist: Computer analogy is too simple, reduces people to input and output and ignores the influence of emotion and motivation. Weakens validity.

+ Founded on soft determinism: human behaviour may be determined by internal and external factors but also exert our free will at times.

Question 20

🧬Biological Approach: (2)

Answer 20

Everything psychological is at first biological. To fully understand human behaviour we must look to biological structures and processes.

The mind lives in the brain- meaning all thoughts, feelings and behaviour ultimately have a physical basis. In contrast to cog.

Question 21

🧬Neurochemical basis of behaviour (2)

Answer 21

Neurochemistry: action of chemicals in the brain. Many of our thoughts and behaviours rely on chemical transmission in the brain using neurotransmitters.

Imbalance of neurochemiclas implicated at possible cause of mental illness e.g. low levels of serotonin in OCD and overproduction of dopamine in schizophrenia.

Question 22

🧬Genetic basis of behaviour (3)

Answer 22

Psychological characteristics are inherited in the same way as height or eye colour.

Twin studies used to investigate whether certain characteristics have a genetic basis. This is achieved by analysing concordance rates (the extent to which twins have the same characteristic). If a characteristic is genetic we would expect all monozygotic twins to be 100% concordant.

Question 23

🧬Genotype and phenotype (3)

Answer 23

Genotype= genetic make-up
Phenotype= expression of the genotype.

In m twins, they have same genotype but may have different phenotype.

This illustrates that human behaviour depends upon interaction between inherited factors and the environment.

Question 24

🧬Evolution and behaviour (3)

Answer 24

Natural selection: Darwin. Any genetically determined behaviour that enhances an individual’s survival and reproduction will continue in future generations.

Some psychologists argue that means that as all genetically determined behaviour that is passed on must be beneficial, even mental disorders like OCD must have some adaptive advantage.

Sexual selection refers to how males have unlimited sperm and can effectively reproduce as much as they like. But females must carry the baby for 9 months, so are more likely to be more picky. (?)

Question 25

🧬Biological Approach evaluation
💊🤷‍♀️🩻🦹‍♀️🦴

Answer 25

+Real world application: Increased understanding of neurochemical processes in the brian is associated with the use of psychoactive drugs to treat serious mental disorders e.g. SSRIs
However, drugs don’t work for everyone. Cipriani compared 22 different drugs and concluded that the effects were ‘mainly modest’. Challenges the value of the bio approach if Brian chemistry alone may not account for all cases of mental illness.

+Scientific methods: makes use of a range of precise and highly objective methods e.g. fMRIs and EEGs. Objective data.

• Biological determinism: see human behaviour as governed by internal, genetic causes over which we have no control. However, the way a genotype is expressed is heavily influenced by the environment. Becomes problematic as an excuse for crime.
• Critics of Darwin like Karl Popper claim it’s not possible to falsify the theory of natural selection as we can only deduce it has taken place. However, others claim the basic principles are supported by fossil records.

Question 26

😘Humanistic Approach Assumptions (3)

Answer 26

-Human beings are self-determining and have free will
-Reject scientific models that attempt to establish general principles of human behaviour
-We are all unique: psychology should concern itself with the study of subjective experience

Question 27

😘 Hierarchy of needs

Answer 27

Abraham Maslow.
In order to achieve our primary goal of self-actualisation, a number of other deficiency needs must first be met.

Bottom: physiological needs (food)
2: Safety and security (shelter)
3: Love and belongingness (friends)
4: Self-esteem (good job)
Top: Self-actualisation (full potential)

Question 28

😘Congruence and conditions of worth

Answer 28

Carl Rogers.
For personal growth to be achieved, the concept of self and ideal self must be congruent.

To reduce this gap, Rogers developed client-centred therapy/ counselling.

Feelings of low self-esteem have roots in childhood because of a lack of unconditional positive regard from parents. Conditions of worth (I’ll only love you if…) causing problems in the future. The role of the therapist is to provide unconditional positive regard in place of parents.

Question 29

😘 Humanistic Approach Evaluation