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Psychology - Year One - My Own > Approaches > Flashcards

Approaches Flashcards

1
Q

What year did Wundt develop the first lab dedicated to psychology? And where was it located?

A

Wilhelm Wundt created this lab in 1879 and it was in Leipzig, Germany

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2
Q

What is structuralism and who was it created by?

A

Wundt created structuralism and it was an attempt to uncover the hidden structures of the mind (consciousness) by describing it in terms of very simple components.

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3
Q

What was Wundt’s primary method of investigation?

A

Introspection

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4
Q

What is introspection?

A

Introspection (comes from the latin of ‘looking into’) and is basically examine your own thought process in response to a sensory stimulus.

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5
Q

Describe the process of introspection

A
  1. Participants are trained to reports conscious experiences as objectively as possible
  2. Participants are then asked to focus on a sensory object which acts as the stimulus (for example, a ticking metronome)
  3. Participants would systematically report their experiences of the object by breaking their thoughts into separate elements
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6
Q

Who created the psychodynamic approach?

A

Freud

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7
Q

What does the psychodynamic approach state?

A

The psychodynamic approach states that a significant portion of our behaviour is influenced by unconscious processes

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8
Q

What six parts is the Freud iceberg split into?

A
  • Ego
  • Superego
  • Id
  • Conscious (above the water)
  • Preconscious (water level)
  • Unconscious (underwater)
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9
Q

How would you describe the conscious mind?

A

The conscious mind consists of thoughts, feelings and perceptions that are currently within our awareness. This includes immediate awareness of our present experiences and mental activities.

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10
Q

What is the function of the conscious mind?

A

This allows for rational thinking, decision making and deliberate actions based on current perceptions and thoughts. It also provides awareness of external reality and ongoing mental processes

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11
Q

How would you describe the preconscious mind?

A

The preconscious mind contains thoughts, memories and knowledge that are not currently conscious but can be easily retrieved and brought into awareness. Acts as a storage area for memories, information that are readily accessible when needed

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12
Q

What is the function of the preconscious mind?

A

Facilitates the retrieval of memories, learned information and past experiences into consciousness. Plays a vital role in everyday functioning such as recalling facts, solving problems and making decisions based on stored information

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13
Q

How would you describe the unconscious mind?

A

This is seen as the largest and most influential part of the mind according to Freudian theory. It contains thoughts, desires, memories and emotions that are repressed or beyond conscious awareness

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14
Q

What is the function of the unconscious mind?

A

Operates according to the pleasure principal, seeking gratification of instinctual drives and desires. Stores hidden motives, fears, unresolved conflicts and traumatic memories. Influences behaviour, emotion, dreams and mental health without conscious awareness

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15
Q

What are the three parts within the structure of personality?

A
  • Id
  • Ego
  • Superego
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16
Q

What is the definition of the id?

A

The id id the primitive and instinctual part of the mind that operates on the pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification of its needs, desires and impulses

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17
Q

What are the characteristics of the id?

A
  • Unconscious and present from birth
  • Demands instant gratification and operates without concern for consequences
  • Driven by biological drives such as hunger, thirst and sexual impulses
  • Source of psychic energy (libido), which fuels psychological processes
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18
Q

What is the role of the id?

A

The id seeks to satisfy basic urges and needs, and its impulses often conflict with societal norms and the demands of the ego and superego

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19
Q

What is the definition of the ego?

A

The ego is the rational, decision-making part of the personality that operates on the reality principle, mediating between the demands of the id, superego and the external world.

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20
Q

What is the characteristics of the ego?

A
  • Develops gradually during infancy and early childhood
  • Considers social norms, rules and reality before acting
  • Seeks to satisfy the id’s desires in a realistic and socially acceptable way
  • Acts as a buffer between the demands of the id and the constraints of reality
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21
Q

What is the role of the ego?

A

The ego helps individuals navigate the external world and balance the conflicting demands of the id and superego while striving to achieve realistic and socially acceptable goals

22
Q

What is the definition of the superego?

A

The superego represents internalised societal and parental standards (conscience) and ideals (ego-ideal). It develops as a result of the internalisation of moral values and ethical standards from caregivers and society. It is known as the mortality principle.

23
Q

What are the characteristics of the superego?

A
  • Begins to form around the age of five or six through identification with parental figures
  • Comprises two components: the conscience and the ego-ideal
24
Q

What are the key assumptions under the behaviourist approach?

A
  • Focus on observable behaviour
  • Objectivity through laboratory studies
  • All behaviour is learned
  • Tabula Rasa
25
Q

What is meant by focussing on observable behaviour in the behaviourist approach?

A

Behaviourists argue that psychology should only study observable behaviour. This means that they reject introspection and the study of internal mental processes. This focus allowed for a more objective analysis of behaviour.

26
Q

What is meant by objectivity through laboratory studies in the behaviourist approach?

A

Behaviourists maintain objectivity by conducting controlled experiments in laboratory settings. This helps eliminate extraneous variables and ensures reliable data.

27
Q

What is meant by all behaviour being learned in the behaviourist approach?

A

They believe that all behaviour is acquired through two main forms of conditioning: classical and operant conditioning. Behaviourists commonly use animals in their research as they believe learning processes are universal

28
Q

What is meant by ‘tabula rasa’ in the behaviourist approach?

A

The concept of ‘Tabula rasa’ (blank slate) posits that individuals are born without any innate ideas or behaviours. Instead, they learn everything from their experiences

29
Q

What is classical conditioning?

A

Classical conditioning involves associating a neutral stimulus with a meaningful stimulus to elicit a conditioned response.

30
Q

Who came up with the classical conditioning theory and what experiment was used to discover it?

A

Ivan Pavlov did an experiment with dogs, bells and food to discover classical conditioning

31
Q

Describe Pavlov’s Dog experiment

A

Pavlov found that dogs could learn to associate the sound of a bell (NS) with food (UCS), leading to salivation (CR) when only the bell was rung, before any food was even displayed.

32
Q

What is operant conditioning?

A

Operant conditioning is a learning process where behaviour is shaped by the consequences that follow.

33
Q

Who found out what operant conditioning is and what experiment backed this up?

A

B.F. Skinner did the Skinner Box experiment

34
Q

Describe the ‘Skinner Box’ experiment

A

Skinner put rats into a box that he created. These rats learned to press a lever inside to receive food (PR) or avoid an electric shock.

35
Q

What are the four types of consequence?

A
  • Positive Reinforcement (PR)
  • Negative Reinforcement (NR)
  • Positive Punishment (PP)
  • Negative Punishment (NP)
36
Q

What is positive reinforcement?

A

This is when something is added to increase the likelihood of a behaviour

37
Q

What is negative reinforcement?

A

This is when something is removed to increase the likelihood of a behaviour

38
Q

What is positive punishment?

A

This is when something is added to decrease the likelihood of a behaviour

39
Q

What is negative punishment?

A

This is when something is removed to decrease the likelihood of a behaviour

40
Q

Who proposed the social learning theory (SLT)?

A

Albert Bandura

41
Q

What are the key assumptions in the social learning theory?

A
  • Learning through experience
  • Identification and Role Models
  • Mediational Processes
42
Q

What is meant by learning through experience in SLT?

A

This states that behaviour is learned not only through direct reinforcement but also through observing others, making it possible to learn indirectly

43
Q

What is meant by identification and role models in the SLT?

A

During the process of identification, individuals adopt the behaviours of role models, who may not necessarily be physically present. This means that individuals can learn from people in their environment or through the media

44
Q

What is meant by mediational processes in the SLT?

A

Bandura emphasised cognitive factors in learning, which include attention, retention, reproduction and motivation

45
Q

What are the key concepts of SLT?

A
  • Modelling
  • Vicarious Reinforcement
  • Mediational Processes
46
Q

What are the two types of modelling and their definitions?

A
  • Live Models: People physically present in the learner’s environment (for example, peers, parents and teachers)
  • Symbolic Models: People portrayed in the media, such as celebrities or fictional characters
47
Q

When are models most influential?

A

Models are most influential when identification is present and can physically identify with them

48
Q

What is vicarious reinforcement?

A

This is learning through observing the consequences of other peoples actions. If a model is rewarded for a behaviour, an observer is more likely to imitate that behaviour, but if the model is punished, the observer is less likely to imitate it

49
Q

What four mediational processes are highlighted in the SLT? And what do they involve?

A
  • Attention: Noticing the behaviour of others
  • Retention: Remembering what was observed
  • Reproduction: Being able to perform the observed behaviour
  • Motivation: The desire to perform the behaviour, influenced by whether the behaviour was rewarded or punished
50
Q

Describe Bandura’s Bobo Doll experiment

A

This is when children observed adults interacting aggressively with a Bobo doll. When the same children were given the chance to play with the doll, the children were more likely to imitate the aggressive behaviour. The chance of imitation was higher if the adult was rewarded for the aggressive actions

51
Q

What is humanistic psychology?

A

Humanistic psychology emphasises the unique nature of human beings and their inherent drive towards growth, self actualisation and person fulfilment.

52
Q

Describe the concept of free will in humanistic psychology

A

Humanistic psychologists argue that all human beings possess free will, meaning that we have the ability to make choices and take control of our actions

Psychology - Year One - My Own (6 decks)

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