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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
Q

What are the 2 strengths of skinners study supporting operant conditioning in behaviourism?

A

Been replicated a lot - reliability

Tightly controlled conditions - internal validity

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26
Q

What is the disadvantages of skinners study supporting operant conditioning in behaviourism?

A

Not gernalisable to humans

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27
Q

What are the 2 strengths of the behaviourist approach?

A

Significant scientific credibility (testable and have been replicated a lot, objective)
Applications to the real world (token economy)

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28
Q

What is a weakness of the behaviourist approach?

A

Reductionist - ignores all other factors and reduces complexity of human behaviour

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29
Q

What are the 3 main assumptions of social learning theory?

A

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

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30
Q

Who is the main psychologist associated with social learning theory?

A

Bandura (agreed with behaviourists but proposed a different way where people learn through observation and imitation)

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31
Q

What was Bandura’s study 1963 that LEAD TO SLT?

A

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

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32
Q

What were the findings of Bandura?

A

Kids shown aggressive model aggressively imitated
Kids shown non-aggressive model virtually no aggression shown
More likely to copy adult of own sex

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33
Q

What is the 1 strength of Bandura’s study?

A

Highly controlled conditions increased reliability - helps establish a cause and effect

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34
Q

What are the 3 disadvantages of Bandura’s study?

A

Lacks ecological validity (non-everyday environment)
All american - cultural differences
Ethical issues - purposely making kids angry

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35
Q

What is Bandura’s idea of modelling?

A

Kids do not simply learn through personal experience but through imitation and observation - MODELLING

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36
Q

When are ‘models’ most likely to be imitated according to Bandura?

A

When the child/adult identifies with them in some way (parent/celeb)

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37
Q

What did Bandura put forward about vicarious reinforcement?

A

Learning through consequences of others actions

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38
Q

What are Bandura’s 4 mediational processes?

A

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

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39
Q

What are the 2 strengths of SLT?

A

Considers the mind as well as experience

Real world applications - kids and TV/video games

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40
Q

What are the 2 weaknesses of SLT?

A 
Reductionist - Ignores genetics/biological factors
Lab experiment (demand characteristics) lacks ecological validity
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41
Q

What are the 3 main assumptions of the cognitive approach?

A

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)

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42
Q

What do cognitive psychologists study?

A

The mental processes indirectly by making inferences about what is going on inside peoples minds on the basis of how they behave

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43
Q

What is an assumption by cognitive psychologists?

A

Schema’s -

‘package of beliefs and expectations of a topic that come from prior experiences (phobia’s)

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44
Q

Do schema’s affect our behaviour?

A

YES - as we get older our schema’s become more sophisticated and detailed

45
Q

What do schema’s allow us to do?

A

Process info quickly (mental shortcuts) in our environment

46
Q

What can schema’s distort?

A

Our interpretations (stereotypes)

47
Q

What are the 2 models the cognitive approach put forward?

A

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
Q

What does the information processing model in the theoretical model in SLT tell us?

A

We input something from the environment through senses
We process it, encode it using schema’s
We output it, observable behavior

49
Q

What are the 2 strengths of the cognitive approach?

A

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
Q

What are the 2 weaknesses of the cognitive approach?

A

Computer analogy is reductionist

Lab settings lack ecological validity - artificiality of tasks

51
Q

What is cognitive neuroscience?

A

Looking at the brain and mental processing such as brain mapping

52
Q

Who can reveal info about the function of different areas of the brain?

A

Brain damaged patients

53
Q

What can help us look at neurological basis of mental processes in neuroscience?

A

Advances in brain imaging techniques

54
Q

What are the 3 main assumptions of the biological approach?

A

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
Q

What are the 4 components that make up the biological approach?

A

Genetic basis of behaviour
Genotype and phenotype
Evolution and behaviour
Influence of neurochemistry on behaviour

56
Q

What do bio-psychologists believe about genes and behaviour?

A

Genes influence your behaviour (23 chromosomes we are born with are our genotype and form basis of behaviour)

57
Q

What does the biological approach believe about our gene characteristics and our interaction with the environment?

A

They depend partly on each other but still firmly on the NATURE side of the debate

58
Q

What is a way to look at the genetic basis of behaviour?

A

Twin studies -
Identical twin (monozygotic) shares 100% genes
Non-identical twin (dizygotic) shares 50% genes (same as siblings)

59
Q

What is the genotype?

A

The actual genetic makeup that occurs at conception (dictates characteristics such as eye and hair colour)

60
Q

What is the phenotype?

A

The product of what happens when the genotype interacts with the environment (adult identical twins looking different because of dyed hair)

61
Q

How does genotype and phenotype link to the biological approach?

A

Behaviour depends on the interaction between them

62
Q

What would biological psychologists argue about behavior and evolution?

A

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
Q

What is neurochemistry?

A

The biochemistry of the central nervous system

64
Q

What are chemicals in the brain called?

A

Neurotransmitters (thought to affect behavior) such as dopamine related to schizophrenia

65
Q

What are the 2 strengths of the biological approach?

A

Range of precise scientific methods (lab experiments, twin studies) so increases reliability
Real world applications - psychoactive drugs to treat mental illnesses

66
Q

What are the 2 weaknesses of the biological approach?

A

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
Q

What do biopsychlogists believe about activity in the nervous system?

A

It cases all behaviour and experiences

68
Q

What is the nervous system?

A

A specialised network of cells in the human body that is the primary internal communication system

69
Q

What are the 2 main functions of the cns?

A

To collect, process and respond to info in the environment

To co-ordinate the working of different functions/cells

70
Q

What is the CNS made up of?

A

Brain and spinal cord

71
Q

What do the brain and spinal cord do?

A

Regulate all physiological processes

72
Q

What is the brain the centre of?

A

All conscious awareness

73
Q

What is the brains outside layer that distinguishes us from animals?

A

Cerebral cortex

74
Q

What is the spinal cord?

A

Extension of brain and relays info between brain and body

75
Q

Where does the CNS pass messages to?

A

To and from the brain and connects nerves to the PNS

76
Q

What does the peripheral nervous system do?

A

Transmits messages via millions of neurons (nerve cells) to and from the cns

77
Q

What is the PNS divided into?

A

Somatic nervous system

Autonomic nervous system

78
Q

What does the somatic nervous system do?

A

Responsible for carrying sensory and motor info to and from the spinal cord
IMPORTANT IN THE MOVEMENT OF MUSCLES

79
Q

What does the autonomic nervous system do?

A

Transmits messages to and from internal organs and governs vital functions in the body such as breathing

80
Q

What is the autonomous nervous system further sub-divided into?

A

Sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system

81
Q

What does the sympathetic nervous system do?

A

Gives you a burst of energy and prepared your body to expend energy for fight or flight

82
Q

What does the parasympathetic nervous do?

A

Maintains and conserves body’s energy and functions

83
Q

What is the endocrine system in charge of?

A

Bodily processes that happen slowly (cell growth)

84
Q

What does the endocrine system work alongside?

A

The nervous system to control vital functions in the body

85
Q

What is the endocrine system made up of?

A

A network of glands that produce hormones

86
Q

What is the endocrine systems function?

A

To release hormones that regulate body functions

87
Q

What is the pituitary gland?

A

Master gland that controls release of hormones

88
Q

What is the adrenal gland?

A

Releases adrenalin into the bloodstream

89
Q

What do the ovaries and testes release?

A

Male and female hormones

90
Q

What is a strength of the fight / flight response?

A

Very important in preparing the body to deal with threat

91
Q

What is a weakness of the fight / flight response?

A

Increase in the stress response when repeated a lot can cause long term problems

92
Q

What are the sympathetic nervous systems features?

A 
Increased heart rate
Slows digestion
Muscle tension
Pupil dilation
Increase in sweat production
93
Q

What are the parasympathetic features?

A

Visa versa

94
Q

What does the hypothalamus do?

A

Controls pituitary gland. Kicks off sympathetic nervous system

95
Q

What does the thyroid gland affect?

A

Metabolism

96
Q

How do nerve cells communicate?

A

Through electrical and chemical messages

97
Q

How many neurons are approx in your brain?

A

100 billion

98
Q

Where do neurons need to transmit to and from?

A

Within itself and to other cells in the system

99
Q

What are the electrical impulses from neurons known as?

A

Nerve impulses

100
Q

How do you create nerve impulses?

A

Nerves being excited by light sound and pressure

101
Q

What are dendrites?

A

Extension from neuron which receives messages from other neurons and passes to cell body

102
Q

What is the soma (cell body?)

A

Includes nucleus and contains genetic material from each individual cell

103
Q

What is the axon?

A

The neurons long tube-like ‘arm’ in which electrical impulses travel along

104
Q

What is the myelin sheath?

A

Insulati fatty later that surrounds the axon, protects it and allows after communication

105
Q

What are the nodes of ranvier?

A

Small gaps that separate myelin sheath forcing it to jump to speed up electrical impulses

106
Q

What are the axon terminals (terminal buttons)?

A

Communicate with next neuron

107
Q

What does a motor neuron do?

A

Carries messages from CNS to effector such as muscles and glands
SHORT DENDRITES AND LONG AXONS

108
Q

What is a sensory neuron?

A

Transmit sensory info from the PNS to the CNS

LONG DENDRITES AND SHORT AXONS

109
Q

What is a relay neuron?

A

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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