approaches and biopsych AS Flashcards
Where is psychology thought to have originated from?
Wundt, Leipzig, Germany,1879
What did Wundt do?
opened a lab specific for psychology
studied the ‘structure’ of the mind
created introspection
How did Wundt study the structure of the mind?
by breaking down behaviors into different parts- called structuralism.
How was introspection developed?
by Wundt and his colleagues documenting and describing their own conscious thoughts
Strengths of Wundt’s approach
despite criticisms its still seen as useful
Griffiths studied gamblers and non gamblers inner thoughts and found gamblers have more irrational thoughts
weaknesses of Wundt’s approach
-criticized for relying on non observable responses, methods lacked reliability and introspection hasn’t been reliably reproduced
-method of introspection is highly subjective and varies for person to person resulting in unreliable data
-some suggest introspection isn’t accurate, little knowledge of underlying process
Why was Wundt’s work criticized?
because it wasn’t scientific and introspection varied from person to person and principals were hard to establish and explain behavior . Considered unreliable. Non observable variables that you can’t measure make it unreliable .
What methods did early psychologists use?
empirical methods
What are the two assumptions of empirical methods
all behavior is caused
it is possible to predict how humans will behave
Whats the scientific methods
objective- researchers aren’t affected by bias
systematic- observations are carried out in an orderly way and data is recorded accurately
replicable- results can be repeated
strengths of the emergence of psychology
+use of objective and systematic provide good scientific evidence, these methods use standardized procedures so are replicable
+psychologists are always repeating each others experiments so the theories are refined or abandoned- meaning its self correcting
weaknesses of the emergence of psychology
-ensuring objectivity and control in the research by using artificial situations means its harder to apply to a real life setting
-most subject matter in psychology is unobservable so cannot be measured accurately therefore it could not be considered scientific.
What is behaviourism
idea behaviour is conditioned and focuses on observable events only
who and when did classical conditioning studies
pavlov 1927
what is classical conditioning
learning through association
learned response become involuntary
a stimulus causes a response
what are the letters of classical conditioning
UCS-UCR
NS+UCS-UCR
CS-CR
what does extinction mean
the NS and the UCS are no longer paired and the CR disappears
what does spontaneous recovery mean
the reappearance of a previously extinguished conditioned response
what does stimulus generalization mean
a conditioned response is elicited when presented with a stimulus that is similar to the conditioned stimulus
strengths of classical conditioning
+can be applied to real life situations for systematic desensitization. Treating phobias by associating it with something good
+ Pavlov’s dogs support it, he trained dogs to salivate at a bell and at food.
weaknesses of classical conditioning
-deterministic, suggests all behavior is determined from past experiences and ignores free will
-reductionist, ignores biological explanations such as genetics. Also brain chemistry and hormonal imbalance. Explanation isn’t holistic and doesn’t take into account all factors
-doesn’t explain behavior when we haven’t had previous experiences. Could be linked to evolutionary theory where fears have developed to survival behaviour
who and when id operant conditioning studies
Skinner, 1940
what did skinner do
developed a chamber in which an animal could learn a specific response
found rats learn from trial and error and by pressing certain levers they would receive food but by pressing others they would get an electric shock
the rats learned that certain behaviors were learned through consequences
the behavior was reinforced when they rats got food or a shock.
what is a positive reinforcer
encourages a person to repeat a specific behavior by giving something positive
always positive effects
what is a negative reinforcer
encourages people to repeat behaviour but stops something negative from continuing
eg drinking alcohol to stop depression
what is a punishment
unpleasant consequence and reduces frequency of behaviour
what is a primary reinforcer
basic need eg food/ water
what is a secondary response
exchanged for primary reinforcer eg money
what is behavior shaping
action can gradually be achieves by reinforcing behaviors that more closely resemble the desired behavior on each occasion
strengths of operant conditioning
+highly controlled lab settings, results in data that is replicable
+ applied to real life behavior eg token economy programs in prisons and schools have been used successfully.
+skinner supports it
weaknesses of operant conditioning
- simplistic way of explaining, ignores mental process- environmental determinism
-using animals is unethical
what are the four points of the social learning theory
modelling
Imitation
vicarious reinforcement
identification
what is modelling and imitation
the idea that behavior is learnt and modelled and imitated from a model
model may be live or symbolic
what is identification
extent the individual relates to a model and feels that they are similar to them
people that have power, status and are the same sex as the individual are much more likely to influence the individual
what is vicarious reinforcment
when we imitate models because we see them being rewarded
what is the mediational process
attention
retention
reproduction
motivation
strengths of the social learning theory
+bandura bobo doll study supports it
+real life application- develop watershed hours on tv
weaknesses of the social learning theory
-environmentally reductionist, doesn’t take into account biological explanations. could be genetic
-research supporting comes from lab studies, criticized for artificial conditions and demand characteristics so lacks reliability
- cause and effect relationship is hard to determine as some people could be naturally more aggressive and not everyone who observes the model will be aggressive
what is the cognitive approach
suggest internal mental processes are and should be studied scientifically
these processes cannot be observed so are studies indirectly using inferences
what are theoretical models
represent internal mental structures
pictorial in nature and often updated
often simplified versions using diagrams like boxes and arrows
model can be adjusted easily
what’s the computer analogy
compares human to a computer
computer:
input(keyboard)-process(CPU)-output(printing)
human:
input(senses)-process(brain)-output(behaviour)
what’s a schema
how processes are affected by peoples beliefs and preconceptions
packages of info
allow us to interpret and predict what may happen to us
personal experience that dictate what schemas we form
enable us to process alot of info quickly
what is cognitive neuroscience
scientific study on how the brain structures influence the mental process
mapping brain structures
fMRI PET SCANS
scanning techniques are useful to establish neurological basis for mental disorders
strengths of cognitive approach
+highly controlled methods of study, lab experiments produce reliable data, enables biology and psychology to work together, credible scientific basis
+real life application as it can be applied to a range of contexts. contributed to AI and robots also the development of cognitive behavioral therapy
weaknesses of cognitive approach
-criticized for ignoring emotion and motivation- machine reductionist
-only able to infer on observation and use artificial stimuli so may not be applicable to everyday life
what is the nervous system
communication system and collects info form the environment and co-ordinates cells and organs
divided into the central nervous system (brain and spinal chord) and the peripheral nervous system (nerves)
What is the CNS
the brain is involves in most psychological processes and ensures life is maintained. divided into two hemispheres
the spinal chord sends messages to and from the brain to the PNS
what is the PNS
the automatic nervous system governs vital functions like breathing and involuntary functions and is divided into the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. sympathetic controls fight or flight and the parasympathetic controls the opposite like breathing
the somatic nervous system controls the muscle movement and receives info from the sensory receptors. controls voluntary functions and is made up of 12 pairs of cranial nerves and 31 pairs of spinal nerves
what’s is the endocrine system
not part of the nervous system but it maintains levels of hormones in the blood and other bodily fluids
slower communication than the nervous system
the hormones travel to target cells and stimulate receptors on or in surface of cells
what is the pituitary gland
master gland
regulated the endocrine system
what’s the adrenal gland
part of the fight or flight response and help secrete adrenaline
what are the testes
facilitate the release of testosterone
what are the ovaries
facilitate the release of oestrogen
explain the fight or flight response
in a stressful event the stressor is recognized by the hypothalamus and sends a message to the ANS the body is then sent into the sympathetic state
adrenaline is secreted
what are sensory neurons
tell the brain about external and internal environment by processing information from the senses.
found in places like the skin, eyes and tongue
receive info from senses and relays messages to the CNS
what are relay neurons
carry signals from the CNS which help both organs, including glands and muscle functions
what are motor neurons
form synapse with muscles and control their contractions
when stimulates the motor neurons release neuro transmitters that bind to the receptor and trigger a response
what is synaptic transmission
axon terminal of one neuron reaches the dendrites of another neurone
the gap between them is called a synapse
the sympatico gap is between two neurones
neuro transmitters are chemical transmitters that communicate between neurons and the brain if a neurotransmitter fits the receptor the message will be passed on if not the message is blocked
neurotransmitters can either produce a inhibitory effect or exitory effect
exitory effect will fire an action potential
an inhibitory affect will decrease the likely hood of firing an action potential
inhibitory cause calming
what effect does dopamine have on behaviour
effects mood, movement and memory
what effect does serotonin have on behaviour
effects emotion, anxiety and judgement
what effect does GABA have on behaviour
it effects memory, sleep and anxiety
evaluate biopsych and fight or flight
+uses scientific mthod to investigate. takes place in a highly controlled environment so that other researchers can replicate the research studies and add validity. brain scanning is used which is objective
-cause and effect is hard to establish. suggest neurotransmitter causes mental illness
-explanation is simplistic and doesn’t do the complexity of human behaviour justice. it i sreductionist as doesn’t take into account the environment
+real life applications. helps develop drugs to treat symptoms of psychological disorders.
-genetic differences between genders and the fight or flight response. SRY promotes aggression in men and may explain why men are more likely to respond to stress by haveing an increased blood flow and adrenaline.
what is localisation of function
refers to the idea that specific parts of the brain have specific functions.
what is the cerbral cortex and what does it do
layer of the brain often referred to as the grey matter
surrounds and covers the inner parts of the brain. 3mm thick and it is more developed in humans than other animals
what is the motor cortex and what does it do
located in the fronal lobe of the brain along the precentral gyrus
responsible for the voluntary movements
both hemispheres have a motor cortex that controls muscles on the opposite side of the body
different parts of the motor cortex exert control over different parts of the body.
regions are arranged logically.
what is the somatosensory cortex and what does it do
located along the parietal lobe along the postcentral gyrus
detects sensory events arising from different parts of the body. using info from the skin it produces sensations of touch, pressure, pain and localised it to specific regions. both hemispheres have this and they receive sensory info from opposite sides of the body
what is the visual centres and what does it do
the visual cortex is located in the occipital lobe
begins in the retina where light enters and strikes photoreceptors. nerve impulses are then transferred to the brain via the optic nerve.
the majority terminate in the thalamus which sends info to the visual cortex- this spans both hemispheres and receives info from the opposite sides. each area of the cortex processed something different eg. shape, colour
primary visual centre.
what is the auditory centre and what does it do
deals with hearing and the auditory cortex is in the temporal lobes in both sides of the brain
begin sin the cochlea. sound waves are converted to nerve impulses. they travel to the brain stem where the decoding of density and intensity of sound take place. then the thalamus carries out further processing. then reaches the auditory cortex where the info is recognised and a response may happen
what are the language centres
brocas area
wenickes area
what is the brocas area and what does it do
language centre of the brain
located in the posterior portion of the frontal lobe of the left hemisphere
related to speech production.
lesions in this area can lead to the inability to speak but the person can still understand language.
2 regions:
one involved in language
one involved in responding to demanding cognitive tasks that have nothing to do with language
what is the wernickes area and what does it do
located in the posterior portion of the left temporal lobe.
lesions in this area lead to the inability to understand language but the person can still speak.
proposed that language involves separate motor and sensory regions located in differential cortical regions.
the motor region located in brocas area is close to the area that controls the mouth toungue and vocal cords. The sensory region located in wernickes area is close to the regions of the brain responsible for the auditory and visual input. input from these regions is thought to be transferred to wenickes area where is associated with language and given meaning
evaluate localisation of function
-supporting research comes from phineas gage who was injured at work when an explosion caused an iron rod to enter his left cheek and exit his skull from the top of his head, damaging his left frontal lobe. his personality became rude and quick tempered. suggest frontal lobe is associated with mood
- some researcher believe only basic mental functions are localised. they claim that the other areas of the cortex could take over following injury different to the normal area responsible for the behaviour
-some researchers suggest that communication between the brains areas is more important rather than the specific areas itself. complex behaviours such as language move through different areas of the brain before a response is produced. damage the connection nd a response will not be produced.
-individual differences in language areas. research has found women have a larger brocas areaand wernickes area than men. could be due to women greater use of language compared to men. gender differences.
-critism from MRI studies of brain lesions have found that other areas apart from the brocas area are responsible for reduced speech ability. lesions in brocas area do not usually lead to severe disruption of spoken language. this suggests language and cognition are more complicated than being localised to one area.
what is hemispheric laterlisation
refers to the fact that that some mental processesin the brain are specialised to either the left or right hemisphere. the corpus callosum connects the two hemispheres.
what does the left hemisphere deal with
language and speech
what does the right hemisphere deal with
behaviours such as spatial awarness and motor tasks
what is split brain research
where indiviudals have has their two hemispheres split by surgery. the corpus callosum is severed.
Sperry and Gazzangia would ask split brain patients to fixate on a dot in the centre of the screen whilst information is presented to wither the left or right hemisphere.
they were asked to make responses with their left or right hand or verbally without seeing what their hands were doing.
this research concluded that the right hemisphere specialised in visual spatial processing and face recognition and that the left side deals with speech and language.
what happened when the picture was presented to the right visual hemisphere in sperrys research
-processed by the left hemisphere
-the patient could describe what they saw
this demonstrated the superiority of the left hemisphere when it comes to language production
what happened when the picture was presented to the left visual hemisphere in sperrys research
-processed by the right hemisphere
the patient could not describe what was shown and oftem reported there was nothing present
what happened when an object was placed in the right hand for a tactile test in sperrys reseach
-processed by the left hemisphere
-the patient cpuld decribe verbally what they felt or they could identify the test object presented in the right hand by sleecting a similar object for a series of other objects
what happened when an object was placed in the left hand for a tactile test in sperrys reseach
-processed by the right hemisphere
- patient couldnt describe what they felt and could only make wild guesses
- however the left hand could identify a test object presented in the left hand by selecting a similar object from a series of alternate objects
what happened when a picture was presented to the right visual field in sperrys research
-processed by the left hemisphere
-the right hand would attempt to draw a picture, the picture was never as clear as the left hand
what happened when a picture was presented to the left visual field in sperrys research
-procesed in the right hemisphere
-the left hand would consistently draw clearer and better pictures than the right hand
evaluation on laterlisation
+useful to enhance the ability to perform two tasks simutaneously by using both hemispheres. Rogers et al found that in domestic chickens laterlisation helped in both finding food an being viglilant for predators. supports the idea that both hemisoheres can be used at the same time
+useful to understand immune system functioning. Morfit and Weekes found that left handers had a high incidence of immune disorders in their immediate families than roght handers did.
- laterlisation chnages with age. with many tasks laterlisation tends to switch to bilateral patterns in older adults.Szaflarski et al found that laterlisation to the left incresed with age but after 25 it decreased. it is difficult to know why this is. one possibility is that using the extra processing resources of the other hemisphere may in some way compensate for age related declines in function. implies that laterlisation is only a feature of young adults
evalutaion for split brain research
-language may not be restricted to the left hemipshere. Gazzangia suggests that some of the early discoveries from split brain research have been disconformed by more recent research. one patient JW developed the ability to speak out of the right hemisphere.
+sperrys research was well designed and employed well thought out and standardised procedures. he made use pf presenting to one eye whilst the other was blindfolded. this meant he controlled which hemisphere was exposed. designed the procedure so it could be replicated to increase its validity.
- split brain patients are a unusual sample. only 11 took part in all variations of the basic procedure- all of them had a history of eplileptic procedures. this could have uniquely chnaged the brain to influenced the findings. also argued that some may have had their hemispheres more split than others. also contro, group of [people without epilespsy may have been inappropriate. study has low population validity.
-very few split brain studies are carried out nowadays so it is hard to draw conclusions from the research as small numbers of patients are used. gernerlisatbility is therefore limited.
what is brain plasticity
refers to the brains ability to modify its own stricture and function as a result of experience.
how does life experience effect plasticity
as we gain new experiences neurons rarely use ddie and those frequently used become stronger. this means our brains adapt to new enviroments. cognitive functionig can also decline with brain changes.
how do video games effect brain plasticity
playing video games can result in new synaptic conections in areas such as spatial navigation, strategic planning and motor performance- increase in grey matter in the cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum.
how does meditation effect brain plasticity
davidson et al compared 8 tibetan meditation practitioners with 10 volunteers with no meditiation experience. the monks had far more gamma wave activity than the control group.
evaluation of brain plasticity
+ animal studies have been used to support the idea of plasticity
Kempermann et al enriched the enviroment of rats. they found rats housed in a complex enviroment showed an increase in neurons in the hippocampus.HOWEVER these animal studies lack generlisability as animals brain are less complex than humans
+Maguire et al carried out a study on london taxi drivers using MRI scans. they studies the brains of 16 taxi drivers and found significantly more grey matter in the posterior hippocampus than in the matched control group. shows the brain has plastcity. cant be sure the change is due to the driving as they werent tested before.
+supporting research fromRamachndran and Hirsteinfound 60-80% of amputees developed phantom limb syndrome.
what is functional recovery after trauma
refers to the mental processed and abilities that have been recovered after injury
what is functional recovery
undamaged areas compensate for damaged areas
what is neuron unmasking
dormant synapses as a result from injury or disease can be unmasked by opening the connections to the areas of the brain that are not normally activated. this gives way to the development of new structures
what is axon sprouting
neurons form new connections
sometimes axons that already connect with that neuron will sprout extra connections.
evaluation of functional recovery after trauma
+tajiri et al found brains of stem cell rats showed development of neuron like cells in the area of injury. rats with traumatic brain injury were assigned to a group where a solution was infused into the brain with no stem cells and a group that recieved stem cells. showed functional recovery can occur. HOWEVER it it flawed as rats brains are different to humans
+supporting evidence from LAdina Bezzola et al who found that 40 hours of golf training for 40-60 year olds produced changes in neural representation of movement. reduced motor cortex activity was found in novice golfers compared to controls. shows plasticity can happen throughout our lives
+ application linked to education. educational attainment has been linked to functional recovery. researchers found a ‘cognitive reserve’ which is assotiated with greater educational attainment, was a factor in neural adaptation during brain damage recovery.
what are the different ways of studying the brain
FMRI
EEG
event related potentials (ERP’s)
post mprtem examinations
what is an FMRI
this measures blood flow when people perform particular tasks. so we can establish which parts of the brain are responsible for different behaviours.
scans work on the idea that neurons in the brain are most active, use the mpost energy.
whats an EEG
electroencephalogram
measure sbrain activity, electrodes on the scalp measure electrical activity during sleep. EEG’s measure alpha waves, beta waves, delta waves and theta waves.
what are event related potentials (ERPS)
small voltage changes in the brain triggered by specific tasks or events. ERP’ s can be divided into 2 categories a) sensory ERP’s which occur within the first 100 milliseconds after presenatation with the stimulus and b) cognitive ERP’s.
what are post mortem examinations
brain is examineed after death to establish brain abnormalities that may not bepossibleto stufy whilst they are alive. these could explain behaviour.
evaluate FMRI
+non-invasive
+objective and reliable
-only measures blood flow and not direct measure of the neural activity
-doesnt identify how the brain is networked and focuses on localised areas
evaluate EEG
+provides recording in real time so can measure when a task is performed
+helps with diagnosis of disorders such as epilespsy
-cannot detect what is going on in the deeper regions of the brain
-electrical activity can be picked up by the nearby areas so may not pinpoint exact areas of activity
evaluate ERP
+measured continous response to a stimulus so can establish how processing is affected by stimulus
-they are small and large number of trials is needed to gather data
-only sufficient voltage changes across scalp are recorded and not anything deep in the brain
evaluate post mortem examinations
+case study brain in more detail than EEG and scans as you can study deeper regions
+structural abnormalities of sz have been discovered so it has useful application
-length of time between death and postmortem can effect the results
-results are retrospective as the person has died so it is hard to follow up on anything that arises from the examination
what is the circadian rythm
it is a 24h internal body cycle that tells our bodies when to sleep and regulates many other psychological processes. it is affected by enviromrntal cues like sunlight and temperature
what is the sleep wake cycle
example of a circadium rhythm
dips and rises throughout the day. between 2-4am and 1-3pm is when we feel more sleepy. the 24h sleep wake cycle is maintained by external cues such as daylight that helps keep us awake. ntural sleep wake cycle is 24-25h.
evaluation of circadium rhythms
+michel siffre tested his internal body clock. he spent 61 days underground in 1962. he had no external cues such as daylight, clocks or radios. he ate slept and woke up when he felt like it. his only thing affecting him was his internal body clock. he emerged on the 17th of septemebr believing it was the 20th of august. his sleep wake cycle has ectented to 25h. may not be representeive of the population
-Cszeiler carried out research on 24 men and women who lived for a month in a very subdued light and tried to put them in an artificial 28h sleep wake cycle. they found that the human sleep clock operates on a 24h 11min schedule not 25h suggesting that the artificial light have very little impact on circadium rhythms. supports internl body clock idea
+ further research from Miles et al. studied a blind man who had been blind from birth and he had a circadium rhythm of 24.9 hours. he was exposed to various exogenous zeitgebers and nothing reduced his internal pace. this amde it very difficult to function and he had to take stimulants in the mornings and sedatives at night. suggest body clock is more than 24h
-may be individual differences, Czeisler et al found that circadium rhythms can vary from 13-65h. also people peak at different times.
what are ultradian rythmns
they are cycles that occur more than one in a 24h cycle and at night. the cycle repeats itslef 3 or four more times at night.
stage 1 of ultradian rhythms
transition period from wakeness to the other 3 stages of non-REM sleep
it is short and usually only lasts 1-7 minutes.
characteristed by low voltage, mixed frequency EEG, slow rolling eye movements and higher EMG activities
alpha waves occur at this stage
stage 2 of ultradian rhythms
bulk of a persons sleep- 40-45%
heart rate and breathing slows down.
sleep spindles and k-complexs in EEG waves
theta wave at this stage
stage 3 of ultradian rhythms
similar to stage 4
slow wave sleep- high ampliyude waves
delta waves
stage 4 of ultradian rhythms
slow wave period- high amplitude waves
delta waves
stage 5 of ultradian rhythms
rapid eye movement
eyes dart from lest to right and most dreams take place during this stage.
muscles of thre body are paralysed.
increased brain activity.
what are infradian rhythms
occur over a period of time greater than 24h
how can weekly rhythms (infradian rhythms) effect people
male testosterone levels are elevated at weekends and young couples report more sexual activity at weekends
examples of monthly rhythms (infradian)
menstual cycle
Pre mentrual syndrome
examples of annual infradian rhythms
- seasonal affective disorder
-heart attacks peak in winter
evaluation of infradian rhythms
-methodological issues with sleep studies. sample size is very small making generlisations difficult. also individual differences.
-sleep labs are artificial. the pps pre-sleep routine is very different at home. unfamiliar surroundings and covered with wires- may struggle to sleep. reduces validity
+ do allow for physiological measurements which are objective and replicable HOWEVER, slef report for dream activity is not so stage 5 lacks validity and reliability
what are exogenous pacemakers
external cues that help reset our bodily cycles. social cues as well as other things.
what are endogenous pacemakers
internal factors that contol our bodily cycles
what is th role of the suprachiasmatic nucleus
group of neurons in the hypothalamus act as an internal shock. helps regulate the sleep wake cycle.
most important endogenous pacemaker as it controls the pineal glands and the release of melatonin
receive signals from light via the optic nerve.
sends signals to pineal gland to produce the production of melatonin overnight
evaluation of exogenous pacemakers
+cszeiler supports the idea of these pacemakers affecting our cycles
-folkard supports the idea of endogenous pacemaker affecting our cycle
+research into this area can be use dto help us understand shidt work and jet lag on our bodily cycles.
evaluation of endogenous pacemakers
-some research shows that external cues affect our boily cycles. Foulkard studied a university student- kate aldcroft.
she volunteered to spend 25 days in a controlled lab with no external cues.he found her sleep wake cycle extended to 30h HOWEVER, only one person so hard to generlise
+morgan investigated the role of endogenous pacemakers- in particular the SCN in the circadium rhythms of hamster. Morgan removed the SCN of hamsters and found their circadium rhythms dissapeared. the rhythms eas established when SCN from foetal hamsters was used to replace it.
+siffre case study supports the idea that endogenous pacemakers are largely responsible for our sleepwake cycle
+ research into jetlag suggests that people find it hard to adjust when they travel across time zonesas their brain is releasing melatonin according to the home country.
what is the psychodynamic approach
the idea that all behaviour is caused by the conscious, unconscious or pre-conscious.
we are only aware of our conscious
what did freud believe about the personality
that it was split up into three components
Id, ego and the superego
what is the Id
the innate part of the personality and operates on the pleasure principle
what is the ego
formed during the first 3 years of life and operates on the reality principle
helps resolve the conflict between the Id and the superego
what is the superego
formed at the phallic stage of frueds psychosexual stage and operates on the morality principle
contains childs inernalised sense of right and wrong
description of the psychosexual stages
developmental stages through which all children progress
each stage is characterised by conflict which must be resolved to pass to the next stage
failure to resolve conflict results in fixation
what are the psychosexual stages
oral
anal
phallic
latency
genital
what is the oral stage
age 0-1
libido focus- mouth tongue lips
major development- weaning
fixation- smoking , overeating
what is the anal stage
age 1-3
libido focus- anus
major development- toilet training
fixation- orderliness, messiness
what is the phallic stage
age 3-6
limbido focus- genitals
major development- resolving the oedipus/electra complex
fixation- deviancy, sexual dysfunction
whats the latency stage
age 6-12
limbido focus- none
major development- defense mechanisms
fixation- none
whats the genital stage
age 12+
limbido focus- genitals
major development- full sexual maturity
fixation- if all stages completed should be fine
evaluate the psychodynamic approach
- the concept of the unconscious is hard to test and is impossible to objectively and systematically measure it.
- the use of case studies as data is hard to generlise and lack ecological validity and qulatitive data is collected so conclusions have to be made which are subjective
-psychic determinism- this approach says everything like slips of the tongue mean something- this adds to the subjectivity and doesnt line up with the objective and scientific methods of the biological approach
+ practical application- can help explain people actions and find the root cause to focus on in therapy
what is the humanistic approach
assumes we all have free will and can ignore internal and external factors on our behaviour.
can process through the hierarchy to better ourselves
what is incongruence and self actulisation
‘self’ is a term used to describe everything we know and feel about ourselves
‘ideal delf’ describes our perception of the best version of ourself. having low self worth means we cant move up maslows hierarchy
what is maslows hierarchy of needs
bottom to top:
1. physiological needs: food, water, warmth, rest
2. safety needs
3. belonging and love needs: intimate relationship, friends
4. esteem needs: prestige, accomplishment
5. self actulisation: achieving ones full potential
evaluate the humanistic
+holistic approach
- untestable and subjective concepts. no empirical evidence- personal judgement
-cultural reductionism- attitude of western countries
