APPROACHES IN PSYCHOLOGY

Question 1

What are some assumptions of the social learning theory?

Answer 1

Learning can occur indirectly
vicarious reinforcement - learning related to consequences of behaviour.
Mediational (cognitive) processes play a crucial role in learning.
Identification with role models is important.

Question 2

Explain vicarious reinforcement?

Answer 2

children and adults observe others behaviour and its consequences, behaviour that’s rewarded is more likely to be copied then that, that is punished.

Question 3

Explain the mediational processes that play a crucial part in learning?

Answer 3

Attention - whether behaviour is noticed
Retention - whether behaviour is remembered
Motor production - being able to do it
Motivation - the will to preform the behaviour

Question 4

Explain Banduras first research?

Answer 4

Children watched an adult behaving aggressively to bobo doll or adult behaving non aggressively to bobo doll, children who saw aggression were more aggressive.

Question 5

Explain Bandura’s second research?

Answer 5

children saw an adult rewarded, punished or no consequence, children who saw aggression rewarded were more aggressive.

Question 6

What were the conclusion of Banduras research?

Answer 6

Children are likely to imitate violence if observed from a role model, more likely if aggressive behaviour is rewarded.

Question 7

What is an evaluation of the social learning theory? (strength)

Answer 7

SLT emphasizes the importance of cognitive factors in learning, neither classical or operative conditioning can give a comprehensive account of human learning, more complete explanation of learning then the behaviorist approach due to role of mediational processes.

Question 8

What is another evaluation of the social learning theory? (strength)

Answer 8

SLT can account for cultural differences in behaviour as it says how children learn from others explaining how cultural norms transmit, useful for understanding behaviour eg gender role by imitating role models.

Question 9

What is another evaluation of the social learning theory? (weakness)

Answer 9

Underestimates the influence of biological factors as boys showed more aggression due to difference in testosterone levels, Bandura under played biological factors effect on social learning.

Question 10

What is imitation?

Answer 10

Copying of observed behaviour

Question 11

What is modeling?

Answer 11

Copying the behaviour of a specific person or role model

Question 12

What is identification?

Answer 12

A connection between a child and a role model often based on similarity eg age gender

Question 13

What are the assumptions of the cognitive approach?

Answer 13

Internal mental processes.
schemas.
use of computer models.
use if theoretical models

Question 14

Explain theoretical models in relation to explaining mental processes?

Answer 14

information flows through a sequence of stages (input, storage, retrieval) eg multi store model.

Question 15

Explain computer models when explaining mental processes?

Answer 15

suggests similarities in how computers and human minds process information eg use of central process, changing info to usable code and stores

Question 16

Explain schemas in relation to the central of the cognitive approach?

Answer 16

schemas are packages of information developed through experience, mental framework, born with innate schema for sucking and grasping. allows us to process info quickly prevents us being overwhelmed by environmental stimuli.

Question 17

What is a limitation of schemas?

Answer 17

May distort our interpretations of sensory information = perceptual errors

Question 18

Explain cognitive neuroscience?

Answer 18

the influence of brain structures on mental processes, linking epi8sodic and semantic memory to opposite sides of prefrontal cortex, brain scanning helps establish the neurological base of some disorders.

Question 19

What is a strength of the cognitive approach?

Answer 19

uses scientific and objective methods, they use controlled methods, credible scientific basis.

Question 20

Limitation of cognitive approach?

Answer 20

It is based on machine reductionism, similarities between human mind and computer computer analogy has been criticized as emotion and motivation affect recall.

Question 21

Another limitation of cognitive approach?

Answer 21

Lacks external validity, only infer mental processes from witnessed behaviour, artificial stimuli and list recall which doesn’t represent everyday experience.

Question 22

What are internal mental processes?

Answer 22

thinking = perception, attention, memory, language, problem solving.

Question 23

What are the key assumption of the behaviorist approach?

Answer 23

classical conditioning
pavlovs research
operate conditioning 
types of reinforcement
skinners research

Question 24

Explain classical conditioning?

Answer 24

an association between a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus to produce a response.

Question 25

Explain Pavlov’s research?

Answer 25

presented neutral stimulus to dogs (bell sound) just before food was given to dogs, after it was presented multiple times only the sound of the bell was needed to produce salivation, so the neutral stimulus (bell) has became conditioned stimulus which produces a conditioned response of salivation.

Question 26

Explain operate conditioning?

Answer 26

learning through consequences such as reward and punishment.

Question 27

Explain positive reinforcement?

Answer 27

occurs when behaviour leads to provision of a reward increases the likelyhood of behvaiour beihng repeated.

Question 28

Explain negative reinforcement?

Answer 28

occurs when behaviour switches off and unpleasant stimulus such as a loud noise, increases the likely hood of the behaviour getting repeated.

Question 29

Explain punishment?

Answer 29

when behaviour leads to unpleasant outcomes eg electric shock, reduces the likely hood of the behaviour being repeated.

Question 30

Explain skinners research?

Answer 30

Placed a hungry rat in a box when animal pressed leaver they’d receive a pellet of food, as it learned action of leaver pressing with reward the frequency of leaver pressing increased, process of reward = positive reinforcement, loud noises switched off = negative reinforcement, then when leaver was pressed an electric shock given = punishment