Approaches In Psychology Flashcards
Introspection
The process by which a person gains knowledge about his or her own mental and emotional states as a result of the examination or observation of their conscious thoughts or feelings
Reductionism
Big things broken down to small things
Empiricism
The belief that all knowledge is derived from sensory experience it is generally characterised by the use of the scientific method in psychology
Scientific method
Refers to the use of investigative methods that are objective systematic and replicable and the formulation,testing and modification of hypothesis based on these methods
Behaviourists
People who believe human behaviour can be explained in terms of conditioning without the need to consider thoughts or feelings
Classical conditioning
When a neutral stimulus is constantly pair with a unconditioned stimulus so that it eventually takes on the properties of this stimulus and is able to produce a conditioned response
Operant conditioning
Learning through reinforcement or punishment if a behaviour is followed by a desirable consequence the behaviour is more likely to happen again
Reinforcement
Anything that strengthens a response and increases that likelihood it will occur again
Punishment
Involves the application of an unpleasant consequence following a behaviour is less likely to occur again in the future
Social learning theory
Learning through observing others and imitating behaviours that are rewarded
Imitation
The action of using someone or something as a model and copying their behaviour
Identification
A form of influence where an individual adopts an attitude or behaviour because they want to be associated with a particular group
Vicarious reinforcement
Learning that is not a result of direct reinforcement of behaviour but through observing something else being reinforced for that behaviour
Mediation processes
Refer to the internal mental processes that exist between environmental stimuli and the responses made by an individual to those stimuli
Cognitive
Relates to the mental processes such as perception memory and reasoning
Inference
Reaching a logical conclusion on the basis is of evidence and reasoning
Schema
A cognitive framework that helps to organise and interpret information in the brain schemas help an individual to make sense of new information
Theoretical model
In Cognitive psychology models are simplified usually pictorial representations of a particular mental process based on current resurch evidence
Computer model
Refers to the process of using computer analogies as representation of human cognition
Biological approach
Views humans as biological organisms and so provides biological explanations for all aspects of psychological functioning
Neurochemistry
Study of chemical and neural processes associated with the nervous system
Evolution
Refers to the change over successive generations of genetic makeup of particular populations the central propositions of an evolutionary perspective is that genotype of a population is changeable rather than fixed and that this change is likely to caused by natural selection
Gene
A part of the chromosome of an organism that carries information as DNA
Genotype
The genetic makeup of an individual the genotype is a collection of inherited genetic material that passed from generation to generation
