Approaches

Question 1

What is Empiricism?

Answer 1

The belief that all knowledge is derived from sensory experience. It is generally characterised by the use of the scientific method.

Question 2

What is the Scientific Method?

Answer 2

Refers to the use of investigative methods that are objective and replicable and the formulation, testing and modification of hypotheses based on these methods.

Question 3

What are lab experiments?

Answer 3

Lab experiments are what is used by behaviourists to ensure control.

Question 4

What are Scanning techniques?

Answer 4

Scanning techniques are what is used by biological psychologists to provide empirical data.

Question 5

What are the strengths of the scientific method?

Answer 5

It is self-corrective- if scientific theories no longer fit the facts, they can be refined or abandoned.

Because psychologists are always reacting each other’s experiments, it is hard for a theory that does not explain the facts to hang on for very long.

Question 6

What are the weaknesses of the scientific method?

Answer 6

Tells us little about how people act in natural environments. Concentrates on objectivity and control in observations, much of the subject matter in psychology is unobservable - psychology is the most inferential science.

Not all psychologists agree with the scientific method - If human behaviour is not subject to the laws and regularities implied by scientific methods then predictions become impossible and these methods inappropriate.

Question 7

Who was Wilhelm Wundt?

Answer 7

Wilhelm Wundt was the first psychologist, he moved Psychology from its philosophical roots to that of controlled scientific research.

Question 8

What did Wilhelm Wundt came up with?

Answer 8

Introspection

Question 9

What is Introspection?

Answer 9

The studying of the mind by breaking up conscious awareness into basic structures of thoughts, images and sensations in response to a stimulus.

Question 10

How did Wilhelm Wundt test introspection?

Answer 10

He asked people to focus on an everyday object and look inwards, noticing their feelings.

Question 11

Why were introspection experiments easily replicated?

Answer 11

All introspections followed the same standardised procedures which allowed them to be replicated.

Question 12

What did introspection focus on?

Answer 12

Objectivity

Question 13

What did Wilhelm Wundt work pave a way for?

Answer 13

His work paved the way for later controlled research and the study of mental processes by cognitive psychologists.

Question 14

What are strengths of introspection discovered by Wilhelm Wundt?

Answer 14

Still useful in scientific psychology today, hunter used introspection as a way of measuring happiness and found that when teenagers energies were focused on a challenging task, they were more upbeat in comparison to an everyday task. Still useful for measuring certain behaviours and has some relevance in contemporary research.

Introspection is also controlled allowing casual relationships to be concluded.

Question 15

What is Social learning theory?

Answer 15

Social learning posits that people learn by observing others.

Models provide examples of behaviour that can be observed by individuals and later reproduced in imitation.

Question 16

What are the four factors affecting how much an individual imitates the behaviour of a model?

Answer 16

Identification with the model
Characteristics of the model
Vicarious Reinforcement
Mediational processes

Question 17

What is identification as part of social learning theory?

Answer 17

Identification refers to the extent to which an individual can relate to a model (e.g. sex, ethnicity, social class) and feels that they are similar to that person.

Question 18

What are the characteristics of a model and how do they affect imitation of behaviour?

Answer 18

Imitation of behaviour can increase depending on- the characteristics of the model, the observers perceived ability to perform that behaviour and the observed consequences of behaviour.

Question 19

What is Vicarious reinforcement as part of social learning theory?

Answer 19

Vicarious reinforcement is when individuals learn about the likely consequences of an action and adjust their behaviour accordingly.

Question 20

What are Mediational processes as part of social learning theory?

Answer 20

Mediational process are cognitive factors that influence learning and come between stimulus and response.

This includes attention, retention, motor reproduction and motivation.

Question 21

What is imitation?

Answer 21

Imitation is the copying the behaviour of others.

Question 22

What is Modelling?

Answer 22

From the observer’s persepective modelling is imitating the behaviour of a role model.

From the role model’s perspective, modelling is the precise demonstration of a specific behaviour that may be imitated by an observer.

Question 23

Why is Social learning theory often described as the bridge between traditional learning theory and the cognitive approach?

Answer 23

Because it focuses on how mental factors are involved in learning. These mental factors mediate in the learning process to determine whether a new response is acquired.