Approaches in Psychology

Question 1

wundt’s lab

Answer 1

in Liepzig, Germany 1879 - first psychology lab

marked beginning of scientific psychology

Question 2

wundt’s aim

Answer 2

to try to analyse human consciousness

first systematic experimental attempt to study mind under controlled conditions - introspection

Question 3

introspection

Answer 3

first systematic experimental attempt to study the mind by breaking up the conscious awareness into basic structures of thoughts, images and sensations

Question 4

standardised procedures

Answer 4

main objective: to try and develop theories about mental processes ( language, perception)
co-workers&him recorded experiences of various stimuli ( objects or sounds)
divided observations into 3 categories: thoughts, images, sensations

Question 5

structuralism

Answer 5

isolation of the structure of consciousness

stimuli Wundt & co-workers experience always presented in same order & instructive issued to all ppts

Question 6

ao3 strength: wundt

Answer 6

scientific:
strength that some methods were systematic & well controlled
all introspections recorded in controlled lab environment (extraneous variables not a factor)
procedures/instructions standardised so ppts received same info and tested in same way

Question 7

ao3 limitation: wundt

Answer 7

some unscientific:
relied on ppts self-reporting metal processes
subjective data (influenced by personal perspective)
ppts may have hidden some thoughts
difficult to establish general laws( which useful to predict future laws)
early efforts to study mind is flawed

Question 8

emergence of psychology as science

Question 9

1900s behaviourists

Answer 9

beginning of 20th century, value of introspection was questioned by many ( inc John B Watson)
problem: produced subjective data (influenced by personal perspective)
very difficult to establish general laws.
Watson-Skinner proposed truly scientific psychology should study phenomena that can be observed objectively and measured
focused on observable behaviour
used carefully controlled experiment
dominates psychology for next 50 years

Question 10

1950s cognitive approach

Answer 10

digital revolution of 1950s - new metaphor for studying the mind
likened mind to computer (multi-store model)
tested predictions about memory & attention with experiments
ensured study of mind was legitimate and highly scientific aspect of discipline

Question 11

1980s biological approach

Answer 11

taken scientific psychology to new levels
taken adv of advances in tech to investigate physiological processes as they happen
e.g: scanning techniques such as fMRI & EEG - study live activity in brain
new methods (genetic testing) allowed better understanding between genes & behaviour

Question 12

a03: strength - emergence of psychology….

Answer 12

modern psychology
research in modern .. can claim to be scientific
learning & cognitive & biological approaches rely use of scientific methods
e.g: lab studies to investigate theories in controlled & unbiased way
suggests that psychology thorough the ages - established as scientific discipline

Question 13

a03: limitation - emergence of psychology ..

Answer 13

subjective data
not all approaches use objective data
humanistic rejects the scientific approach
- focuses on individual & subjective experiences
psychodynamic uses case study method
- does not produce representative samples
the study of human beings requires active ppts so demand characteristics are possible
so scientific approach to study of human thought may not be always possible

Question 14

a03: introspection

Answer 14

may not seem scientific but still used today to study cognitive processes
e.g: GRIFFITHS (1994) used introspection to study cognitive processes of fruit machine gamblers

he asked them to ‘think aloud’ whilst playing fruit machine into microphone on their lapel, they found gamblers used more irrational verbalisations

Question 15

behaviourist approach - assumptions

Answer 15

only interested in studying observable & measurable behaviour
not concerned with investigating mental processes of mind is seen as irrelevant
early behaviourists ( Watson ) rejected introspection - involved too many concepts that were vague & difficult
- tried to maintain more control & objectivity in research
- relied on lab studies

Question 16

behaviourist approach - assumptions 2

Answer 16

believe all behaviour is learned
describes baby’s mind as a blank slate - written on by experience
behaviourists suggested that basic processes that govern learning are same in all species
- animals replace humans as experimental subjects

Question 17

classical conditioning - pavlov’s dogs

Answer 17

learning through association (1927)
dogs conditioned to salivate at sound of bell ( sound repeatedly presented at same time as food given)
NS ( bell) paired with UCR ( salivation) to produce a conditioned response of salivatin

Question 18

extinction (CC)

Answer 18

bell repeatedly presented without food , salivation (CR) slowly disappears

Question 19

spontaneous recovery (CC)

Answer 19

even in CR extinguished , dog may salivate to bell later some time

Question 20

generalisation (CC)

Answer 20

CS ( bell) may be changed in tone and volume & may produce CR of salivation

Question 21

discrimination (CC)

Answer 21

when sound becomes too different than original where dog does not salivate

Question 22

little albert experiment (CC)

Answer 22

Watson:
little albert - 9 month old
tested reactions to various stimuli ( white rat, rabbit , monkey and masks) - showed no fear
hammer struck on metal bar - made him afraid ( burst out crying)
albert ( over 11 mon) white rat presented and hammer struck
7 pairings of rat and hammer = 2 sessions = 1 week apart- albert reacted crying & avoidance at sight of rat without noise

Question 23

evaluation of little albert experiment (CC)

Answer 23

conducted before ethical guidelines established
study can only be judged retrospectively
- experiment conducted without albert’s parents’ knowledge or consent
- creating fear response is e.g of psychological harm
- watson/raynor did not desensitize albert’s fear of furry white rat

Question 24

operant conditioning:

Answer 24

skinner (1953) - learning is active process where humans/animals operate on environment
individual makes association between stimulus and consequence

Question 25

positive reinforcement (OC)

Answer 25

recieving a reward when certain behaviour is performed

e.g praise from teacher for answering q correctly

Question 26

negative reinforcement (OC)

Answer 26

when individual avoids something unpleasant
outcome = +ve experience
e.g: student gives in essay so not told off
( avoidance of unpleasant )

Question 27

punishment (OC)

Answer 27

an unpleasant consequence of behaviour

e.g: shouted by teacher for speaking in lesson

Question 28

likelihood of behaviour repeated (OC)

Answer 28

+ve / -ve reinforcement increases likelihood behaviour is repeated
punishment decreases likelihood behaviour is repeated

Question 29

example of OC:

Answer 29

skinner’s box:
cages with pigeons/rats
rat pecked disc = food rewards
activated lever = electric shock

Question 30

ao3- behavioural approach - strength

Answer 30

well controlled research:
focused on measurements of observable behaviour within highly controlled lab settings
broke down behaviour = basic stimulus-response units : all possible extraneous variables removed
e.g : skinner clearly demonstrates how reinforcement influenced animal’s behaviour
scientific credibilty

Question 31

ao3: B app - counterpoint ( scientific credibilty)

Answer 31

behaviourists may have oversimplified learning process
by reduction of behaviour to simple components, have ignored important influence of human thought
other approaches ( SLT,cognitive) drawn attention to mental processes involved in learning
suggest learning more complex than observable behaviour & private mental processes are essential

Question 32

ao3 - behavioural approach -strength

Answer 32

real world application:
OC is basis of token economy systems successfully used in institutions ( prisons / psychiatric ward)
work by rewarding appropriate behaviour with tokens for privileges
CC used for treatment of phobias
increases value of b- approach - has widespread application

Question 33

a03- behavioural approach - limitation

Answer 33

environmental determinism :
it sees all behaviour as conditioned by past conditioning experiences
skinner suggested that everything we do is sum total of our reinforcement history
when something happens we may think ‘ i made decision to do that’ but according our past conditioning history

Question 34

a03- behavioural approach - limitation

Answer 34

ethical and practical issues in animals:

experimental procedures such as Skinner’s box allowed behaviourists to maintain high degree of control over experimental ‘subjects’ of animals, critics have questioned ethics of conducting such investigations. the animals were exposed to stressful and psychologically harmful situations which could also affect how they reacted to experimental situations

Question 35

social learning theory - assumptions

Answer 35

proposed that you could learn through observation and imitation of others within a social context
also suggested that learning occurs directly through OC and CC but also indirectly

Question 36

vicarious reinforcement

Answer 36

reinforcement which is not directly exoerienced but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced for behaviour

key factor in imitation when rewarded not punished