Approaches in psychology Flashcards
What is the idea of an ‘approach’?
psychologists tend to have a general view of what causes behaviour
In what terms does the biological approach explain behaviour (say where and an example)? (Biological approach p10)
Physical causes in our brain and body , this includes genes
What is the most likely biological source of causes of behaviour (one point)? (Biological approach p10)
The brain
What chemical does the brain produce? (Biological approach p10)
neurotransmitters eg serotonin
(Biological approach p10) What other system other than our brain is also significant?
the endocrine system
(Biological approach p10) Why is the endocrine system significant?
it produces hormones eg adrenaline
How can brain scans be used in this approach? (Approaches in psychology)
They show us the structure and functions of the brain
Researchers then try to relate these to normal as well as abnormal behaviours
(Biological approach p10) Research on what can also be helpful in this approach?
research on animals
(Biological approach p10) Why can research on animals also be helpful in this approach?
we can’t deliberately make changes to the human brain to observe the effect on behaviour
(Biological approach p10) The appraoch to understanding behaviour is largely what and what can be changed by it?
nature
through many aspects of the barin and and body and even genes can be changed by nature
(Bahaviourist approach p10) What is the concept of this approach?
the influence of experience on our behaviour and how we learn behaviours
basically we are born as ‘blank slates’ and what we become is shaped by experience or the ‘environment’
(Bahaviourist approach p10) What are the two ways we learn through?
association (classical conditioning)
reinforcement (operant conditioning)
(Bahaviourist approach p10) What are two examples of operant conditioning?
treats with animals - reward reinforces a behaviour
cats coming running as soon as they hear the cupbored opeining - learned to associate that noise with food
(Bahaviourist approach p10) Where do the characteristics we are born with stand againts roles of our experience and the environment?
secind place
(Bahaviourist approach p10) What is this approach closely associated with?
scientific psychology
(Bahaviourist approach p10) What kind of research do behaviourists support? And why?
laboratory research
it involves presise and objective measurement of behaviour in controlled conditions
(Cognitative approach p11) What does this approach focus on?
our feelings
beliefs
attitudes expectations
and effects they have on our behaviour
(Cognitative approach p11) This approach uses what metaphor to expalin how our minds work?
computer metaphor
like computers we process our information
(Cognitative approach p11) This approach has been used to explain many things including what?
mental disorders such as depression
(Cognitative approach p11) According to this apporach depression occurs why?
because people think negatively
they put the worst possible interpretation on events and play down the good things that happen to them
they think it will never get better which leads to dispair
(Cognitative approach p11) Cognitive psychologists use what type of research?
labatory research
(Cognitative approach p11) What are cognitive psychologists mostly interested in?
the process inside the mind
(Psychosynamic approach p11) How did this apporach originate?
with Sigmund Freud
(Psychosynamic approach p11) What did Sigmund Freud believe with this apporach?
that the causes of behaviour lie within the unconcious mind
(the part of the mind that is normally ineccesable but is extremly active)
(Psychosynamic approach p11) What is believed yo be going on constantly in the brain in this approach?
conflicts between the concious and unconcious mind
(Psychosynamic approach p11) When can we get a glimpse of the conflics in our concious and unconcious brain?
when we dream which is why Freud advocated the use of dream interpretation to help us understand whats in the unconcious and why it effects us
(Psychosynamic approach p11) This apporach also emphisises the importance of what?
childhood experiences
