Approaches in Psychology - Paper 2 Flashcards
Behaviourist approach
A way of explaining behaviour in terms of what is observable and in terms of learning
Classic Conditioning
Learning by association, a natural stimulus beings to elicit a conditioned response
A study which shows classsic conditioning
Pavlov’s dogs
What happened in the Pavlov dogs study
Food made a dog salivate
Bell created no response
Bell + food made the dog salivate
bell on its own made the dog salivate
What is an unconditioned stimulus?
a normal item which makes a response
what is an unconditioned response?
a natural response to a item
what is a neutral stimulus
a item which has no response
what is a conditioned stimulus
a item which has created response through conditioning
what is a conditioned response
a response which has been created through conditioning
Operant conditioning
a form of learning in which its behaviour is created from consequences
Positive Reinforcement
recieving a reward when a certain behaviour is performed. Eg. praise from a teacher
Negative reinforcement
occurs when a person avoids something unpleasant, and the outcome is positive. eg. handing in an essay to not get told of from a teacher
Punishment
An unpleasant consquence of behaviour. Eg. being shouted at
reinforcement
a consquence of a behaviour that increases the likelihood of that behaviour being repeated
The skinner box
Researcher skinner conducted an experiment with rats. Everytime the rat activated a lever in the box it was rewarded with food.
What kind of reinforcement is the skinner box
positive reinforcement
Ethical probelms with the Skinner box
Animals were in a cramped conditions and underfed to make it easier to repeat the experiment
Did not consent to take part
Strength of the behaviorist approach
based on well controlled research. Behaviorists focus on the measurement of observable behavior’s.
Counterpoints of the behaviorist approach
May of oversimplified the learning approach
What is environmental determinism - Biological Approach
One limitation is that the approach is that it sees as all behaviour is conditioned by past conditioning experiences. Ignores the idea of free will
Social learning theory
A way of explaining behaviour that includes both direct and indirect reinforcement. Such as observation and imitation
Imitation
Copying the behaviour of others
Identification
See ourselves as similar (background, age and gender) You are more likely to imitate someone you see as similar
Modelling
Observer perspective modelling is imitating the behaviour of a role model. Modelling is the precise demonstration if a specific behaviour.
Vicarious reinforcement
Reinforcement which is not directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced by a behaviour
Mediational processes
cognitive factors that influence learning and come between stimulus and response
what are the 4 mediational processes
Attention
Retention
Motor production
Motivation
- Attention - Meditational Processes
noticing the behaviours and consequences
- retention
remembering the behaviour and consequences
- motor reproduction
being able to carry out the behaviour
- motivation
wanting to imitate the behaviour (depending on if the behaviour was reinforced or not)
What was the aim of Bandura bobo doll study
If social behaviours can be acquired by observation and imitation in children.
Procedure of the Bandura bobo doll study
- Lab experiment
- Independent’s variable is the type of model
- aggressive model attacks the bobo doll to 24 children (12 girls, 12 boys)
- Doll is thrown into the
air and hit
- Doll is thrown into the
- non aggressive model plays with the toys nicely to 24 children
- control group with no model
Findings of the Bandura bobo doll study
- Children with the aggressive model were aggressive to the bobo doll.
- Children with the non-aggressive model played with similar toys the model played with
- Boys were more psyscially aggressive.
Conclusion from the Bandura bobo doll study
- Children are able to learn social behaviours such as aggression from observation learnt from watching the behaviour of another person
Criticisms of the Bandura bobo doll study
- Low ecological validity
- Bobo doll is bot human so this may not reflect how the treat a human
Positives of the Bandura bobo doll study
Experiment can be replicated
No gender bias
Social learning theory in real life
The restrictions of cigarette’s and alcohol adverts.
Role of the media on weight loss etc.
Evaluation of the SLT
Takes thought processes into account so is less simplistic than the behaviorist approach.
Cognitive approach
: The cognitive approach focuses on studying internal mental processes, such as thoughts, perceptions, and attention, which affect behavior
What are internal mental processes, and how do cognitive psychologists study them
efer to private operations of the mind, such as perception and attention, that mediate between stimulus and response. Cognitive psychologists study these processes indirectly by making inferences about what is happening inside people’s minds based on their observable behavior.
schema + an example
Schema are mental frameworks of beliefs and expectations developed through experience, influencing cognitive processing. For example, a schema for a chair might include the idea of something with legs that you can sit on. Schema act as a mental shortcut, allowing quick processing of information, but they may also lead to perceptual errors.
How do babies develop schema,
Babies are born with simple motor schema for innate behaviors, and as they grow older, their schema become more detailed and sophisticated.
Adults Schema
. Adults develop mental representations for a wide range of concepts, from psychology to everyday situations like going to a restaurant.
Inference
Inference is the process whereby cognitive psychologists create assumptions about the way mental processes operate based on observed behavior.
Theoretical Models
he information processing approach, to abstractly understand the flow of information through the cognitive system in stages.
Computer models
involve programming a computer to mimic human processes. Both types of models help cognitive psychologists gain insights into internal mental processes.
cognitive neuroscience
study of biological structures underlying cognitive processes. It explores the relationship between brain structures and mental processes,
1860 Paul Brocas
identified that an area in the frontal lobe that was damaged and it could permanently impair speech production.
brain fingerprinting
analyzing brain wave patterns and has potential applications, such as determining the truthfulness of eyewitnesses in court.
strengths of the cognitive approach
highly controlled and rigorous study designs.
produces reliable and objective data
counterpoints to the cognitive approach
relies on interference rather than observation of behaviours.
Can be critised as being too abstract it theortical
Cognitive approach real world application
AI
Treatment of deprerssion
reliability of eye witness testimony
machine reductionism,
imitation of the cognitive approach, as it draws parallels between the human mind and the operations of a ‘thinking machine,’ like a computer
biological approach
emphasizes the influence of physical processes in the body, including genetic inheritance and neural function, on behavior.
Genes
components of chromosomes made up of DNA.
Neurochemistry
Action of chemicals in the brain that regulate psychological functioning.
Relationship between biology and psychology (biological approach)
suggests that everything psychological has a biological basis. To understand human behavior fully, it’s essential to examine biological structures and processes within the body.
How does the biological approach view the mind in relation to the brain?
the mind resides in the brain. Thoughts, feelings, and behavior are seen to have a physical basis in the brain, unlike approaches such as cognitive psychology that consider mental processes as separate from the physical brain.
difference between genotype and phenotype?
refers to a person’s actual genetic makeup,
phenotype - how genes are expressed through physical, behavioral, and psychological characteristics.
does evolution play a role in the biological approach to behavior
Charles darwin theory of evolution
Genetically determined behaviors that enhance an individual’s survival and reproduction continue in future generations through natural selection.
nature vs. nurture
efers to the interaction between inherited factors (nature, like genetics) and environmental influences (nurture). T
Imbalance of neurochemicals can create what? and give examples
Mental health disorders
such as low serotonin levels in OCD or overproduction of dopamine in schizophrenia,
counterpoint challenges the value of the biological approach in treating mental disorders
antidepressant drugs - don’t always work
- suggesting that brain chemistry alone may not account for all cases of depression.
strength of the biological approach
. Precise and highly objective methods, including scanning techniques like fMRIs and EEGs,
- allow accurate measurement
-objective
- reliable data.
biological approach + determinism?
Sees human behavior as governed by internal, genetic causes over which individuals have no control.
- view overlooks the influence of the environment on the expression of genetic traits (phenotype)
biological approach use twin studies to investigate the genetic basis of behavior?
OCD test - useing Monozygotic towns (share 100% of the genes) against dizgotic
Results of the twin study
high rates in monozygotic twins (47%) compared to dizygotic twins (17%), suggesting a genetic basis for the disorder.
The Psychodynamic Approach
That we are influenced by the Unconcious Mind and early childhood causes behaviour
Who created The Psychodynamic Approach?
Sigmund Freud
Using the Psychodynamic Approach what three elements is our personality made up of?
Id, ego and superego
What is Id
- Based on the Pleasure Principle
- Present From Birth
- Wants Everything and has no morals
What is Ego
- Conscious Self
- Develops during early childhood (2 years)
- Tries to balance the demands od the Id and Super ego
- Operates on the reality Principle
What is Super Ego
- It is our Conscience
- Opposite to the ID
- Operates on the Morality Principle
- Develops in later Childhood (5 years old)
Unconscious
Thoughts, Memories and Feelings we are unaware of
Conscious
Part of the Mind that we are aware of, everyday thoughts and feelings
What is a ego defense Mechanism
Aims to protect our conscious self or the unconscious conflict between the Id and superego
What happens if the Ego Defense Mechanism fails
Anxiety caused by the conflict could be shown as clinical disoarders (phobias, anxiety)
Ego Defense Mechanism - Repression
Pushing unwanted memories, emotions into the unconscious mind
Ego Defense Mechanism - Denial
Refusing to accept the truth
Ego Defense Mechanism - Displacement
A feeling expressed towards a substitute rather than a initial target because it is unacceptable to have that feeling towards the initial target. (such as punching or kicking a table instead of the person)
What is a Psychosexual Stage?
Five developmental stages that all children go through. Each stage there is a different conflict, outcome of which determines each future conflict
What are the five stages of Psychosexual Stage?
Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency, Genital
Psychosexual Stage - Oral stage
- 0-1 years
- Mouth is the focus of pleasure
- Breast feeding, sucking.
Psychosexual Stage - Oral stage fixtation
Lead to smoking, Overeating, Drinking excessively or being needy
Psychosexual Stage - Anal stage
- 1 to 3 years
- Defecation is main area of pleasure
Psychosexual Stage - Anal Stage fixation
- Obsession with Hygiene (Possibly OCD)
Psychosexual Stage - Phallic Stage
- 3-5 years
- Pleasure comes from genital stimulation
- Realises that boys and girls have different parts
Psychosexual Stage - Phallic Stage Fixation
- Narcissim
Psychosexual Stage - Phallic Stage two types of Complex
- Oedipus Complex
- Electra Complex
Oedipus Complex
- Boy focusses on mother being primary love object
- Sees father as rival
- Boy feels fear that father will castra him as punishment
- Boy represses feelings about mother and identifies with father
- Develops super ego
Electra Complex
- Girls also desire their mother
- Develop penis envy
- Develops affection for father as penis is primary love object
- Hostile towards mother sees as love rival
- Resolves feelings with mother replaces desire for father w desire for baby
- Develops super ego
Psychosexual Stage - Latency Stage
- 6 years old to puberty
- ## Calm period before puberty
Psychosexual Stage - Genital stage
- Puberty into Adulthood
- Focus on Genitals but not as much as Phallic stage
- Attempts to develop healthy adult relations
Psychosexual Stage - Genital stage fixation
- Difficulty forming adult relationships
Little Hans (1909) - Who was it
- 5 year old boy
- Phobia of horses
- Father was a bespectacled man with a mustache
- Freud gave him a list of questions
Little Hans 1909 - What was found out
- Hans had a active interest in his penisi (phallic stage)
- Mother told him if he kept touching the doctor would cut it off (castration anxiety)
- Scared horses would bit him (chop)
- Link to horses and father
- Had a dream that he had children with his mother (Oedipus theory)
Evaluation of the Psychodynamic Approach
- Influential
- Largely based on studies of middle class
- Impossible to test
- Very deterministic
- Practical application - helped number patientsd
Humanistic Approach
An approach to emphasise the importance of subjective experiences on each person capacity for self- determination
Free Will
humans can make choices and are not determined by internal biological or external forces
Self Actualisation
We have an innate drive to achieve our full potential. Once we have reached this it is self actualisation
Personal Growth
We are constantly developing and changing to be fulfilled
How many selves did Rogers say we have?
3 selves
What are the three selves
The self concept, the ideal self, the real self
The self concept - Rogers
How you see yourself
The ideal self - Rogers
The self you want to be
The real self - rogers
The self you actually are (difficult to determine as the humanistic approach in subjective)=
Congruence
The ideal self needs to be the same as the self concept and real self for self- actualisation to occur
Difficult to achieve
What is maslows Heirachy of Needs
5 types of needs we must fulfil in order to achieve self actualisation
We all have the drive to achieve self actualisation
Always working through these events
Cannot move onto a further stage until you filled the current types of needs
Self Actualisation in not permanent
What are the Maslow hierarchy of needs
Physiological, Safety, love/belonging, esteem, self actualisation
First stage of Maslow hierarchy of needs and what is it?
Physiological - They are the most essential things a person needs to survive. They include the need for shelter, water, food, warmth, rest, and health.
Second Stage of Maslow hierarchy of needs
Safety -Safety, or security needs, relate to a person’s need to feel safe and secure in their life and surroundings.
Third Stage of Maslow hierarchy of needs
Love and Belonging- Humans are social creatures that crave interaction with others. This level of the hierarchy outlines the need for friendship, intimacy, family, and love.
Fourth Stage of Maslow hierarchy of needs
Esteem needs are related to a person’s need to gain recognition, status, and feel respected. Once someone has fulfilled their love and belonging needs, they seek to fulfill their esteem needs.
Fifth stage of Maslow Hierarchy of Needs
Self Actualisation
Conditions of worth
To achieve self actualisation Must experience unconditional positive regard - someone must love us conditionally
Who developed Counselling Psychology
Roger’s
What is counselling psychology
Client - centred therapy
Discovers their own solutions in a supportive and non judgemental environment
Therapist must make the client feel accepted
Who created psychology
Wundt
What year did Wundt publish the first book
1873/
What was Wundt first book called
Principles of Physiological psychology
What two subjects did Wundt separate
Psychology from philosophy
Introspection
Reflecting on your own processes - Participants were asked to reflect on their own cognitive processes to describe them.
Weaknesses of Introspection
Not as scientific as it was subjective. Participants were recalling their own conscious thoughts meaning they results vary from participant to participant
Is behaviourist approach nature or nurture?
Nurture - We were born with a Blank Slate
Is SLT approach nature or nurture?
Nurture - We are born with a blank slate (get from observation and role models)
Is Biological approach nature or nurture?
Nature - genotype
So nurture - phenotype
Is cognitve approach nature or nurture?
Nature - Processing Abilities
Nurtures - Schemas come from previous experience
Is psychodynamic approach nature or nurture?
Nature - ID innate drive
Nurture - stages (parents)
Is Humanistic approach nature or nurture?
Nurture - heirachy
Nature - Innate drive to achieve self actualisation
Is the Behaviourist approach determinism or free Will?
Determinist - Conditioning
Is the Social learning theory approach determinism or free Will?
Determinist - observation
Free Will - Role models
Is the Cognitive approach determinism or free Will?
Determinist - Schemas exp
Free Will - Change thoughts
Is the humanistic approach determinism or free Will?
Free I’ll
Is the psychodynamic approach determinism or free Will?
Determinist- Unconscious
Is the Behaviourist approach Reductionist / Holism
Reductionist - Stimulus response
Is the Social Learning Theory approach Reductionist / Holism
Reductionist- Attention, retention, motor reproduction and motivation
Holistic - Cognitive
Is the biological approach Reductionist / Holism
Reductionist- physiological
Is the cognitive approach Reductionist / Holism
Reductionist- input processing output (machine reductionism
Idiographic
Approach that believes in individuality (case study)
Nomothetic
Approach that believes everyone is the same
