Approaches In Psychology Flashcards
What was wundt’s definition of introspection?
💡lab where?
💡introspection
💡tested how?
💡led to what?
📍there’s quite literally nothing you cannot do, oloun ngbo xx
- Wundt established the first psychology lab in Germany in order to describe the nature of human consciousness in a controlled lab
- Introspection: this is the inward examination of one’s thoughts, emotions and sensations. The participants were to given the same standardized stimulus and asked to report the sensations associated with them.
- This led to identifying the structure of consciousness by breaking git up into the basic structures: thoughts, images and sensations.
How did psychology emerge as a science?
💡1990s: argues + discovery
💡1930s: focus + domination
💡1950s: focus + comp rev
💡1980s: focus + techniques
📍be mindful, its in there xx
- 19000s (early behaviorist rejected introspection): Watson argued that introspection was subjective as it is influenced by personal perspective. According to the behaviorist approach, scientific psychology should only study phenomena that can be observed and measured.
- 1930s (behaviorist scientific approach dominated psychology): the behaviorist focus in learning, and the use of careful controlled lab studies, would dominate psychology for 50 years
- 1950s (Cognitive approach studied mental process scientifically): following the computer revolution of the 1950s, the study of mental processes was seen as legitimate within psychology. Cognitive psychologist likened the mind to a computer and tested their predictions about memory and attention using experiments.
- 1980s (the biological approach introduced technological advances): biological psychologists have taken advantage of recent advances in technology, including brain activity, using scanning techniques such as fMRI ad EEG and advanced genetic research.
Can you evaluate Wundt’s theory of introspection?
💡Scientific
💡Subjective
📍consistency, consistency xx
- Scientific: he recorded the introspections in a controlled lab environment and also Standardized his procedures so tha all participants recieve the same information. This means his research can be considered as a forerunner of later scientific approach in psychology
- Subjective: his theory relied in reporting participants private mental processes. This makes it difficult to establish meaningful laws of behaviors. Therefore his early efforts would not meet the criteria of scientific enquiry
What are the key features of the behaviorist approach?
💡focus: introspection?
💡Classical conditioning + research
💡Operant conditioning + research + types of reinforcement
📍just be mindful xx
- Focus: only on observable behavior only meaning it is not concerned with mental processes
- Classical conditioning: Pavlov’s research suggesting that an unconditioned stimulus produces an unconditioned response and when a neutral stimulus (caregiver/mom) is associated with the unconditioned stimulus, a conditioned stimulus and conditioned response is produced.
- Operant conditioning: Skinner’s research suggesting that behavior is learned by reinforcement and consequences. His research involved a rat activating a liver and was rewarded with a food pellet. This means that a desirable consequence led to the behavior being repeated. There are three types of reinforcement: Positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement and punishment. Positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement increase the likelihood that a behavior will be repeated. Punishment decreases it.
Can you evaluate the behaviorist approach?
💡Scientific + Counter point
💡Real world application
💡Environmental determinism
📍be mindful, think before you click xx
- Scientific: focus well controlled research to measure behavior. This means the approach is rich in scientific credibility
Counterpoint: this approach may oversimplify learning and ignore other aspects like mental process - Real world application: the principles pf conditions can be applied to a broad range of real work behaviors like the token economy system and is successfully used in prison and psychiatric wards. This improves the value of the approach as it has widespread application
- environmental determinism: the approaches sees behavior as determined by past experiences and ignored the influence that free will may have on behavior. This ignores the influence of conscious decision-making ;recess
What are the key features of the social learning theory?
💡Key focus
💡Vicarious reinforcement
💡Meditational process: 4s+explain
💡Identification
📍there’s nothing you cannot do x
- Key focus: learning takes in a social context through observation and imitation.
- Vicarious reinforcement: learning through consequences of behavior. This means that behavior that is seen to be rewarded (reinforced) is more likely to be copied.
- Meditational processes: there are 4 processes involved
Attention: where behavior is noticed
Retention: where behavior is remembered
Motor reproduction: being able to do it
Motivation: the will to perform the behavior - Identification: people are more likely to imitate behavior of role models, they are usually similar to the observer, attractive and have high status.
What is the main research associated wiht the social learning theory?
💡Procedure
💡Findings
💡Conclusions
- Procedure: the children watched an adult behaving aggressively towards a bobo doll and anther not bing aggressive.
- Findings: When given the doll, the children who had seen aggression were aggressive towards the doll and vice versa.
- Conclusions: The bobo doll studies suggest that children are more likely to imitate acts if violence if that observe these in an adult role model.
Can you evaluate the social learning theory?
💡Cognitive behaviors
💡Lab studies
💡Real world application
- Cognitive factors: neither classical/operant conditions can offer a comprehensive account of human learning on theory own because cognitive factors are omitted. This shows that SLT provides a more complex explanation of human learning that the behaviorist approach by recognizing Meditational processes
- Lab studies: many of the ideas were developed through observation of children’s behaviors in lab setting and this raises question of demand characteristics. Thus the research may tell us little about how children actually learn aggression in every day life
- Real world Application: SLT can account for how children learn from other people around them and can explain how cultural Norms are transmitted. This increases the value of SLT as it can account for real world behavior
What are the key features of the cognitive approach?
💡Key focus
💡Role of inferences
💡Idea of schema
💡Theoretical models
💡Computer Models
- Key focus: in direct contrast to the behaviorist, the cognitive approach argue mental processes should be studied.
- Role of interference: mental processes cannot be observed directly so cognive psychologist study them indirectly by making interferences/ assumptions.
- Idea of schema: schema are packages of infrimarion developed through experience that act a s a mental framework for the interpretation of incoming information received by the cognitive framework.
- Theoretical models: this suggests that information flows through a sequence of stages i.e MSM.
- Computer models: refer to programmes that can be run in a computer to imitate the human mind
Can you evaluate the cognitive approach?
💡Scientific and objective methods
Counterpoint
💡Application
💡Machine reductionism
- Scientific and objective methods: they have employed controlled and rigorous methods of study in order to infer cognitive process. This means that the study of the mind has established a credible scientific basis
Counterpoint: the use of interference means it can occasionally be too abstract and theoretical. Therfore, research on cognitive process may lack external validity and not represent real everyday experiences. - Application: this approach is dominant in psychology today and has been applied to a wide range of context for instance; AI, Robots, treatment of depression and improving eye witness testimony. This supports the value of cognitive approach.
- Machine reductionism: although there are similarities between the operation of the human mind and computers, the computer analogy has been criticized for its accuracy. This suggests that machine reductionism may weaken the vanity of the cognitive approach.
What are the key features of the biological approach?
💡key focus
💡Neurochemistry: define+ example
💡genetic basis: define+ concord rates
💡genotype vs phenotype: define + eg
💡theory if evolution: define+ example
📍just take your time and be mindful ml xx
- Key focus: everything physiological is first biological and to understand human behavior, we must first understand biological process
- Neurochemistry: this refers to the action of chemicals in the brain (neurotransmitters). An imbalance of this may result in some mental disorders eg underproduction of serotonin in OCD
- Genetic Basis: argues that psychological characteristics (intelligence) are inherited. Concordance rates in twin studies are used to investigate this and a higher concordance rates among identical (MZ-100%) twins than non identical (DZ- about 50%) is evidence of this.
- Difference between genotype and phenotype: a person is their actual genetic makeup and phenotype it’s the way that gene is expressed through physical, behavioral and psychological characteristics. The expression of the genotype (phenotype) is influenced by the environment. For example: phenylketonuria(PKU) is a genetic disorder than can e prevented by a restricted diet. This suggest that it’s if human behavior depends in the interaction of nature and nurture
- Theory of evaluation: Darwin proposed the theory of natural selection. Any genetically determined behavior that enhances survival reproduction will be passed on. Such genes are described as adaptive as in attachment behaviors.
Can you evaluate the biological approach?
🙂 Real world application
Counterpoint
🙂Scientific methods
🙁Deterministic
- Real world application: the understanding of Neurochemistry and biological processes has led to the use of psychoactive drugs to treat serious mental disorders. For example, drugs that treat clinical depression increase level of secretion and reduce depressive symptoms. This means that people with depression are able to manage their conditions as a result of findings from the biological approach.
Counterpoint: however, antidepressants does not work for everyone. This challenges the value of the biological approach as it suggests that brain chemistry alone may not account for all cases of depression. - Scientific methods: in order to investigate the biological processes, the approach makes use if a range of precise and objective methods. These include scanning techniques like fMRI which are not open to bias. This means that the biological approach is based on objective and reliable data.
- Deterministic: this approach see human behavior as governed by internal, genetics causes over which we have no control. However, the way genotype is expressed is heavily influenced by the environment. This suggest that the biological view is too simplistic and ignores the mediating effects of the environment
What are the key features of the psychodynamic approach?
💡Key focus
💡The iceberg: name+define
💡Personality: name+define
💡Psychosexual stages: name+ fixation
💡Oedipus complex: define
💡Defense mechanism: name+ define
📍thick one but know you’re thicker xx
Key focus: behavior is influenced by our unconscious metal forces deep within the mind.
- The iceberg (the mind): Conscious: what we are aware of (tip of the iceberg)
Preconscious: thoughts we may become aware of through dreams and ‘slips of the tongue’ (Freudian slip).
Unconscious: a vast storehouse of biological drives and instincts that influence our behavior
- Structure of personality: I’d: primitive part that operated on the pleasure principle, demand and insist gratification.
Ego: works on the reality principle and is the mediator between id and superego
Superego: internalized sense of right and wrong, based on morality principle and punishes the ego through guilt.
- Psychosexual stages: oral- fixation on the mouth, anal - fixation of the anus, Phallic- fixation on the gential area, latency- earlier conflicts are repressed, gential (puberty) sexual desires beco conscious
- oedipus complex: found at the phallic stage in which little boys develop incestuous desires towards their mothers and murderous towards their fathers. Later boys identify with their father (forensics) and girls of similar age experience penis envy
- Defense mechanism: this is used by the ego to reduce anxiety it involves repression: forcing a memory of out of the conscious mind, Denial: refusing to acknowledge reality, displacement: transferring feeling to sub target
Can you evaluate the psychodynamic approach?
🙂Real life application
Counterpoint
🙂Explanatory power
🙁Untestable Concepts
- Real life application: freud’s psychoanalysis was established the introduction of psychotherapy to the treatment of mental disorders. Therefore psychoanalysis is the forerunner to many modern day “talking therapy” eg counseling
Counterpoint: although psychoanalyis is claimed successful for clients with mild neuroses, it is deemed in appropriate and somewhat harmful for serious mental disorders (such as schizophrenia). Therefore, Freudian therapy and theory may not apply to mental disorders where client has lost touch of reality. - Explanatory power: Freud’s theory is controversial but it has had a huge influence of contemporary thoughts and has been used to explain a wide range of behaviors. This suggest that overall, the psychodynamic approach has has a positive influence on psychology and modern day thinking.
- Untestable concepts: popper argued that the psychodynamic approach does not meet the scientific criterion of falsification in the sense that it cannot be disproved. Many of the concepts in the psychodynamic approach occur at an unconscious level, making them difficultly to test. This means the approach lacks scientific rigor and is pseudoscience rather than real science.
What are the key features of the humanistic approach?
💡key focus
💡Hierarchy + define
💡The self vs ideal self
💡Aim of therapy
💡Counseling aims
📍tug it out ml xx
- Key focus: suggest that human behavior is affected by external and internal influences but self determining (have free will)
- Hierarchy of needs: there are four levels (physiological needs, safety and security love and belongingness and self esteem) of this before self actualization is achieved. Self actualization refers to the innate tendency that each of us has to want to achieve our full potential and become the best we can possibly be.
- Focus on self: the self refer the idea and values that characterize “me’ and ‘i” and includes the perception of “what i am” and “what i can do”
- The aim of therapy: this is to reach congruence. This means that personal growth requires and individuals conepcts of self to be congruent with their ideal self (the person they want to be).
- Counseling: the approach emphasizes “client -centered therapy” and they should provide three things: Genuineness, Empathy and unconditional positive regard.
Ca you evaluate the humanistic approach?
🙂 Anti reductionist
Counterpoint
🙂 Positivity
🙁Cultural bias
📍there’s literally nothing you cannot do ml xx
- Anti reductionist: this approach seeks to reject any attempt to break any behavior and experience into smaller components. They advocate holism by considering the whole person. This means that that approach may have more validity than its alternative by considering meaningful behavior within real world context
Counterpoint: however humanists has relatively few concepts that can be reduced to single variables. This man’s that the approach in general is short on empirical evidence to support its claim. - Postive one: the approach has been praised for promoting a orisive image of the Guam condition. Therfore the humanistic approach offers a refreshing and optimistic alternative.
- Cultural bias: many of its ideas would be more associated with individualist cultured such as the United States. Collectivist cultures may not easily identify with the ideas and values of the humanistic approach. Therfore it is possible that the approach does not apply universally and is a product oft the cultural context within which it was developed.
