Approaches Flashcards
What are the key assumptions of the psychodynamic approach?
Freud theorised that our mental activity is mostly unconscious and our unconscious activity then causes behaviour.
We possess innate dives that energise our minds to motivate behaviour.
Three part personality (psyche) consists of ID, ego and superego.
Childhood experiences are significant also when we reach adulthood.
What are the key assumptions of the behaviourist approach?
Studies behaviour that can be observed or measured
Classical and operant conditioning
Used lab experiments to achieve more control and objectivity within research
Animals can replace humans as experimental subjects.
What are the key assumptions of the cognitive approach?
Internal mental processes can and should be studied scientifically.
The mind actively processes info from our senses- the role of schema.
Between stimulus and response are mental processes which can be studied scientically.
Psychologists can make inferences about what is going on inside peoples mind’s based on their behaviour.
The workings of a computer and the human mind are alike- they encode and store info and they have outputs.
What are the key assumptions of the social learning theory?
Similar to behaviourists theory that our behaviour is learnt from experience- although Bandura believed people learn from observation and imitation.
Learning is also done directly, through classical and operant conditioning and also indirectly.
Vicarious reinforcement occurs if behaviour is seen to be rewarded rather than punished. The learner observes the consequences of said behaviour.
What are the key assumptions of the biological approach?
Observe biological structure and processes within the body such as genes, neurochemistry and the nervous system, to gain an understanding of brain structure and function. The thoughts and behaviour then link.
All thoughts, feelings and behaviour have a physical basis because biologically the mind lives in the brain.
Contrasts to the cognitive approach that sees mental processes as being separate from the physical brain.
What are the key assumptions of the humanistic approach?
Human beings are self determining and have free will- we are active agents who have the ability to determine our own development.
Reject scientific models that establish general principles of human behaviour.
Has a person centred approach
Self actualisation
Conditions of worth
Psychodynamic approach- what does the ID do?
Drives us to satisfy sexual urges, according to the pleasure principle. Exists from birth.
Psychodynamic approach- what does the Ego do?
Acts rationally and realistically, balancing the ID and the superego. (2 yrs to 4 yrs)
Psychodynamic approach- what does the Superego do?
Acts morally, keeping to moral norms and tries to control the ID using feelings of guilt. (4-5 yrs)
Psychodynamic approach- what are all of the psychosexual stages?
Oral- sucking behaviour (0 - 18 months)
Anal- holding or discarding faeces (18 months - 3.5 years)
Phallic- fixation on genitals (3.5 - 6 years)
Latency- repressed sexual urges (6 years - puberty)
Genital- awakened sexual urges (puberty onwards)
Psychodynamic approach- what are the ego defence mechanisms and when do they occur?
Repression
Displacement
Denial
Occur when conflict is happening to try to reduce anxiety and redirect psychic energy.
Psychodynamic approach- strengths.
Freud highlighted a widely accepted link between childhood experiences and adult characteristics.
Some evidences supports the existences of ego defence mechanisms such as repression- (Williams 1994) adults can forget traumatic child sexual abuse.
Modern day psychiatry uses Freudian psychoanalytic techniques.
There is an idiographic approach when conducting research which gathers rich info meaning there is high validity.
Psychodynamic approach- limitations.
Case studies are difficult to generalise to wider populations.
By using case studies the approach doesn’t use controlled experiments so is considered less scientific meaning it has low ecological validity.
Overemphasise childhood experiences as the source of abnormality, may be more likely to be just adult problems of everyday life.
Freuds ideas are non-falsifiable meaning you can’t observe the relevant constructs directly to test them scientifically.
Behaviourist approach- strengths.
Experimentally tested so avoids bias and means high validity.
Focuses on the present not the past- present issues are more significant.
Behaviourist approach- limitations.
Reductionist- basic level and ignores the impact that biology can have on our behaviour.
Counter evidence- research hasn’t always supported the scientific claims, e.g. conditioning theories for phobias cant explain why many people aren’t able to identify something in their life which led to a traumatic event.
Cognitive approach- strengths.
Models present a useful means that explains internal mental processes
Provides a strong focus on internal mental processes, which behaviourists before didn’t do.
Experimental methods used by the approach are considered scientific
Cognitive approach- limitations.
Over simplify explanations for cognitive mental processes
Data which supports cognitive theories lacks ecological validity as it comes from lab experiments
Comparing a human mind to a machine/computer is arguably an unsophisticated analogy.
Social learning theory- strengths.
By recognising the role of meditational processes, it provides a more comprehensive explanation of human learning.
Meaning it can explain some quite complex behaviour.
Social learning theory- limitations.
Over reliance on evidence from lab studies - participants may respond to demand characteristics.
Can not adequately account for how we develop our range of behaviour including thoughts and feelings.
Underestimates the influence of biological factors- e.g. testosterone levels in boys are higher which could explain aggression in Bobo dolls research.
Biological approach- strengths.
Scanning research techniques are useful for looking at functions of the brain.
Presents the strong nature viewpoint of the nature nurture debate.
Empirical(observable) evidence used in experimental methods makes this approach scientific.
Biological approach- limitations.
Reductionist- complex behaviour is equally explained by low level biological mechanisms such as nerve impulses and bio chemicals.
Biology alone has been unable to explain the phenomenon of consciousness.
Wide base of evidence that points to environmental factors like culture and society which this approach doesn’t account for.
Humanistic approach- strengths
Not reductionist- individual is not see as the product of neurones firing.
It is holistic and places focus on the whole of the individual.
Client centred therapy (CCT) is seen as a non directive form of therapy and is still used by counsellors in therapy today.
Humanistic approach- limitations.
Too positive when regarding human behaviour- assumes humans are intrinsically good however free will and choice is limited for some people.
Too much emphasis on subjective experiences which makes it hard to study.
Hard to falsify
Lacks empirical support.
Social learning theory- what are the four meditational processes reposed by Bandura?
1- attention
2- retention
3- reproduction
4-motivation
Who made up the biological approach?
Charles Darwin influenced the idea that evolution and genetics play a part in human behaviour.
Wo made up the behaviourist approach?
Watson was inspired by earlier research of Ivan Pavlov.
Who made up the social learning theory approach?
Albert Bandura
Who made up the cognitive approach?
Ulric Nessier (father of cognitive psychology) published a book/article in 1967 which people worked on such as Atkinson and Shiffrin.
Who made up the humanistic approach?
Maslow- Hierarchy of needs and Carl Rogers- client centred therapy aspects.
Who made up the psychodynamic approach?
Sigmund Freud
