Approaches

Question 1

Outline and evalutate the behaviourist approach (AO1)

Answer 1

• only interested in studying observable behaviour
• wanted more control and objectivity so use lab experiments
• basic processes that govern learning are the same in all species - use animals as test subjects
• Classical conditioning - Pavlov - learnt through association -sound of bell = food
• Operant conditioning - Skinner - positive reinforcement
  - negative reinforcement
  - punishment

Question 2

Outline and evalutate the behaviourist approach (AO3)

Answer 2

• real-life application - treatment of phobias
  - token economies
• scientific - objective and replicable
• environmental determinism - all behaviour determined by by past experiences that have been conditioned
• mechanistic view of behaviour - animals are more passive than humans

Question 3

Outline and evalutate the social learning theory approach (AO1)

Answer 3

• behaviour learnt through observation and imitaton - learnt indirectly
• vicarious reinforcement - watching other people being rewarded or punished
• mediational processes - cognitive factors
  - 1) attention
  2) retention
  3) motor reproduction
  4) motivation
• identification - role models - modelling

Question 4

Outline and evalutate the social learning theory approach (AO3)

Answer 4

• Bandura - bobo doll experiment
• takes into account cognitive factors which creates a better explanation than behaviourism
• ignores biological factors - such as testosterone in bobo doll experiment
• less determinist than biological approach - Bandura states that we exert influence on how our environment changes our behaviour - some free will

Question 5

Outline and evalutate the cognitive approach (AO1)

Answer 5

• internal mental processes
• studied indirectly by making inferences
• theoretical models - information processing approach - information flows through the cognitive system in a sequence, like the MSM
• computer models - mind compared to a computer - uses concept of central processing unit, coding and stores
• schemas - package of ideas developed through experience
  - mental framework
• cognitive neuroscience - influence of brain structures on mental processes - brain scans, Broca

Question 6

Outline and evalutate the cognitive approach (AO3)

Answer 6

• scientific - lab experiments - reliable, objective data
• machine reductionism - ignores human emotion
• LEAST determinist - interactionist/soft determinism
• lacks external validity - too abstract as they have to infer
  - research often uses artificial stimuli

Question 7

Outline and evalutate the biological approach (AO1)

Answer 7

• genetic basis- twin studies - monozygotic (identical) and dizygotic (non) - compare concordance rates - extent in which they share the same characteristic
• genotype and phenotype - g = actual makeup
  - p = how they’re expressed through physical, behavioural and psychological characteristics
• evolution - Darwin - natural selection

Question 8

Outline and evalutate the biological approach (AO3)

Answer 8

• scientific methods - scanning techniques - reliable data
• drug therapy
• determinist - no free will - criminal gene
• can’t seperate nature v nurture - twin studies- brought up in the same way so could be that instead of biology

Question 9

Outline and evalutate the psychodynamic approach (AO1)

Answer 9

• unconscious mind - repression
  - parapraxes- ‘slip of the tongue’
• id - pleasure principle - demands instant gratification of its needs
• ego - reality principle - develops around 2 years - reduce conflict between id and superego - uses defense mechanisms - repression, displacement, denial
• superego - at end of phallic stage - 5 years - morality principle
• psychosexual phases - oral - 0-1 - can lead to smoking, nail biting
  - anal - 1-3 - retentive - perfectionist, expulsive - messy
  - phallic - 3-5 - narcissistic, wreckless, maybe gay
  - latency - repressed earlier conflicts
  - genital - difficulty forming straight relationships

Question 10

Outline and evalutate the psychodynamic approach (AO3)

Answer 10

• psychic determinism - everything determined by unconcious conflicts and any free will is a illusion
• not scientific - subjective - Freuds interpretation - based on a handful of abnormal circumstances
  - not falsifiable - impossible to test/ prove it wrong, abstract ideas
• had a huge influence on psychology

Question 11

Outline and evalutate the humanistic approach (AO1)

Answer 11

• free will - self-determining - active agents
• self-actualisation - innate tendancy to achieve their full potential - all 4 lower levels of Maslow’s hierarchy must be achieved before you can achieve this
• congruence = concept of self must be similar to their ideal self
  - client-centred therapy - Rogers - provides postive regard to patients that they may not have recieved as a child
• hierarchy - physiological needs, safety and security , love and belongingness, self-esteem and self-actualisation

Question 12

Outline and evalutate the humanistic approach (AO3)

Answer 12

• holistic
• MOST validity as it looks at behavious in everyday life
• cultural bias - individualists cultures - eg. US, autonomy more associated
  - collectivist cultures - eg. India, less independant, community
• limited application - apart from counselling - abstract theories so not much sound evidence to back it up
• positive approach