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Psychology AS > Approaches and Biopsychology > Flashcards

Approaches and Biopsychology Flashcards

1
Q

What did psychology start of being?

A

Philisophical

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2
Q

What was psychology known as in the early 19th century?

A

Experimental philosophy

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3
Q

Who was one of psychology’s early influences?

A

Rene Descartes (mind and body are separate)

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4
Q

Who came up with the concept of empiricism?

A

John Locke

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5
Q

What is empiricism?

A

Belief that all knowledge is due to experiences through your senses

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6
Q

Who published the 1st book on psychology in 1873?

A

Wilhelm Wundt (Principles of physiological psychology)

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7
Q

What did Wundt open in 1879?

A

The first psychology lab in Germany

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8
Q

What is Wundt’s approach of structuralism?

A

Study the human mind breaking down behaviors into basic elements

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9
Q

What is introspection?

A

Used to investigate human mind (first approach). Participants were asked to reflect on their own cognitive processes and describe them

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10
Q

What sort of method did Wundt use?

A

Scientific - standardized instructions replicated

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11
Q

What did introspection lead to?

A

The separation of scientific psychology from its philosophical roots

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12
Q

What are the 3 criticisms of introspection?

A

Not generalisable looking at 1 person and universally applying it
Relies on non-observable responses
Data was subjective (varied greatly) not reliably replicated by other researchers

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13
Q

Who criticised introspection?

A

Watson 1913 - lacked generalisability
Watson and Skinner 1953 - behaviorists who believed the focus needs to be on direct observable behaviour CONTROLLED CONDITIONS

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14
Q

What are the advantages today of behaviorism?

A

Can still be observed today

Modern scientific techniques included in psychology (brain scanning)

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15
Q

What are all approaches in psychology based on?

A

Assumptions (the belief that something is a fact)

ALWAYS START OFF WITH MAIN ASSUMPTIONS

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16
Q

What are the main assumptions of behaviorism learning approach? (4)

A

Believe all behavior is learnt
All processes of learning are the same in each species
Only study behavior which has been observed and measured
Focuses on control and objectivity in research

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17
Q

What are the 2 main principles in the behaviourist approach?

A

Classical conditioning - behavior is learnt through association
Operant conditioning - behavior is learnt through the consequences of your actions

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18
Q

In classical conditioning when does learning occur?

A

When an association is made between a previously neutral stimulus and a reflex response

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19
Q

What study supported the behaviorist approach, classical conditioning?

A

Pavlov’s dogs -
Initially focused on digestive system of dogs
noticed dogs salivated upon hearing sound of door/bell
Dogs heard the bell - no reflex response
Paired bell with food - reflex response of salivation
Dogs learnt to salivate at sound of bell

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20
Q

What are 2 weaknesses of pavlov’s dogs supporting behaviourism?

A

Not generalisable - dogs

Unethical using dogs

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21
Q

What is 1 strength of using pavlov’s dogs to support behaviourism?

A

Tightly controlled conditions increases internal validity and reliability

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22
Q

What is a second study to support classical conditioning in behaviourist approach?

A

Little Albert Study
White rat & loud noise above head
Learnt to associate similar things to rat such as anything that moved, associated sound with rat so was scared

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23
Q

What did Skinner develop to do with operant conditioning in behaviourism?

A

Positive and negative reinforcement (increases chances of behavior happening again)
Punishment (decreases “”)

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24
Q

What study supports operant conditioning behaviourism?

A

Skinners rats/box study
Animals in box pressed lever and food came out, associated this and kept pressing lever
When he realised this he changed the lever to cause an electric shock, rats associated and stopped pressing lever

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25
What are the 2 strengths of skinners study supporting operant conditioning in behaviourism?
Been replicated a lot - reliability | Tightly controlled conditions - internal validity
26
What is the disadvantages of skinners study supporting operant conditioning in behaviourism?
Not gernalisable to humans
27
What are the 2 strengths of the behaviourist approach?
Significant scientific credibility (testable and have been replicated a lot, objective) Applications to the real world (token economy)
28
What is a weakness of the behaviourist approach?
Reductionist - ignores all other factors and reduces complexity of human behaviour
29
What are the 3 main assumptions of social learning theory?
Way of explaining behavior that uses direct and indirect reinforcement Combines learning with roll of cognitive factors Bridge between behaviourism and cognitive INCLUDE BANDURA AS STUDY CAME BEFORE THEORY
30
Who is the main psychologist associated with social learning theory?
Bandura (agreed with behaviourists but proposed a different way where people learn through observation and imitation)
31
What was Bandura's study 1963 that LEAD TO SLT?
Bobo Doll to see if children copied what they see THIS STUDY LEAD TO SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY 36 boys & 36 girls (Stanford uni nursery) 3-6 years 3 conditions (aggressive model to 24 kids, non-aggressive model to 24 kids, no model shown - controlled) All children subjected to mild aggression arousal - all 72 kids annoyed at first
32
What were the findings of Bandura?
Kids shown aggressive model aggressively imitated Kids shown non-aggressive model virtually no aggression shown More likely to copy adult of own sex
33
What is the 1 strength of Bandura's study?
Highly controlled conditions increased reliability - helps establish a cause and effect
34
What are the 3 disadvantages of Bandura's study?
Lacks ecological validity (non-everyday environment) All american - cultural differences Ethical issues - purposely making kids angry
35
What is Bandura's idea of modelling?
Kids do not simply learn through personal experience but through imitation and observation - MODELLING
36
When are 'models' most likely to be imitated according to Bandura?
When the child/adult identifies with them in some way (parent/celeb)
37
What did Bandura put forward about vicarious reinforcement?
Learning through consequences of others actions
38
What are Bandura's 4 mediational processes?
4 key factors for imitation to take place: Attention - pay attention Retention - behavior must be NOTICED aswell as SEEN Reproduction - have skills and ability to reproduce behavior Motivation - must expect to recieve same reinforcement
39
What are the 2 strengths of SLT?
Considers the mind as well as experience | Real world applications - kids and TV/video games
40
What are the 2 weaknesses of SLT?
``` Reductionist - Ignores genetics/biological factors Lab experiment (demand characteristics) lacks ecological validity ```
41
What are the 3 main assumptions of the cognitive approach?
Does not believe mind and brain are the same Studies internal mental processes such as memory Humans and informational processors (info taken in via senses and the brain encodes, processes and stores the info and output is performed)
42
What do cognitive psychologists study?
The mental processes indirectly by making inferences about what is going on inside peoples minds on the basis of how they behave
43
What is an assumption by cognitive psychologists?
Schema's - | 'package of beliefs and expectations of a topic that come from prior experiences (phobia's)
44
Do schema's affect our behaviour?
YES - as we get older our schema's become more sophisticated and detailed
45
What do schema's allow us to do?
Process info quickly (mental shortcuts) in our environment
46
What can schema's distort?
Our interpretations (stereotypes)
47
What are the 2 models the cognitive approach put forward?
Theoretical models - explains mental processes, makes intelligent guesses, information processing model Computer models - brain processes like a computer, central processing unit is the brain, it codes and stores
48
What does the information processing model in the theoretical model in SLT tell us?
We input something from the environment through senses We process it, encode it using schema's We output it, observable behavior
49
What are the 2 strengths of the cognitive approach?
Produced good applications (EWT, schema's can make them unrelaible and CBT as a treatment of mental illnesses) Employed highly controlled methods to enable researchers to infer cognitive processes
50
What are the 2 weaknesses of the cognitive approach?
Computer analogy is reductionist | Lab settings lack ecological validity - artificiality of tasks
51
What is cognitive neuroscience?
Looking at the brain and mental processing such as brain mapping
52
Who can reveal info about the function of different areas of the brain?
Brain damaged patients
53
What can help us look at neurological basis of mental processes in neuroscience?
Advances in brain imaging techniques
54
What are the 3 main assumptions of the biological approach?
Everything psychological is first biological Must look at structures of genes, neurochemistry and the nervous system The mind lives in the brain (mental processes of the mind are separate from genes)
55
What are the 4 components that make up the biological approach?
Genetic basis of behaviour Genotype and phenotype Evolution and behaviour Influence of neurochemistry on behaviour
56
What do bio-psychologists believe about genes and behaviour?
Genes influence your behaviour (23 chromosomes we are born with are our genotype and form basis of behaviour)
57
What does the biological approach believe about our gene characteristics and our interaction with the environment?
They depend partly on each other but still firmly on the NATURE side of the debate
58
What is a way to look at the genetic basis of behaviour?
Twin studies - Identical twin (monozygotic) shares 100% genes Non-identical twin (dizygotic) shares 50% genes (same as siblings)
59
What is the genotype?
The actual genetic makeup that occurs at conception (dictates characteristics such as eye and hair colour)
60
What is the phenotype?
The product of what happens when the genotype interacts with the environment (adult identical twins looking different because of dyed hair)
61
How does genotype and phenotype link to the biological approach?
Behaviour depends on the interaction between them
62
What would biological psychologists argue about behavior and evolution?
Certain human characteristics exist because they have evolved - e.g aggression may be more attractive to the other sex so this helps with mate selection and its passed down
63
What is neurochemistry?
The biochemistry of the central nervous system
64
What are chemicals in the brain called?
Neurotransmitters (thought to affect behavior) such as dopamine related to schizophrenia
65
What are the 2 strengths of the biological approach?
Range of precise scientific methods (lab experiments, twin studies) so increases reliability Real world applications - psychoactive drugs to treat mental illnesses
66
What are the 2 weaknesses of the biological approach?
Reductionist - dehumanizing as presents us as biological machines Determinist - says its governed by genetics over which we have no control, can we be accountable for our actions then????
67
What do biopsychlogists believe about activity in the nervous system?
It cases all behaviour and experiences
68
What is the nervous system?
A specialised network of cells in the human body that is the primary internal communication system
69
What are the 2 main functions of the cns?
To collect, process and respond to info in the environment | To co-ordinate the working of different functions/cells
70
What is the CNS made up of?
Brain and spinal cord
71
What do the brain and spinal cord do?
Regulate all physiological processes
72
What is the brain the centre of?
All conscious awareness
73
What is the brains outside layer that distinguishes us from animals?
Cerebral cortex
74
What is the spinal cord?
Extension of brain and relays info between brain and body
75
Where does the CNS pass messages to?
To and from the brain and connects nerves to the PNS
76
What does the peripheral nervous system do?
Transmits messages via millions of neurons (nerve cells) to and from the cns
77
What is the PNS divided into?
Somatic nervous system | Autonomic nervous system
78
What does the somatic nervous system do?
Responsible for carrying sensory and motor info to and from the spinal cord IMPORTANT IN THE MOVEMENT OF MUSCLES
79
What does the autonomic nervous system do?
Transmits messages to and from internal organs and governs vital functions in the body such as breathing
80
What is the autonomous nervous system further sub-divided into?
Sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system
81
What does the sympathetic nervous system do?
Gives you a burst of energy and prepared your body to expend energy for fight or flight
82
What does the parasympathetic nervous do?
Maintains and conserves body's energy and functions
83
What is the endocrine system in charge of?
Bodily processes that happen slowly (cell growth)
84
What does the endocrine system work alongside?
The nervous system to control vital functions in the body
85
What is the endocrine system made up of?
A network of glands that produce hormones
86
What is the endocrine systems function?
To release hormones that regulate body functions
87
What is the pituitary gland?
Master gland that controls release of hormones
88
What is the adrenal gland?
Releases adrenalin into the bloodstream
89
What do the ovaries and testes release?
Male and female hormones
90
What is a strength of the fight / flight response?
Very important in preparing the body to deal with threat
91
What is a weakness of the fight / flight response?
Increase in the stress response when repeated a lot can cause long term problems
92
What are the sympathetic nervous systems features?
``` Increased heart rate Slows digestion Muscle tension Pupil dilation Increase in sweat production ```
93
What are the parasympathetic features?
Visa versa
94
What does the hypothalamus do?
Controls pituitary gland. Kicks off sympathetic nervous system
95
What does the thyroid gland affect?
Metabolism
96
How do nerve cells communicate?
Through electrical and chemical messages
97
How many neurons are approx in your brain?
100 billion
98
Where do neurons need to transmit to and from?
Within itself and to other cells in the system
99
What are the electrical impulses from neurons known as?
Nerve impulses
100
How do you create nerve impulses?
Nerves being excited by light sound and pressure
101
What are dendrites?
Extension from neuron which receives messages from other neurons and passes to cell body
102
What is the soma (cell body?)
Includes nucleus and contains genetic material from each individual cell
103
What is the axon?
The neurons long tube-like 'arm' in which electrical impulses travel along
104
What is the myelin sheath?
Insulati fatty later that surrounds the axon, protects it and allows after communication
105
What are the nodes of ranvier?
Small gaps that separate myelin sheath forcing it to jump to speed up electrical impulses
106
What are the axon terminals (terminal buttons)?
Communicate with next neuron
107
What does a motor neuron do?
Carries messages from CNS to effector such as muscles and glands SHORT DENDRITES AND LONG AXONS
108
What is a sensory neuron?
Transmit sensory info from the PNS to the CNS | LONG DENDRITES AND SHORT AXONS
109
What is a relay neuron?
Also known as interneurons. Found only in CNS, allow sensory and motor neurones to communicate with each other SHORT DENDRITES AND SHORT AXONS

Psychology AS (6 decks)

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