approaches Flashcards
Who is considered the father of psychology?
Wilhelm Wundt
Wundt established the first psychology laboratory in 1879.
What year did Wundt establish the first psychology laboratory?
1879
This laboratory was located at Leipzig University.
What is introspection?
The systematic analysis of one’s own conscious experience
It involves analyzing thoughts, feelings, emotions, and sensations.
What was the primary method used by Wundt in his psychological research?
Introspection
Wundt trained participants to analyze and report their inner thoughts.
What does the empirical method in psychology refer to?
Evidence that is directly observable and gathered through the senses
This method can be verified by measurements.
What is the main criticism of introspection according to John Watson?
It is not objective and varies from person to person
This makes it difficult to establish general principles.
What is a key assumption of the behaviorist approach?
Behavior is learned from experience
According to behaviorism, we are born as ‘blank slates’.
What is classical conditioning?
Learning by association
It involves creating an association between a neutral stimulus and a reflex response.
What does UCS stand for in classical conditioning?
Unconditioned Stimulus
It refers to a stimulus that naturally triggers a response.
What is the outcome of repeatedly pairing a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus?
The neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus
This leads to a conditioned response.
Fill in the blank: Wundt’s work marked the beginning of the _______ approach in psychology.
scientific
He moved psychology away from philosophy into a scientific discipline.
What are the features of science in psychology?
- Empirical method
- Objectivity
- Replicability
- Falsifiability
- Theory construction and hypothesis testing
- Paradigms and paradigm shifts
True or False: The scientific method always guarantees high ecological validity.
False
Many psychologists argue that purely scientific methods do not capture realistic human behavior.
What did Pavlov’s research initially focus on?
The digestive system of dogs
His work earned him the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1904.
What is the significance of the Little Albert experiment?
It demonstrated classical conditioning by creating a phobia
A loud noise (unconditioned stimulus) was paired with a rat (neutral stimulus).
What is the main idea behind operant conditioning?
Behavior is influenced by consequences, such as reinforcement and punishment
Positive and negative reinforcement/punishment are key concepts.
What does the term ‘paradigm shift’ refer to?
A change in a distinct set of concepts or thought patterns
It occurs when a theory is falsified and a new one is established.
What does UCR stand for in classical conditioning?
Unconditioned Response
What does NS represent in classical conditioning?
Neutral Stimulus
What does CS stand for in classical conditioning?
Conditioned Stimulus
What is CR in the context of classical conditioning?
Conditioned Response
Who conducted the famous ‘Little Albert’ experiment?
Watson & Rayner
What was the unconditioned stimulus used in the ‘Little Albert’ experiment?
Loud noise
What was the outcome of the ‘Little Albert’ experiment?
Little Albert became phobic of rats
What is one strength of Pavlov’s research?
Use of experimental method with controlled conditions
What is a limitation of Pavlov’s research regarding the subjects used?
Studied non-human animals
What ethical concern is raised by Pavlov’s research?
Surgery on dogs’ saliva glands and confinement in harnesses
What does operant conditioning involve?
Learning by consequences of behavior
Define positive reinforcement.
Receiving a reward when a certain behavior is performed
Define negative reinforcement.
Reward by avoiding something unpleasant
What is punishment in the context of operant conditioning?
An unpleasant consequence of a behavior
Who was Burrhus Frederic Skinner?
A major force in the behaviorism movement
What is the purpose of Skinner’s box in his research?
To study operant conditioning
What did Skinner demonstrate with positive reinforcement using a rat?
Rats learned to press a lever for food
How did Skinner demonstrate negative reinforcement?
Rats learned to press a lever to stop an electric current
What is a strength of Skinner’s research?
Use of experimental method to establish cause and effect
What is a limitation of Skinner’s research regarding the generalizability of findings?
Studied non-human animals
What ethical concerns are associated with Skinner’s experiments?
Animals kept in small cages and subjected to pain
What is the core belief of the behaviorist approach?
Behavior is learned from experience and environmentally determined
What do behaviorists believe about genetic influence on behavior?
There is no genetic influence; we are born a blank slate
What types of conditioning do behaviorists believe are used to learn behavior?
Operant and classical conditioning
Fill in the blank: Operant conditioning means learning through the _______ of your behavior.
consequences
Fill in the blank: Classical conditioning means learning through _______.
association
What is a strength of the behaviourist approach?
It has practical applications, resulting in successful treatments for phobias and patients in institutions.
Classical conditioning has led to systematic desensitization, while operant conditioning has resulted in token economy systems.
What does systematic desensitization aim to achieve?
It aims to eliminate the learned anxious response associated with a feared object or situation.
The therapist replaces maladaptive responses with more positive responses.
What is a token economy system?
A system that rewards appropriate behavior with tokens that can be exchanged for privileges.
It is particularly suitable for patients who lack insight into their condition.
What does the effectiveness of behaviourist treatments suggest?
It suggests that the behaviourist approach has some validity and merit.
The treatments are based on the assumptions of the approach.
Who demonstrated positive and negative reinforcement through experiments?
B.F. Skinner.
He conditioned rats to press levers for rewards and to avoid punishment.
What was Pavlov’s famous experiment about?
Classical conditioning of a dog to salivate at the sound of a bell.
The dog learned to associate the bell with food.
What is a methodological strength of the behaviourist approach?
It uses the scientific method to investigate human behaviour.
This enhances the scientific status of psychology and leads to empirical evidence.
What is a limitation of the behaviourist approach?
It is over-simplistic and favours the nurture side of the nature vs nurture debate.
It ignores biological factors that may influence behaviour.
How does the behaviourist approach view human behaviour?
As a product of external influences, supporting environmental determinism.
This perspective suggests individuals cannot be held responsible for their behaviour.
Who is Albert Bandura?
A learning theorist who contributed significantly to social psychology.
He is known for uncovering the influence of observation on human learning and aggression.
What is the basic idea of Social Learning Theory?
We learn behaviour by observing the positive and negative consequences of others’ behaviour.
This means we learn vicariously, through role models.
What is identification in the context of Social Learning Theory?
When an individual is influenced by another because they are similar to or wish to be like them.
Factors influencing identification include gender, ethnicity, and status.
What is imitation in Social Learning Theory?
When an individual observes and copies the behaviour of a role model.
Key determinants include the model’s characteristics and the observer’s ability.
What is modelling?
Observing the behaviour of a role model.
Models can be live (e.g., parents) or symbolic (e.g., TV characters).
What does vicarious reinforcement mean?
The reinforcement the observer sees the model receiving, not the reinforcement they receive directly.
Observers are more likely to imitate rewarded behaviours.
What are the four mediational processes in Bandura’s theory?
- Attention
- Retention
- Motor reproduction
- Motivation
These processes intervene between stimulus and response.
What is the role of attention in the mediational processes?
For behaviour to be imitated, it must first be noticed.
Attention is crucial for the likelihood of imitation.
What is retention in the context of Social Learning Theory?
The ability to remember the observed behaviour for later imitation.
Memory formation is essential for social learning.
What does motor reproduction refer to?
The physical ability to imitate a behaviour after observing it.
Limitations in physical ability can influence the decision to imitate.
What does motivation refer to in the mediational processes?
The desire to perform the behaviour based on perceived rewards and punishments.
If perceived rewards outweigh costs, the observer is more likely to imitate.
What was the aim of Bandura’s 1961 study?
To examine if children would imitate an aggressive adult model and the influence of the model’s gender.
Participants observed either aggressive or non-aggressive role models.
What were the results of Bandura’s 1961 study?
Children who observed aggressive behaviour acted more aggressively, with boys showing more aggression than girls.
Greater imitation was noted for same-sex role models.
What conclusion did Bandura draw from his research?
Children learn social behaviour such as aggression by observing others, especially same-gender models.
This emphasizes the importance of observational learning.
What is a strength of Bandura’s studies?
Use of the experimental method
Bandura used controlled conditions to discover causal relationships between modeling and aggression.
What independent variable did Bandura manipulate in his studies?
Gender and behaviour of the model
This manipulation allowed Bandura to measure its effect on children’s behaviour.
What dependent variable did Bandura measure in his studies?
Children’s behaviour
The study aimed to measure the effect of modeling on children’s aggression.
What is a limitation of Bandura’s studies regarding ecological validity?
Conducted in an unfamiliar controlled environment
The lack of real-life interaction may exaggerate the effects of modeling.
What was a key criticism regarding the interaction between the child and the model in Bandura’s studies?
The model and child were strangers to one another
This lack of familiarity may affect the results.
What was a significant limitation regarding the timing of measuring effects in Bandura’s studies?
Effects were measured almost immediately
This snapshot may not reflect long-term behavior changes.
What was a limitation concerning the age of participants in Bandura’s studies?
Use of children as participants
Results may not reflect true behavior in a non-laboratory setting.
What ethical concern arises from Bandura’s studies?
Participants may have experienced psychological harm
The study raised ethical issues regarding the protection of participants.
What is Social Learning Theory?
Theory suggesting we learn behavior by observing others
It emphasizes the role of vicarious reinforcement.
What key term describes the process of learning through observing the consequences of others’ behavior?
Vicarious reinforcement
This concept is central to Social Learning Theory.
What role do models play in Social Learning Theory?
Individuals observe the behavior of role models
Role models can include parents, teachers, or media characters.
List the four mediational processes documented by Bandura.
- Attention
- Retention
- Motor reproduction
- Motivation
These processes intervene between stimulus and response.
What is a strength of Social Learning Theory regarding evidence?
Supported by evidence from Bandura’s studies
Children exposed to aggressive models behaved more aggressively.
What does Social Learning Theory imply about the role of cognitions in behavior?
Cognitions intervene between stimulus and response
This suggests that behavior is influenced by multiple factors.
How does Social Learning Theory differ from operant or classical conditioning?
It provides a more holistic and less deterministic view of behavior
This perspective allows for individual control over actions.
