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Psychology > Approaches in psychology > Flashcards

Approaches in psychology Flashcards

1
Q

Who is considered the father of Psychology?
(brief explanation)

A
  • Wilhelm Wundt
  • established first psychology lab in Germany.
  • used introspection
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2
Q

What is introspection?

A
  • examination of one’s own thought processes in a systematic and scientific way.
  • used standardised procedures (stimulus & instructions).
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3
Q

Evaluation of Wundt.

A

limitation; introspection unreliable, studied non-observable behaviours. not replicable. Pavlov’s methods of study was more reliable and therefore made greater advancements in psychology. Thus limiting Wundt’s method.

limitation; Wundt’s study lacks ecological validity. the stimulus provided does not resemble that of a stimulus in the real world. findings of this research is somewhat inappropriate as cannot be generalised to real life situation.

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4
Q

Cognitive approach- explain the 4 key assumptions.

A

Inferences- drawing conclusions about human behaviour based on observable behaviour.

Schemas- organise and contain info, provides a mental framework (fill in the gaps in an ambiguous situation).

Computer models- focus on the way sensory info is passed through the system.
INPUT(stimuli via senses)
PROCESS(info is encoded/processed using schema)
OUTPUT(observable behaviour)

Cognitive neuroscience- study of influence of brain structure on cognition. Brain scanning techniques.

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5
Q

Evaluation of Cognitive Approach.

A

strength; use of scientific methods, reliable methods and results, TMB shows behaviour based on more than theory.

strength; practical application, development of CBT (for depression). Improving quality of life, returning to normal function.

limitation; lacks eco validity. cog research used in memory uses artificial stimuli. cannot be generalised, cannot explain naturally occurring behaviour.

limitation; reductionist. human minds are not like computers. inaccurate representation of of mind, compares complexity of mind processes to simplicity of a computer process.

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6
Q

Psychodynamic approach- key psychologist and explanation of what it is?

A
  • Sigmund Freud
  • how your past affects your current life
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7
Q

Psychodynamic- Key assumption 1
Tripartite personality?

A

ID; from birth
satisfy our basic biological needs
operates on pleasure principle
selfish and demanding

Ego; Age 2
planning part of personality
reality principle
realises own decisions, separate
from other people

Super Ego; Age 5
feelings of guilt
includes an ego ideal- how we
should behave
morality principle

  • problems between these personalities can cause mental disorders
  • ability to function well is ‘ego strength’
  • healthy= balance between all
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8
Q

Psychodynamic- Key assumption 2
Unconscious mind?

A

Conscious; thoughts & perceptions

Pre-conscious; memories & stored knowledge

Unconscious; selfish needs & shameful experiences

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9
Q

Psychodynamic- Key assumption 3
Defence mechanisms?

A
  • unable to rationally deal with a situation, defence mechanisms are triggered. Distort reality so anxiety is reduced. Individual stops themselves becoming aware of thoughts + feelings in traumatic situation.

repression; force memory or feeling out of conscious mind, pushed into unconscious.

denial; completely reject thought or feeling

displacement; ‘taking it out on the wrong person’. using a sub person for expression of feelings, too dangerous to express these to the real cause.

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10
Q

Psychodynamic- Key assumption 4
Psychosexual development?

A
  • Freud believed that personality developed through 5 stages to express sexual energy (libido). At different stages these are expressed separately and from different parts of the body
  • to be healthy must complete each stage, if we don’t can cause mental problems, the person can become fixated.
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11
Q

Psychodynamic- Key assumption 4
Psychosexual stages?

A

Oral; 0-1 years
The ID present
pleasure gained- breast fed/ putting things in their mouth
frustration- not given enough… sensitive to rejection, smoke when stressed, anxiety habits
over indulgence- breast fed past correct age… binging behaviours (drinking, chain smoking, overeating)
healthy resolution- independent feeding

Anal; 1-3 years
The ID & Ego present
pleasure gained- pooping
frustration- anally retentive… tidy, stubborn, perfectionist, obsessive
over indulgence; anally expulsive… thoughtless & messy

Phallic; 3-5 years
Ego present
Oedipus complex (boys)- want mum as primary love object, wants father gone.
Electra complex (girls)- penis envy, desire their father, mother out of the way.
over indulgence/frustration; narcissistic, reckless, homosexual

Latency; 6-puberty
Super ego present
(this stage more about social interactions)
Child not passing through this stage properly; libido is dormant, fixation may come back from prev stages

Genital; puberty- adulthood
All 3 combined (id etc)
pleasure gained; sexual
All stages passed successfully; can form healthy relationships, recognises consequences of fixation.

Little Hans- case study which was used to develop psychosexual stages (fixation etc)

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12
Q

Evaluation of Psychodynamic Approach.

A

strength; practical application, development of psychoanalysis (therapy). 36 patients treated using this therapy, 77% significant improvements. TMB improved quality of life. Validity.

limitations; Cultural bias. Sue & Sue (2008) said that psychoanalysis has no relevance in non-western cultures. China, avoid bringing up feelings (opposite of psychoanalysis). Lacks suitability, lacks validity.

limitations; gender bias. Focuses on ‘penis envy; concept. Freud’s theories are androcentric, ignores female behaviour etc. Inappropriate to explain female behaviour. Limits explanation for human behaviour.

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13
Q

What does the biological approach suggest and what are the 4 key assumptions?

A
  • Physiological processes in the body that influence our behaviour. All thoughts and feelings have a physiological basis.
  • influence of genes
  • biological structures
  • neurochemistry
  • evolution and natural selection
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14
Q

Biological approach- Key assumption 1
influences of genes on behaviour

A

Twin studies
MZ & DZ, comparison of concordance rates
- rare to find 100% in MZ twins for psychological characteristics, environmental factors must play a role in the development of these
- genes are predisposing factors rather than determining factors

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15
Q

Biological approach- Key assumption 2
influences of biological structures on behaviour

A
  • abnormal behaviour may occur if a structure in the brain is damaged
  • understanding brain structure and which parts of the brain is used for a particular function is helpful (localisation of brain function)
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16
Q

Biological approach- Key assumption 3
influences of neurochemistry on behaviour

A
  • significance of neurotransmitters and action potentials.
  • excitatory and inhibitory
    Dopamine (excitatory) Serotonin (inhibitory)
  • hormones
17
Q

Biological approach- Key assumption 4
evolution and behaviour

A
  • certain physical and physiological traits have been passed down from one gen to another due to their advantages in survival and reproduction
18
Q

Evaluation of Biological Approach.

A

strength; uses scientific methodology (in brain scans), precision and accuracy makes it reliable and a good level of validity.

strength; real life applications (treatment). use of neurotransmitters (dopamine) to treat chemical imbalances causing behavioural issues. helps people return to normal functioning

limitations; reductionist. explains mental disorders in an oversimplified way (genes), doesn’t take environmental factors into account. may lead to incorrect diagnosis or treatment plan.

limitation; problem with evolutionary explanations. not all evolutionary behaviours have a survival benefit (such as musical appreciation which can be influenced by origin and culture). Does not fully explain human behaviour.

19
Q

What does the humanistic approach suggest and what are the 5 key assumptions?

A
  • focuses on conscious experience rather than behaviour, on personal responsibility and free will rather than determinism. Discussion of experience rather than experimental methods.

-free will
- Maslow’s hierarchy
- focus on the self
-congruence
-conditions of worth

20
Q

Humanistic approach- Key assumption 1
Free will

A
  • emphasis on people have own conscious control over their own destiny (free will)
  • doesn’t mean that we have full control as there other factors that effect our behaviour (environmental/ biological)
  • can make significant decisions within these constraints
21
Q

Humanistic approach- Key assumption 2
Maslow’s Hierarchy (1943)

A
  • concerned with what went ‘right’ rather than ‘wrong’
    -hierarchy of needs; basic requirements at the bottom, most advanced at the top
  • each level must be fulfilled to move onto the next.
    (self actualisation was believed to be experienced in peak experiences, moments of ecstasy and inspiration)

SELF ACTUALISATION;
- morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, lack of prejudice

ESTEEM;
- self-esteem, confidence, achievement, respect

LOVE/BELONGING;
- friendship/ family, sexual intimacy

SAFETY;
- security of body, employment, resources, family, health, property

PHYSIOLOGICAL;
- breathing, food, water, sex, sleep, homeostasis.

22
Q

Humanistic approach- Key assumption 3
Focus on the self (Rogers)

A
  • how we perceive ourselves
  • need positive regard from others and self- worth
  • feelings of self worth develop in childhood through interactions with family, feelings develop later through relationships with significant others.
  • closer our self concept matches with our ideal self, greater the feelings of worth.
23
Q

Humanistic approach- Key assumption 4
Congruence (Rogers)

A
  • similarity between ideal self and perceived self is a state of congruence (if not there is a state of incongruence)
  • better congruence heightens self-worth.
  • defence mechanisms may be used when inconsistencies are detected in congruence.
24
Q

Humanistic approach- Key assumption 5
Conditions of worth (Rogers)

A

unconditional love- person is accepted for who they are and what they do

conditional love- only accepted when they do what others want them to do

  • when people experience conditional love they develop conditions of worth

conditions of worth- conditions that people perceive as significant if they are to be accepted by others and see themselves positively. conditions to fit what another wants.

unconditional positive regard- no matter what the person is still loved (good self worth = greater congruency)

CCT developed to close gap between self-concept and ideal-self. Therapist provides the unconditional pos regard.

25
Q

Evaluation of Humanistic Approach.

A

strength; supporting evidence for negative effects of conditions of worth. found that adolescents who experience conditional positive regard are more likely to develop low self esteem. this supports the idea of incongruency when conditional pos regard is experienced by providing empirical evidence.

strength; real world application. CCT being developed by rogers. aims to reduce gap between ideal self and perceived self. helps people gain confidence and functional better (socially).

limitation; Maslow hierarchy culturally biased. Nevis (1983) found that feeling of belonginess is a more fundamental need in China than physiological needs. shows hierarchy does not fit for everyone depending on culture (lacking generalisability) therefore needs to be amended.

limitation; uses methods of research that cannot be tested. research is not scientific nor replicable. therefore findings may lack validity and research isn’t reliable, therefore not being able to be applied to a population equally.

26
Q

What does the behaviourist approach suggest?

A

behaviour is acquired through learning and that we are born as blank slates.
behavioural psychologists are only interested in observable events (stimulus and response)

27
Q

Behaviourist approach- Key assumption 1. Pavlov’s dog- classical conditioning

A

classical conditioning is learning a behaviour through association.

Pavlov’s dog-

BEFORE CONDITIONING
Food(UCS)= Salivation (UCR)
Bell (NS)= No salivation (NCR)

DURING CONDITIONING
Food(UCS)+Bell(NS)= Salivation (UCR)

AFTER CONDITIONING
Bell (CS)= Salivation (CR)

28
Q

Behaviourist approach- Key assumption 2. Skinner’s rats- operant conditioning

A

operant conditioning is learning through consequence (voluntary behaviour in response to a stimulus)

punishment- when the behaviour is followed by an unpleasant response, therefore less likely to be repeated.

positive reinforcement- when the behaviour is followed by a desirable consequence and is therefore more likely to be repeated.

negative reinforcement- when the behaviour is followed by the removal of a not nice response (adverse) so therefore more likely to be repeated.

Skinners rats
pressing the lever releases food= positive reinforcement

pressing the button stops the electric shocks= negative reinforcement (removal of adverse consequence)

29
Q

Evaluation of Behaviourist Approach.

A

strength; real life applications- treatment of phobias. classical conditioning has led to the development of systematic desensitisation (replacing the fear stimulus with a new response rather than anxiety such as relaxation). Helps return to normal functioning etc.

limitation; use of animal studies (non-human animals) TMB may not be representative of human behaviour, we are more complex than animals. difficult to generalise.

limitation; behaviourist approach ignores other psychological explanations. Ignores cog & emotional factors, reducing humans to a product of conditioning. other psychologists state that human interaction is far more important than stimulus-reinforcement relationship.

limitation; deterministic. states that all behaviour is learnt , therefore focuses on past experiences only. TMB it leaves no room to suggest that behaviour is simply a reaction to the environment.

30
Q

What does social learning theory suggest and what are the key assumptions? (based on behaviourist approach)

A
  • learning through observation and imitation, usually from a role model.
  • models
  • imitation (mediational processes -ARRM)
  • bandura- bobo doll
31
Q

Social learning theory- Key assumption 1- modelling

A
  • model likely to be chosen if we identify with them (share similar characteristics or traits with them)
  • can also identify with them in terms of age or gender
  • models usually influential people (celebs)
  • role model does not need to be present at time of behaviour being demonstrated
32
Q

Social learning theory- Key assumption 2- imitation (mediational processes & vicarious reinforcement)

A
  • model identified in order to imitate

Process of imitation;

  • Attention; to what extent the behaviour is noticed
  • Retention; how well the behaviour is remembered
  • Reproduction; how able the observer is able to repeat the behaviour
  • Motivation; consequences of behaviour (punished or rewarded)

Vicarious reinforcement
- seeing someone get rewarded for a specific behaviour makes the behaviour more likely to be imitated (on our behalf) as the reward is also expected.

33
Q

Social learning theory- Bobo doll (Albert Bandura, 1961) (imitation)

A
  • observed behaviour of children after watching adults act aggressively towards the doll.
  • all children acted aggressively after watching adult displaying same behaviour.
  • imitation was at it’s highest when child was of the same sex as ‘model’
34
Q

Evaluation of Social learning theory.

A

strength; has research support, Bandura bobo doll- imitation was more likely if children were same gender. supports the role of identification of role models. Adding validity.

strength; SLT has useful applications, Akers (1998) found criminals were more likely to commit crimes if exposed to role models who also do, particularly if their behaviour is rewarded. TMB it helps us understand why young people commit crimes, can be used for intervention, reduction of crime.

limitation; issue with causality. McCormick & Siegel (2006) found that people with deviant behaviours were drawn to more deviant role models.
TMB hard to determine weather behaviour is a result of learning behaviour from role model, own personality or biological factors. lacks validity

limitation (Bobo doll); evidence based off of a lab study. demand characteristics (children may feel as though they have to replicate the behaviour as being recorded for an experiment). Artificial, tells us little about how children actually behave, lacking validity and may not explain behaviour (learning at all)

Psychology (11 decks)

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