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A Level Psychology > Approaches Booklet 1 > Flashcards

Approaches Booklet 1 Flashcards

1
Q

why is wilhelm wundt considered the father of psychology

A

-he separated psychology from biology and philosophy
-he opened the first psychology lab

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2
Q

what was the significance of wundt establishing the first psychology lab

A

-it allowed researchers to systematically study mental processes in a controlled environment

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3
Q

define structuralism

A

-an approach that analyses the components of consciousness
-breaks down mental components into basic elements like sensations and perceptions

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4
Q

define introspection

A

-reporting conscious thoughts and experiences

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5
Q

describe the method of introspection

A

-a systematic analysis of ones own conscious experience
-experiences are analysed in terms of their component parts
-these parts are elements like sensations, emotions and reactions
-people are trained to do this analysis so the data os objective
-people presented with standardised sensory events like a ticking metronome and reported their reactions

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6
Q

evidence for wundt using systematic and well controlled methods

A

-he carried out his research in a lab environment
-so sustained high levels of control
-and controlled possible extraneous variables
-standardised procedures

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7
Q

evidence for some of wundts work being considered unscientific

A

-self reporting mental processes results in subjective data
-participants may have hidden thoughts they didn’t want to share
-so it is difficult to establish meaningful laws of behaviour

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8
Q

evidence for introspection not being able to be used to study different aspects of behaviour

A

-children have limited vocabulary and an inability to express feelings
-animals have an inability to express thoughts, and lack higher mental processes such as emotion
-so application of introspection is limited

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9
Q

A03 points for wundt and introspection

A

-systematic and well controlled methods
-other elements would be considered unscientific today
-can not be used to study all aspects of behaviour

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10
Q

what are the assumptions of the behaviourist approach

A

-psychology should only study observable, quantifiable behaviour
-humans are only animals and are not more complex
-subject matter of psychology should be classical and operant conditioning

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11
Q

outline how pavlov studied classical conditioning

A

-he strapped a dog into a harness with an apparatus that allowed precise measurement of amount of saliva produced
-a bell would be rung and the amount of saliva was measured
-food would be presented and the mount of saliva measured
-bell and food were presented at the same time and amount of saliva measured
-repeated a set number of times
-bell rung without presentation of food and saliva measured to test strength of the conditioned response

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12
Q

what was the unconditioned stimulus in pavlovs research

A

food

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13
Q

what was the unconditioned response in pavlovs research

A

salivating at food

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14
Q

what was the neutral stimulus in pavlovs research

A

bell

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15
Q

what was the conditioned stimulus in pavlovs research

A

-the bell
-after the bell and food were presented together

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16
Q

what was the conditioned response in pavlovs research

A

salivating at bell

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17
Q

define operant conditioning

A

-learning through reinforcement and punishment

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18
Q

define positive reinforcement

A

-receiving a reward for a behaviour

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19
Q

define negative reinforcement

A

-the removal/avoidance of something unpleasant

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20
Q

define punishment

A

-an unpleasant consequence for behaviour

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21
Q

how does positive reinforcement affect behaviour

A

-increases the chance the behaviour is repeated

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22
Q

how does negative reinforcement affect behaviour

A

-increases the chance the behaviour is repeated

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23
Q

how do punishments affect behaviour

A

-decreases the likelihood the behaviour is repeated

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24
Q

outline skinners research into operant conditioning

A

-set up an operant conditioning chamber (Skinner box)
-taught rats to push a lever which was unnatural, so operant conditioning with positive and negative reinforcement was performed
-positive reinforcement was where the rat was rewarded with food when he pressed the lever
-negative reinforcement was when the rat could turn off electric shocks produced by the floor by pressing the lever

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25
Q

A03 points about behaviourist approach

A

-experimental support
-relies on animal studies
-real life application
-biological factors

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26
Q

evidence for experimental support for the behaviourist approach

A

-skinners experiment using operant conditioning to teach a rat
-little albert experiment which used classical conditioning to create a phobia
-lab experiments
-variables controlled
-so can be replicated, meaning they are reliable

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27
Q

evidence for animal studies limiting the behaviourist approach

A

-relies on animal studies
-skinner used rats
-pavlov used dogs
-animals biologically and cognitively different to humans
-cannot extrapolate results to human behaviour as may not be valid

28
Q

evidence for real life application supporting the behaviourist approach

A

-operant conditioning is the basis of token economy systems used in institutions such as prisons and schools
-rewards of tokens that can be exchanged for privileges
-classical conditioning applied to treating phobias eg systematic desensitisation and flooding which require less effort and insight than talking therapies

29
Q

evidence for biological factors limiting the behaviourist approach

A

-does not take into account the influence of biological factors
-such as dopamine level or genetic factors
-it is environmentally reductionist and does not take into account other influences
-behaviourist approach only a partial explanation for behaviour

30
Q

assumptions of social learning theory

A

-bandura agreed with behaviourists that we learn from experience
-people learn through observation and imitation of others -social learning
-learning occurs directly through classical and operant conditioning
-but also occurs indirectly

31
Q

define social learning theory

A

-a way of explaining behaviour that includes both direct and indirect reinforcement, combining learning theory with the role of cognitive factors

32
Q

define imitation

A

-copying the behaviour of others

33
Q

define identification

A

-when an observer associates themselves with a role model and wants to be like the role model

34
Q

define modelling

A

-from the observers perspective = imitating the behaviours of a role model
-from the models perspective= the precise demonstration of a specific behaviour

35
Q

define vicarious reinforcement

A

-reinforcement which is not directly experienced
-but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced for a behaviour
-key factor in imitation

36
Q

define mediational processes

A

-cognitive factors that influence learning and come between stimulus and response

37
Q

who are we most likely to imitate

A

-same sex
-same age or older
-higher status
-as become role models due to being perceived as successful leading to identification

38
Q

what are the mediational processes

A

-attention
-retention
-motor reproduction
-motivation

39
Q

define attention

A

-the extent to which we notice certain behaviours

40
Q

define retention

A

-how well the behaviour is remembered

41
Q

define motor reproduction

A

-the ability of the observer to perform the behaviour

42
Q

define motivation

A

-the will to perform the behaviour, which is often determined by whether the behaviour was rewarded or punished

43
Q

what was the aim of banduras bobo doll experiment

A

-investigate whether children learn aggression through observation and imitation
-specifically whether they would imitate an adults aggressive behaviour

44
Q

what was the procedure for banduras bobo doll experiment

A

-controlled, lab experiment
-children divided into 3 groups
1- observed an adult behaving aggressively towards a bobo doll
2- observed a non aggressive adult
3- control group with no model
-children later placed in a room with a bobo doll and other toys and their behaviour was observed

45
Q

results of the bobo doll experiment

A

-children exposed to the aggressive model were more likely to imitate the aggressive actions and verbal remarks
-especially if the model was of the same gender
-non aggressive and control group showed significantly less aggression

46
Q

conclusion of the bobo doll experiment

A

-demonstrated that aggression can be learned through observation and imitation
-supports banduras social learning theory
-emphasises role of modelling in learning behaviours

47
Q

A03 points for social learning theory

A

-research support
-reliant on evidence from lab studies
-doesn’t reference the impact of biological factors

48
Q

evidence for research support for social learning theory

A

-bobo doll experiment took place in a lab environment
-highly controlled
-influence of extraneous variables reduced
-cause and effect clearly demonstrated
-so adds validity to SLT

49
Q

evidence for reliance on lab studies limiting SLT

A

-participants may respond to demand characteristics
-main purpose of the bobo doll is to strike it, so children would behave in a way they thought was expected

50
Q

evidence for a lack of reference to biological factors limiting SLT

A

-in bobo doll experiment boys were more aggressive than girls regardless of the environment
-explained by hormones such as testosterone
-which SLT doesn’t involve

51
Q

assumptions in the cognitive approach

A

-we can study internal mental processes indirectly
-we make inferences on internal processes based on observable behaviour
-our brains work like a computer as we process information in the same way

52
Q

define cognitive approach

A

-the term cognitive has come to mean mental processes, so this approach is focused on how our mental processes affect behaviour

53
Q

define internal mental processes

A

-private operations of the mind such as perception and attention that mediate between stimulus and response

54
Q

define schema

A

-a mental framework of beliefs and expectations that influence cognitive processing
-they are developed through experience

55
Q

define inference

A

-the process whereby cognitive psychologists draw conclusions about the way mental processes operate on the basis of observed behaviour

56
Q

define cognitive neuroscience

A

-the scientific study of biological structures that underpin cognitive processes

57
Q

example of an investigation into internal mental processes in the cognitive approach

A

-comparing abilities of groups to memorise a list of words
-presented verbally or visually to infer which type of sensory information is easiest to process
-investigate whether or not this changes with different word types or individuals

58
Q

describe the role of theoretical and computer models

A

-attempt to explain and infer information and draw conclusions about mental processes

59
Q

describe the information processing model

A

-the mind is described like a computer
-input is encoding of sensory information
-processing is information manipulation
-output is behaviour/ emotion

60
Q

explain the impacts of schemas

A

-can distort eyewitness testimony
-negative self schemas in depression

61
Q

AO3- benefit of scientific and objective methods in the cognitive approach

A

-highly controlled and rigorous methods to enable researchers to infer cognitive processes
-lab experiments produce objective and reliable data

62
Q

AO3 - machine reductionism limiting the cognitive approach

A

-machine reductionism ignores the influence of how human emotion and motivation on ability to process information
-memory may be affected by emotional factors such as anxiety in ewt

63
Q

AO3 - real life applications of cognitive approach

A

-evidence from real world applications
-cognitive research into memory and the effects of misleading information
-has reduced the use of ewt in court
-reformed police procedures
-helped treatment of depression through cbt
-contributions to modern society and developed professional understanding

64
Q

describe cognitive neuroscience

A

-how brain structures and biology affect mental processes
-specific brain areas are associated with particular actions, moods and emotions
-brain areas are tested through brain scanning

65
Q

AO3- issues with technology used for cognitive neuroscience

A

-MRI scans used to identify the activity in different brain regions are not fully reliable
-user error can occur in calibration, temperature and noise interference
-so may lack validity

66
Q

AO3 - strength of real life application of cognitive neuroscience

A

-used in medicine when different brains areas are studied using brain scans like MRI and PET scans
-so technology increases reliability and validity

67
Q

AO3- machine reductionism as a limitation of cognitive neuroscience

A

-doesn’t take into account the impact of human emotions on behaviour and that humans are complex and unpredictable
-cognitive neuroscience can’t be used to fully explain human behaviour

A Level Psychology (9 decks)

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