Approaches Flashcards
1
Q
- When did Wilhelm Wundt establish the first psychology lab
- Include: where and when and what his aim was
A
- Opened in Leipzig, Germany in 1879
- The aim was to describe the nature of human consciousness (the mind) in a carefully controlled and scientific environment - a lab.
2
Q
- What did Wundt pioneer?
- Include: the method of… and structuralism
A
- Introspection was the first systematic experimental attempt to study the mind by breaking up conscious awareness into basic structures of thoughts, images and sensations.
- Structralism= isolating the structure of consciousness
3
Q
- What were the standardised procedures involved- Wundt?
A
- The same standardised procedures were issued to all participants, and this allowed procedures to be replicated every single time
- All introspections were recorded under strictly controlled conditions using the same stimulus every time (such as ticking metronome).
4
Q
- What was the significance of Wundt’s work?
- Include: what his early attempt might have been considered
A
- It marked the separation of the modern scientific psychology from its broader philosophical roots.
- However this early attempt to study the mind might be regarded by many as naive, but some of the methods and techniques used would be considered as ‘scientific’ today.
5
Q
- What did 1900’s behaviourists reject?
- Include: What John B. Watson argued and what the behaviourist approach suggests
A
- 1900’s Early behaviourists rejected INTROSPECTION
- John B. Watson argued introspection was subjective, in that it varied from person to person to person.
- According to behaviourist approach, ‘scientific’ psychology should only stufdy phenomena that can be observed and measured
6
Q
- In 1930’s what scientific approach dominated psychology
- Include: B.F Skinner and what his ‘people’ focus on
A
- Behaviourist approach dominated psychology in 1930’s
- B.F Skinner brought the language and rigour of natural sciences into psychology
- The behaviourists’ focus on learning and use of carefully controlled lab studies
7
Q
- In the 1950’s what approach used scientific procedures to study mental processes?
- Include: …revolution
A
- The cognitive approach
- cognitive revolution = 1960’s - study of mental processes was seen as legitimate within psychology
- mental processes remain ‘private’, but cognitive psychologists are able to make INFERENCES about how these work based on tests conducted in a lab
8
Q
- In the 1990’s what approach introduced technological advances?
- Include: the types of technology
A
- The biological approach
- Biological psychologists have taken advantage of recent advantages in technology, including recording brain activity, using scanning techniques- fMRI and EEG, and advanced genetic research
9
Q
- Evaluation- Wundt:
- Include: 4 points
A
- Some aspects of Wundt’s methods would be classed as scientific today
- Other aspects of this research would be considered unscientific today
- Strength: Research in modern psychology can claim to be scientific
- Weakness: Not all approaches use objective methods
10
Q
- What is the focus in the behaviourist approach?
- Include: what it’s concerned and not concerned with and what was rejected by behaviourists and why
A
- Focus on observable behaviour only
- Behaviourist approach is only concerned with studying behaviour that can be observed and measured
- It’s not concerned with mental processes of the mind
- Introspection was rejected by behaviourists as its concepts were vague and difficult to measure
11
Q
- Behaviourists and contolled lab studies:
A
- Behaviourists tried to maintain more control and objectivity within their research and relied on lab studies
12
Q
Behaviourists and their use of non human animals:
A
- Behaviourists suggest the processes that govern learning are the same in all species, so animals (e.g. rats, cats, dogs and pigeons) can replace humans as experimental subjects
13
Q
- What two forms of learning does the behaviourist approach use?
A
- Classical conditioning
- Operant conditioning
14
Q
- Describe Pavlov’s research of classical conditioning:
- Include: before, during and after conditioning and what Pavlov showed
A
- Learning through association
- Pavlov’s research- conditioning dogs to salivate when a bell rings:
- Before conditioning:
- UCS= food, UCR= salivation, NS= bell
- UCS ⇒UCR ⇒NS ⇒ no response
- During conditioning:
- Bell and food occur at same time
- NS + UCS
- After conditioning:
- CS= bell, CR= salivation
- CS ⇒ CR
- Pavlov showed how a neutral stimulus (bell) can come to elicit a new learned response (conditioned) through association
15
Q
- Describe Skinner’s research of Operant conditioning:
- Include: what it included, procedure, what learning is and how behaviour is shaped
A
- Skinner’s research- rats and pigeons, in specially designed cages (Skinner boxes)
- When a rat activated a lever (or a pigeon pecked a disc) it was rewarded with a food pellet
- A desirable consequence led to behaviour being repeated
- If pressing a lever meant an animal avoided an avoided an electric shock, the behaviour would also be repeated
- Learning is an active process whereby humans and animals operate on their environment
- Behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences
16
Q
- What are 3 types of consequences of behaviour?
- Include: definition of each and statement of relationship
A
- Positive reinforcement- receiving a reward when behaviour is performed
- Negatibe reinforcement- when an animal or human produces behaviour that avoids something unpleasant
- Punishment- an unpleasant consequence consequence of behaviour
- positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement increase the likelihood that behaviour will be repeated. Punishment decreases it
17
Q
- Evaluation- Behaviourist approach:
- Include: 4 points
A
- Strength: behaviourism gave psychology scientific credibility
- The laws of learning developed by behaviourists have real life application
- Limitation: behaviourist approach portrays mechanistic view
- Limitation: Animal research has ethical and practical issues
18
Q
- Learning that occurs indirectly:
- Include: Albert Bandura
A
- Albert Bandura agreed with behaviourist approach that learning occurs through experience
- However, he also proposed that learning take some place in a social context through observation and imitation of others’ behaviour
19
Q
- What is vicarious reinforcement?
- Include: when behaviour is seen to be rewarded what happens?
A
- Learning related to consequences
- children (and adults) observe other people’s behaviour and take note of its consequences.
- Behaviour that is seen to be rewarded (reinforced) is much more likely to be copied than behaviour that is punished.
20
Q
- What are the 4 mediations processes that play a crucial part in learning?
- Include: what they relate to
A
- ATTENTION- whether behaviour is noticed
- RETENTION- whether behaviour is remembered
- MOTOR PRODUCTION- being able to do it
- MOTIVATION- the will to perform the behaviour
- 1 and 2 relate to learning of behaviour
- 3 and 4 relate to performance of behaviour
21
Q
- What is considered important with role models?
- Include: desired characteristics of role model
A
- IDENTIFICATION with role models is important
- children are more likely to imitate the behaviour of people with whom they identify
- such role models are similar to the observer, tend to be attractive and have high status
22
Q
- Describe Bandura’s first research- imitation of aggression!
- Include: procedure and findings
A
- Children watched either:
- An adult behaving aggressively towards a Bobo doll
- An adult behaving non-aggressively towards a Bobo doll
- When given their own doll to play with, children who had seen aggression were much more aggressive towards the doll
