Approaches Flashcards
How is having some systematic and controlled methods a strength of Wundt’s work?
P - some methods are standardised and controlled
Ev - standardised instructions
Ex - results can be compared and repeated
L - psychology is a science
How is heavy reliance on introspection a limitation of Wundt’s work?
P - Wundt’s work heavily relied on introspection
Ev - Wundt asked ppts to self-report their mental processes, such as describing their own thoughts and feelings
Ex - data was subjective and unobservable, making it difficult to verify and reproduce findings
L - method lacks scientific rigor compared to later approaches, like behaviourism
How is Wundt’s work being scientific a strength of modern psychology?
P - can claim to be scientific
Ev - uses systematic methods like controlled experiments and brain imaging techniques
Ex - research is based on empirical evidence, increasing objectivity and credibility
L - psychology shares the same aims as natural sciences such as prediction and explanation
What are the evaluation points for Wundt’s work?
+) Scientific
-) relies heavily on introspection
+) some systematic and controlled methods
How is being based on lab studies a strength of behaviourism?
P - based on lab studies
Ev - they only focus in observable behaviour, experiments are well-controlled, variables are manipulated systematically
Ex - the results are reliable
L - results are considered justified
What are the evaluation points for the behaviourist approach?
+) lab study
-) uses animal studies
-) mistreatment of animals
How is the use of animal studies a limitation of the behaviourist approach?
P - Pavlov and Skinners used animal studies
Ev - Pavlov and skinner’s work was conducted in dogs, rats, pigeons
Ex - human’s brains are more complex than animal brains so the results will not be justified
C.P - Watson used a 9 month old in his little Albert experiment
How is Watson using a human in his study a counter for animal studies as a limitation of Behaviourism?
Used little Albert
How is the mistreatment of animals a limitation of the behaviourist approach?
P - mistreatment of animals
Ev - Pavlov - dogs , Skinner -rats and pigeons
involved distressing procedures such as food deprivation or electronic shocks
Ex - ethical treatment of animals in compromised, raising concerns about whether such studies should be conducted at all
L - findings of behaviourist studies may be considered unjustified due to unethical treatment of animals
What are the evaluation point for Cognitive approach?
+) Scientific methods
-) contrived experiments
-) machine reductionist
How is the use of scientific methods a strength of the cognitive approach?
P - scientific methods
Ev - brain scans, CT scans, PET scans
Ex - accurate explanation of human behaviour
L - can explain behaviour IAPIAPATT
How is a contrived experiment a limitation of the cognitive approach?
P - contrived experiment
Ev - research studies of mental processes often arried out on artificial stimuli like word tests
Ex - lacks mundane realism
L - may not explain behaviour IAPIAPATT
How is machine reductionism a limitation of the cognitive appraoch?
P -Machine-reductionist
Ev - we are more complicated, sociable and have more emotions than a computer model
Ex - not an accurate comparison, over-simplified
L; - may not expain behaviour IAPIAPATT
What are the evaluation points of the biological approach?
-) reductionist
+) RWA
-) determinist
How is being reductionist a limitation of the biological approach?
P - reductionist
Ev - reduces complex human behaviour down to genetics
Ex - approach fails to take SLT into account and the effects of the environement on our social circles
L - not all bhevaiour can be explained by the biological approach
How is real; world application a strength of the biological approach?
P - RWA
Ev - the development of drug therapy to treat disorders like Schiophrenia
Ex - the approach is not only credible but can be used to benefit society
L - useful and valuable IAPIAPATT
How is being deterministic a limitation of the biological approach?
P - determinsistic
Ev - all behaviour is governed by biological factors, we cannot choose our biology
Ex - approach assumes we have no free will, discouraging for those with mental illnesses and disproves the criminal justice system
L- Biological approach can lead to people not taking ownership of their crimes and feeling hopeless regarding recovery from mental illness
What is the cognitive approach?
believes mental processes should be studied e.g perception and memory
What is the role of inference?
cognitive psychologists make assumptions about what is going on in people’s minds on the basis of their behaviour as mental processes are private and cannot be observed
What is a schema?
packages of information developed through experience
that acts as a framework for the interpretation of incoming information recieived by the cognitive system
schema becomes more detailed and sophisticated with age
What are theoretical models ?
suggests information flows through a sequence of stages that include input, storage and retrieval
What are computer models?
refers to programmes that can be run on a computer to imitate the human mind
by running the programme =, psychologists can test their ideas about information processing
What is the emergence of cognitive neuroscience?
scientific study of influence of brain structures in mental processes
advances in brain scanning, scientists can describe neurological basis of mental processing
e.g Tulving research in memory gas linked episodic and semantic memories to opposite sides of the PFC in the brain
What is the biological approach?
believes we must look to biological structures and processes within the body like genes and neurochemistry
What is neurochemistry?
the action of chemicals in the brain
neurotransmitters transmitting messages
imbalance of neurotransmitters may cause some mental disorders
What is the genetic basis of behaviour?
psychological characterisitcs are inherited
twin studies are used to investigate genetic influence
MZ 100% same
DZ 50% same
What is genotype?
Genetic make-up
What is phenotype?
the way these genes are expressed through physical, behaviourial, psychological characteristics
influenced by environment
What is the theory of evolution?
Darwin proposed theory of natural selection
any genetically determined behaviour that enhances survival and reproduction will be passed onto future generations
Such genes are described as adaptive and give the professor and their offspring advantages
What is the mind made up of?
Conscious - What we are aware of
Preconscious thoughts we may become aware if through dreams
Unconscious - vast storehouse of biologically drives and instincts that influence our behaviour
What is the tripartite structure of personality?
Id - primitive part operates on pleasure principle and demands immediate gratification
Ego - reality principle, mediator between Id and Superego
Superego - internalised sense of right and wrong, morality principle, punishes ego through guilt, age 5
What are the 5 psychosexual stages?
oral
anal
phallic
latency
genital
each stage has a different conflict that the child must resolve to move on to next.
Unresolved conflicts lead to fixation where child becomes stuck and carries behaviours associated with the stage through to adult life
What is the Oral stage?
0-1 years
pleasure focus - mouth, the mother’s breast is object of desireW
What is the anal stage?
1-3 years
pleasure focus is anus, child gains pleasure from witholding and eliminating faeces
What is the Phallic stage?
3-6 years
pleasure focus is the genital area
What is the latency stage?
earlier conflicts are repressed
What is the genital stage?
sexual desires become conscious
What is the oedipus complex?
girls have penis envy
boys develop incestuous feelings towards their mother, identify with their father and take on gender role and moral values
What is repression?
forcing a distressing memory out of the conscious memory
What is denial?
refusing to acknowledge reality
What is displacement?
transferring feelings from their true source onto a substituent target
What is the concept of free will?
Humanistic psychologists see humans as affected by external and internal influences but self-determining
What does the humanistic approach believe?
psychology should concern itself with the subjective experience rather than general laws as we are all unique - person centred approach
What is the hierarchy of needs?
Maslow’s hierarchy required 4 lower levels to be met before self-actualisation
What is self-actualisation?
innate tendency that each of us want to achieve our gull potential and become the best we can possibly be
What is establishing congruence in therapy?
personal growth required individuals concept of self to be congruent with their ideal self
if too big a gap the person experiences incongruence and self-actualisation isnt possible
What happens to parents who impose conditions if worth?
may prevent personal growth in child
issues like worthlessness and self-esteem have roots in childhood
due to a lack of unconditional positive regard from parents
What 3 things should a therapist provide a client with in ROger’s client-centred therapy?
Genuineness
Empathy
Unconditional positive regard
What is the aim of Roger’s client centred therapy?
to increase feelings of self-worth and reduce incongruence between self-concept and the idea self
What does SLT believe?
agrees with behaviourism
also proposed that learning takes place in a social context through observation and imitation of other’s behaviours
What is vicarious reinforcement?
children / adults observe other sbehaviours and take note of it’s consequences. Behaviour that is seen to be rewarded is more likely to be rewarded is copied
What are the 4 mediational responses?
attention
retention
motor reproduction
motivation
What is attention as a mediational response of SLT?
whether the behaviour is noticed
What is retention as a mediational response?
whether behaviour is remembered
What is motor reproduction as a mediational response?
being able to do it
What is motivation as a mediational response?
the will to perform the behaviour
What are the traits of a role model in SLT?
similar to the observer - identification is important
attractive
high status
What was Bandura’s research (1961)?
Children watched an adult behaving aggressively towards a Bobo doll or an adult behaving non-aggressively to a Bobo doll
when children were given their own doll to play with, children who saw aggression were much more aggressive towards the doll
What was Bandura’s and Walter’s 1963 research?
children who saw adult who was or rewarded or punished or had no consequence
when given their own doll, children who saw aggression awarded were much more aggressive themselve
What does the behaviourist approach believe in?
only concerned with studying behaviour that can be observed and measured
What type of studies do behaviourist carry out to maintain control and objectivity?
controlled lab studies
What so behaviourists believe about animals?
processes that govern learning are the same in all species, so animals like cats, dogs, pigeons and rats can replace humans as experimental subjects
What were Pavlov’s findings?
A neural stimus (BELL) became a conditioned response through association as dogs salivated when hearing the bell, once bell and food had been associated multiple times
What is classical conditioning?
learning through assoication
What is operant conditioning?
behaviour being shaped and maintained by consequences
What is Skinner’s research?
rats and pigeons in Skinner’s box
animal activated a lever and was rewarded with a food pellet
desirable consequence led to behaviour being repeated
if pressing lever meant animal avoided an electric shock behaviour was repeatedq
What are the three types of consequences of behaviour?
Positive reinforcement
Negative reinforcement
Punishment
What is positive reinforcement?
receiving a reward when behaviour is performed
What is negative reinforcement?
Avoiding something unpleasant when a behaviour is reinforced
What is punishment?
unpleasant consequence of behaviour
What did Wundt do?
Opened first psychology lab in Leipzig Germany, 1879
What was Wundt’s aim of opening the first psychology lab?
to describe the nature of human consciousness in a carefully controlled and scientific environement
What is introspection?
the first systematic experimental method to study the mind
How did Wundt control procedures?
used the same standardised instructions given to all participants and stimuli were presented in the same order
What is structuralism?
introspection led to identifying the structure of consciousness by breaking it up into the basic structures. thoughts images and sensations
Who and why did they reject introspection
Early behaviourists, Watson 1913
scientific psyshcology should only study phenomena that is observable and measurab;e
Who dominated psychology from 1930 -1980?
Behaviourists cientific approach
controlled lab studies
bought langauge and rigor of natural sciences into psychology
What and when were the cognitive approach introduced/ introfsiung?
1950s
likened the mind to a computer and tested their predictions about memory and attention using experiments
What did the biologicla approach do?
taken advantage of recent advancements in technology, recording braina ctivity
Compare behaviourism with social learning theory with reference to nature versus nurture?
Behaviorism
Nurture: Strongly nurture.
Key Ideas: Babies are “blank slates”; behavior is learned through association and reinforcement (nurture).
Social Learning Theory (SLT)
Nurture & Nature: Mostly nurture, some nature.
Key Ideas: Behaviour is learned through observation, imitation, and reinforcement (nurture). Motor skills and motivation depend on biological factors (e.g., dopamine systems) (nature).
Compare the behaviourist approach to the congitive approach with relation to nature vs nurture?
Behaviourist
Nature vs. Nurture: Strongly nurture.
Key Ideas: Babies are “blank slates”; behaviour is learned through association and reinforcement
Cognitive
Nature vs. Nurture: Both nature and nurture.
Key Ideas: Our information processing-abilites and schemas are innate (nature), but they constantly need refining by experience (nurture)
Compare the behaviourist approach to the biological approach with reference to nature vs nurture debate?
Behaviourist Approach
Nature vs. Nurture: Strongly nurture.
Key Ideas: Babies are “blank slates”; behavior is learned through association and reinforcement.
Biological Approach
Nature vs. Nurture: Strongly nature.
Key Ideas: Behaviour is biologically determined by inherited traits (genotype) from parents (nature) but phenotype influenced by environment
Compare behaviourism to the psychodynamic approach with reference to the nature vs nurture debate?
Behaviourism
Nature vs. Nurture: Strongly nurture.
Key Ideas: Babies are “blank slates”; behavior is learned through association and reinforcement (nurture).
Psychodynamic Approach
Nature vs. Nurture: Mostly nature.
Key Ideas: Much of our behaviour is driven by biological drives and instincts (nature), relationship with parents is crucial (nurture)
Compare the behviourist approach to the humanistic approach with reference to the nature vs nurture debate?
Behaviourism
Nature vs. Nurture: Strongly nurture.
Key Ideas: Babies are “blank slates”; behaviour is learned through association and reinforcement
Humanistic Approach
Nature vs. Nurture: Mostly nurture.
Key Ideas: Focuses on free will (nurture), environmental influence (e.g., unconditional positive regard) (nurture), and an innate drive to reach potential (nature).
Compare behaviourism with SLT with reference to reductionism?
Behaviourism
Reductionist: Yes
Key Ideas: Reduces complex learning into stimulus-response associations for ease of testing in a lab (reductionist).
Social Learning Theory (SLT)
Reductionist: Yes, but not that much
Key Ideas: Recognizes how cognitive factors interact with the external environment (less reductionist).
Compare behaviourism to congitive approach with reference to reductionism?
Behaviourism
Reductioinism: Very reductionist
Key ideas:Reduces complex learning into stimulus-response associations for ease of testing in a lab (reductionist).
Congitive:
Reductionist: Moderate
Key ideas: computer analogy ignores role of human emotion(machine reductionist)
recognises interal mental processes like memory, attention and decision-making
Compare behaviourism to biological approach with reference to reductionism?
Behaviourism
Reductioinism: Very reductionist
Key ideas: Reduces complex learning into stimulus-response associations for ease of testing in a lab (reductionist).
Biological Approach
Reductionism: Most reductionist
Key ideas: reduces and explains human behaviour a the level of the gene, ignores psychological, social, environmental factors
Compare behaviourism to psychodynamic approach with reference to reductionism?
Behaviourism
Reductioinism: Very reductionist
Key ideas: Reduces complex learning into stimulus-response associations for ease of testing in a lab (reductionist).
Psychodynamic
Reductionism: low reductionism
Key ideas: reduces behaviour to the influence of biological drives, although it sees personality as a dynamic, holistic interaction between Id, ego and superego
Compare behaviourism to humanistic with reference to reductionism?
Behaviourism
Reductioinism: Very reductionist
Key ideas: Reduces complex learning into stimulus-response associations for ease of testing in a lab (reductionist).
Humanistic Approach
Reductionism: Least
Key ideas: anti-reductionist, based on holisitc investigation of all aspects of individual
Compare behaviourism to SLT with reference to determinism?
Behaviourism
Determinism: Very
All behaviour is environmentally determined by external forces we cannot control (hard determinism)
SLT
Determinism: Moderate
We are influenced by environmental factors and cognitive processes (determinist). However, we have some free will as individuals choose if they want to imitate observed behaviour
Compare behaviourism to cognitive approach with reference to determinism?
Behaviourism
Determinism: Very
Key ideas: All behaviour is environmentally determined by external forces we cannot control (hard determinism)
Cognitive Approach
Determinism: Low
Key ideas: we are the choosers of our own behaviour but only within the limits of what we know (soft determinsim)
Compare behaviourism with biological approach with reference to determinism?
Behaviourism
Determinism: Very
Key ideas: All behaviour is environmentally determined by external forces we cannot control (hard determinism)
Biological Approach
Determinism: Most
Key ideas: Much of our behaviour is directed by innate influences (genetic determinism)
Compare behaviourism and psychodynamic approaches with reference to determinsim?
Behaviourism
Determinism: Very
Key ideas: All behaviour is environmentally determined by external forces we cannot control (hard determinism)
Psychodynamic
Determinism: Moderate
Key ideas: unconscious forced drive our
(psychic determinism )behaviour and this is rationalised by our conscious minds
Compare behaviourism to humanistic with reference to determinism?
Behaviourism
Determinism: Very
Key ideas: All behaviour is environmentally determined by external forces we cannot control (hard determinism)
Humanistic
Determinism: Least
Key ideas: Humans have free will and are active agents who determine their own development
