Approaches in psychology Flashcards
What is introspection
The first systematic experimental attempt to study the mind by breaking up conscious awareness into basic structures of thoughts, images and sensations
Who was the first ever psychologist
Wilhelm Wundt
What year was introspection
1879
How did Wundt study the mind
He used structuralism and standardised procedures where he attempted to analyse human consciousness through observation
What are the strengths of introspection
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
What are the limitations of introspection
The data is subjective because participants were self recording their mental processes
What are the assumptions of the behaviourist approach
-Studying behaviour that can be observed and measured
-reject introspection
-rely on lab studies
-not concerned with the mental processes of the mind
What is classical conditioning
When someone associates a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus in order to create a conditioned response
What is operant conditioning
Using punishment and positive/negative reinforcement to increase or decrease the likelihood of behaviour
What are the strengths of the behaviourist approach
-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.
What are the limitations of the behaviourist approach
- 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
What are the assumptions of the social learning theory
-agreed with behaviourists
-people learn behaviour through observation and imitation
- people learn behaviour both directly (operant and classical conditioning) and indirectly
What is vicarious reinforcement
Reinforcement not directly experienced but occurs through observing someone being reinforced
What is mediational processes
Cognitive factors that influence learning and come between stimulus and response
What are the four mediational processes
- Attention
- Retention
- Motor Reproduction
- Motivation
What is identification
When an observer associates themselves with a role model and wants to be like the role model
What research can be used to show SLT
Bandura et. al (1961) with the Bobo doll
What are the strengths of SLT
- it recognises cognitive factors e.g. mediational processes
-it has real world application with how children learn behaviours
What are the limitations of SLT
-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
What are the assumptions of the cognitive approach
-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
What is a schema
A mental framework that uses previous experiences and apply it to new experiences in order to navigate it
What are theoretical and computer models
Models used by cognitive psychologists to understand internal mental processes
What is cognitive neuroscience
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
What are the strengths of the cognitive approach
-It uses objective scientific methods
-it has practical application in the fields of AI and robotics (‘thinking machine’)
What are the limitations of the cognitive approach
-it relies on inference
-it is based on machine reductionism (ignores human emotion)
What is cognitive neuroscience
It is the study of the influence of brain structures on mental processes using brain mapping and brain scans
What are the assumptions of the biological approach
-everything is biological
-all thoughts, feelings and behaviour ultimately come from a physical basis aka the brain.
What is the biological approaches basis’ of behaviour
Neurochemistry and genetics
What is neurochemistry
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
What is the genetic basis for behaviour in the biological approach
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)
What is a genotype and phenotype
Genotype is a persons actual genetic makeup whereas a phenotype is the way genes are expressed through physical, behavioural and psychological characteristics.
What are the strengths of the biological approach
- It has real world application in developing useful drugs due to new knowledge on neurochemistry
-it uses scientific methods of investigation, it is objective
What are the limitations of the biological approach
- It is determinist and rules out the environmental effects
What are the assumptions of the psychodynamic approach
-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
What is the structure of personality according to the psychodynamic approach and what principles do they work on
The id works on the pleasure principle
The Superego works on the moral principle
The ego works on the reality principle
What are defense mechanisms
Ways that the ego prevents a person from temporary threats or traumas. However they can distort reality and are a poor long term solution.
What are the 5 psychosexual stages and when do they happen
Oral; 0-1 years old
Anal; 1-3 years old
Phallic; 3-6 years old
Latency; 7-13 years old
Genital; 13+ years old
What do they psychosexual stages mean
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
What are the three defense mechanisms
Repression, Denial, Displacement
What are the focus areas of the psychosexual stages
Oral- mouth
Anal- anus
Phallic- genital areas
Latency- the libido/sexual energy
Genital- sexual desires
What behaviour comes from unresolved conflict in the oral stage
Smoking, nail biting, sarcasm, critical
What behaviour comes from unresolved conflict in the anal stage
Anal retentiveness- perfectionist or obsessive
Anal expulsive- thoughtless or messy
What behaviour comes from unresolved conflict in the phallic stage
Phallic personality- narcissistic and reckless
What behaviour comes from unresolved conflict from the latency stage
Difficulty forming healthy relationships or expressing emotions
What behaviour comes from unresolved conflict in the genital stage
Difficulty forming heterosexual relationships
What is the little Hans case
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
What are the Oedipus and Electra complexes
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.
What are the strengths of the psychodynamic approach
- 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
What are the limitations of the psychodynamic approach
-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.
What are the assumptions of the humanistic approach
- 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
