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Psychology > Approaches in psychology > Flashcards

Approaches in psychology Flashcards

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1
Q

What is introspection

A

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

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2
Q

Who was the first ever psychologist

A

Wilhelm Wundt

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3
Q

What year was introspection

A

1879

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4
Q

How did Wundt study the mind

A

He used structuralism and standardised procedures where he attempted to analyse human consciousness through observation

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5
Q

What are the strengths of introspection

A

His methods were scientific meaning they were in and controlled and systematic environments limiting extraneous variables and all the participants were given the same conditions and information

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6
Q

What are the limitations of introspection

A

The data is subjective because participants were self recording their mental processes

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7
Q

What are the assumptions of the behaviourist approach

A

-Studying behaviour that can be observed and measured
-reject introspection
-rely on lab studies
-not concerned with the mental processes of the mind

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8
Q

What is classical conditioning

A

When someone associates a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus in order to create a conditioned response

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9
Q

What is operant conditioning

A

Using punishment and positive/negative reinforcement to increase or decrease the likelihood of behaviour

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10
Q

What are the strengths of the behaviourist approach

A

-Based on well controlled research which means it has scientific credibility
-it has real world application such as the token economy systems in prisons and psychiatric wards that reward good behaviour and phobia treatment.

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11
Q

What are the limitations of the behaviourist approach

A
  • it sees all behaviour as conditioned by past experiences which ignores the influence free will has on behaviour aka ignores conscious decision making processes
    -behaviourists may have oversimplified the learning process by ignoring human thought
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12
Q

What are the assumptions of the social learning theory

A

-agreed with behaviourists
-people learn behaviour through observation and imitation
- people learn behaviour both directly (operant and classical conditioning) and indirectly

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13
Q

What is vicarious reinforcement

A

Reinforcement not directly experienced but occurs through observing someone being reinforced

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14
Q

What is mediational processes

A

Cognitive factors that influence learning and come between stimulus and response

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15
Q

What are the four mediational processes

A
  1. Attention
  2. Retention
  3. Motor Reproduction
  4. Motivation
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16
Q

What is identification

A

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

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17
Q

What research can be used to show SLT

A

Bandura et. al (1961) with the Bobo doll

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18
Q

What are the strengths of SLT

A
  • it recognises cognitive factors e.g. mediational processes
    -it has real world application with how children learn behaviours
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19
Q

What are the limitations of SLT

A

-it has been criticised for making too little reference to biological factors
-the evidence gained through Banduras research may have been influenced by demand characteristics

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20
Q

What are the assumptions of the cognitive approach

A

-internal mental processes can and should be studied
-direct contrast to the behaviourist approach
-investigate “neglected” areas of psychology by assessing memory, perception and thinking
-studying them indirectly and making inferences based on behaviour

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21
Q

What is a schema

A

A mental framework that uses previous experiences and apply it to new experiences in order to navigate it

22
Q

What are theoretical and computer models

A

Models used by cognitive psychologists to understand internal mental processes

23
Q

What is cognitive neuroscience

A

The scientific study of the influence of brain structures on mental processes. They use brain mapping and brain scans to connect mental disorders to problems in the brain e.g. OCD affects the parahippocampal gyrus which can be seen in a brain scan

24
Q

What are the strengths of the cognitive approach

A

-It uses objective scientific methods
-it has practical application in the fields of AI and robotics (‘thinking machine’)

25
Q

What are the limitations of the cognitive approach

A

-it relies on inference
-it is based on machine reductionism (ignores human emotion)

26
Q
A
27
Q

What is cognitive neuroscience

A

It is the study of the influence of brain structures on mental processes using brain mapping and brain scans

28
Q

What are the assumptions of the biological approach

A

-everything is biological
-all thoughts, feelings and behaviour ultimately come from a physical basis aka the brain.

29
Q

What is the biological approaches basis’ of behaviour

A

Neurochemistry and genetics

30
Q

What is neurochemistry

A

The chemical transmissions in the brain that thought and behaviour mainly relies on called neurotransmitters. An imbalance of neurochemicals can create implications for mental disorders such as OCD or Schizophrenia

31
Q

What is the genetic basis for behaviour in the biological approach

A

Twin studies are used to investigate how biological a psychological characteristic is. By analysing concordance rates between twins. If a characteristic is 100% biological you would see a concordance rate of 100% in monozygotic twins and 50% in dizygotic twins (assuming environment was consistent)

32
Q

What is a genotype and phenotype

A

Genotype is a persons actual genetic makeup whereas a phenotype is the way genes are expressed through physical, behavioural and psychological characteristics.

33
Q

What are the strengths of the biological approach

A
  • It has real world application in developing useful drugs due to new knowledge on neurochemistry
    -it uses scientific methods of investigation, it is objective
34
Q

What are the limitations of the biological approach

A
  • It is determinist and rules out the environmental effects
35
Q

What are the assumptions of the psychodynamic approach

A

-our unconscious mind has a lot of control
-our conscious mind is the tip of the iceberg
-the unconscious holds our deepest desires and represses the bad memories

36
Q

What is the structure of personality according to the psychodynamic approach and what principles do they work on

A

The id works on the pleasure principle

The Superego works on the moral principle

The ego works on the reality principle

37
Q

What are defense mechanisms

A

Ways that the ego prevents a person from temporary threats or traumas. However they can distort reality and are a poor long term solution.

38
Q

What are the 5 psychosexual stages and when do they happen

A

Oral; 0-1 years old
Anal; 1-3 years old
Phallic; 3-6 years old
Latency; 7-13 years old
Genital; 13+ years old

39
Q

What do they psychosexual stages mean

A

Freud believed that if conflict happened in one of the stages and it was unresolved then it would cause a fixation where the child becomes stuck and can carry the behaviour into adulthood

40
Q

What are the three defense mechanisms

A

Repression, Denial, Displacement

41
Q

What are the focus areas of the psychosexual stages

A

Oral- mouth
Anal- anus
Phallic- genital areas
Latency- the libido/sexual energy
Genital- sexual desires

42
Q

What behaviour comes from unresolved conflict in the oral stage

A

Smoking, nail biting, sarcasm, critical

43
Q

What behaviour comes from unresolved conflict in the anal stage

A

Anal retentiveness- perfectionist or obsessive

Anal expulsive- thoughtless or messy

44
Q

What behaviour comes from unresolved conflict in the phallic stage

A

Phallic personality- narcissistic and reckless

45
Q

What behaviour comes from unresolved conflict from the latency stage

A

Difficulty forming healthy relationships or expressing emotions

46
Q

What behaviour comes from unresolved conflict in the genital stage

A

Difficulty forming heterosexual relationships

47
Q

What is the little Hans case

A

Hans was a little boy who developed a phobia of horses and Freud suggested that Hans suppressed his fear for his father by displacing it onto the horse and the horse was a symbolic representation of his real unconscious fear

48
Q

What are the Oedipus and Electra complexes

A

Oedipus complex is the theory that during the phallic stage little boys develop feelings towards their mothers and a murderous hatred for their father but repress their feelings in fear of their father.

The Electra complex is the idea that girls in the phallic stage get penis envy and develop feelings for their father and hatred for their mother.

49
Q

What are the strengths of the psychodynamic approach

A
  • it introduced the idea of psychotherapy, shows its value
  • it has ability to explain human behaviour despite its controversial nature, it connects experiences in childhood to adulthood
50
Q

What are the limitations of the psychodynamic approach

A

-psychoanalysis is considered inappropriate and potentially harmful to patients with serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, not fully applicable

-much of it is untestable, it cannot be empirically tested making it pseudoscientific.

51
Q

What are the assumptions of the humanistic approach

A
  • humans are self-determining and have free will
    -People can be affected by external and internal influences but are mainly affected by their own actions
  • each person is unique and research cannot be generalised
    -psychology is a subjective experience
52
Q
A

Psychology (7 decks)

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