Approaches Flashcards
Introspection and origins
Wilhelm Wundt was one of the first scientific psychologists that used scientific methods. He used standardised instructions allowing his studies to be replicated.The method he used was called introspection and was the process of breaking conscious into the basics. This is called structuralism.
Watson and soon BF Skinner believed that introspection depended on personal experiences meaning it provided subjective data. They also believed that Psychology should not focus on the deeper mental processes. They began using lab experiments and started adapting the experimental method which was proposed by John Locke. This established the behaviourist approach.
Scientific methods have continued to be an important part of psychology and has also raised cognitive neuroscience
Behaviourist Approach
The behaviourist approach was one of the first approaches and established the ideas that the best way to study behaviour was scientifically. They assumed lab experiments was the best option and that animals and humans could replace each other when it comes to mental processes
Classical Conditioning
Unconditioned stimulus-Unconditioned Response
Neutral Stimulus -No conditioned response
Unconditioned stimulus + neutral stimulus-unconditioned response
Conditioned stimulus- Conditioned response
Operant conditioning was learning through reward/punishment.
Positive reinforcement is a reward fo doing a certain behaviour
Negative Reinforcement is an uncertain response in order for not doing a certain behaviour
Punishment is an unpleasant consequence for doing a certain behaviour
Social Learning Theory
The social Learning theory improvises on the behaviourist approach and takes into account for the emotions. it assumes that learning can occur with conditional and operant conditioning directly and indirectly.
SLT believes that mediational processes are cognitive factors that may increase the chance of a behaviour being imitated. The processes include
Attention,retention,motor reproduction and motivation.
Vicarious reinforcement is another factor and increases imitation when someone observes a person being rewarded for doing a specific behaviour.
Imitation can also increase if people look up to someone else, a role model, who may have higher status and may be influential.
Bobo Doll - imitation increases when they saw an adult get rewarded which supported idea of vicarious reinforcement
SLT Evaluations
Cognitive factors in the SLT have been accounted for which were previously not been done by the behaviourist approach. This means it is a comprehensive explanation for human learning. This sis further supported by the results of Bobo doll experiment
Biological factors were not accounted for in the Bobo doll experiment. The idea that males were more aggressive to the doll due to hormone testosterone was not taken into account and the SLT fails to recognise this.
However the SLT does explain cultural differences since the idea of a role model shows us how children can learn from other individuals around them or in the media and how they’re transmitted through societies. This means it can explain a range of behaviours and also allo children understand their Gender role
Cognitive approach
Cognitive Approach assumes that internal mental approaches should be studied scientifically and we can also infer deeper mental processes by indirect inferences
Theoretical and Computer models shows us how information flows through a cognitive system. Theoretical models such as the information processing approach show that information is gone through a multi-store model and is based on how computers work. Computer models may be programmed to see if they respond similar to humans. This has helped in the development of artificial intelligence.
Schemas are packages of information or mental frameworks which allows us to process information without being overwhelmed by environmental stimuli. They can however lead to perceptual errors but everyone has simple schemas and can gain more complex ones as we grow older
Cognitive Approach Evaluations
The cognitive approach relies on scientific methods meaning it can gather information which is reliable and objective. It also creates a link between biology and cognitive psychology- credible scientific basis
The idea of machine reductionism has been raised from the computer model since it ignores the influence that human emotion or motivation may have on cognitive systems. Further reinforced by the idea that emotions have been proven to affect memory.
Cognitive approach has become dominant today because it has real life applications especially in the field of AI. The study of how AI is said to have the potential to revolutionise how we live in the future
Twin Studies ( BIological approach )
The biological approach claims that behavioural characteristics such as personality or intelligence are determined no different from our phenotypes.
A study for this, the Twins study would show the likelihood certain traits have a genetic basis and to do this they compared the behaviour or monozygotic and dizygotic twins. If the concordance rates for behaviour is greater for monozygotic twins than dizygotic twins, then a Genetic basis is established.
This is because monozygotic twins share 100% of DNA compared to 50% from dizygotic twins and therefore behaviours can be genetically inherited.
Biological Approach minus the twin studies
The biological approach assumes that everything psychological is first biological and that we must look at genes and neurochemistry to identify human behaviour
Whilst People have similar genotypes, they can have their phenotypes influenced depending on their behaviour e.g exercise or dying their hair. This had led to the belief that human behaviour is an interaction between inherited factors and the environment.
Biological psychologists believe in the idea of natural selection in which it is the survival of the fittest or with selection breeding, it is for desirable characteristics until the offspring eventually no longer show undesirable characteristics.
Biological Approach evaluations
The biological approach relies on highly scientific methods such as scanning techniques and the use of twin studies. This means that the approach is based on reliable data, unbiased, and uses a scientific basis
Another strength of biological approach is the treatment of mental illnesses such as depression. The approach has led to to the development of psychoactive drugs. This is strength of the biological approach since it means that sufferers can manage their condition and still live a relatively pay normal life
The biological approach believes that mental illnesses occur through the action of neurotransmitters and that drugs work by replacing enduro chemicals that weren’t there and are needed to prevent depression. In reality, the conclusion is too casual and the connection is simply an association between 2 factors not the cause.
Nervous system
The nervous system consists of the CNS and the PNS.
The CNS : brain and the spinal cord
The PNS : Autonomic Nervous System and the Somatic Nervous system
Autonomic Nervous System separated into Sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system - governs vital functions e.g stress or breathing
Somatic nervous system is responsible for transmitting information from receptor cells from sense organs towards CNS to direct muscles - muscle movement
The sympathetic nervous system works antagonistic to the parasympathetic nervous system and also plays a role in the fight or flight response via endocrine system
Endocrine System
The fight or flight response or a stressful situation activates the hypothalamus to activate the Sympathetic nervous system. This may lead to the release of Adrenaline from the adrenal medulla
The sympathetic nervous system - Dilates eyelids to let more light in , inhibits digestion for more energy to muscles and increases heart rate
When the fear or stress factor is assessed, the parasympathetic nervous system kicks in.
The parasympathetic nervous system - Constricts Eyelids, prohibits digestion and decreases heart rate
Neurons
Neurons consists of axons , dendrites and cell bodies. There are 3 types of neurones to focus on.
Sensory Neurons - messages are carried from the PNS to the CNS. Long dendrites and short axons
Relay Neurons - Relay Neurons connect motor and other relay Neurons. They have short dendrites and axons
Motor Neurons - Conncet CNS to effectors such as muscles. They have short dendrites and long axons
Structure of a neuron - not synapse
The dendrites carry impulses towards the cell body whilst the axons carry impulses away. The axons contain terminal buttons which allow communication with neighbouring Neurons. The axons are dendrites can also be covered in a myelin sheath which insulates the impulse. Between each of these myelin sheath are nodes of Ranvier which force the impulse to jump across.
Electric transmission is the firing of a neuron and this is when action potential is created from the inside of a cell becoming positively charged. This allows an impulse to move across the cell
Synaptic Transmission
When moving across a synapse, the impulse is converted into a chemical called the neurotransmitter. This moves across the gap via vesicles from the presynaptic terminal to the post synaptic terminal and reaches the receptor sites on the post synaptic terminals
Excitation is the prohibition of neurones whilst inhibition is the inhibition of a chemical being released.
Summation is the result of total active potential. The effect is only triggered if a threshold of excitation or inhibition is reached
