Approaches P2 Flashcards
What are all the types of approaches we need to know?
- Learning theory: behaviourism and social learning theory.
- Cognitive approach.
- Biological approach.
- Psychodynamic approach.
- Humanistic approach.
What are the assumptions of the learning approach: behaviourism.
- All behaviours are learnt from our environment.
- Focus on observable behaviour.
- both humans and animals learn the same way, so they carry out experiments on animals.
- psychology should be scientific and objective - use laboratory experiments to achieve this.
Learning approach - behaviourism. Explain the theory of classical conditioning + experiment.
Classical conditioning is learning through association and was first demonstrated by Pavlov. BEFORE CONDITIONING: Food (UCS) = salvation(UCR) DURING CONDITIONING: Bell + food(UCS) = salvation (UCR) AFTER CONDITIONING: Bell (CS) = salvation (CR)
Learning approach - behaviourism. Explain the theory of operant conditioning.
Skinner argued that learning is an active process; consequences will follow our behaviour. If the consequences are pleasant then we repeat the behaviour.
- POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT - receiving a reward.
- NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT - occurs when performing an action to stop something unpleasant happening.
- PUNISHMENT - this is an unpleasant consequence.
Learning approach - behaviourism. Explain the experiment of classical conditioning.
The whole rat in the Skinner box thingy.
POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT - every time the rat activated a certain lever he got a food pellet. After a few goes the rat went straight to the lever.
NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT - the rat was placed in the box where the floor was electric. After a while they found the lever and stopped the electric shock.
Evaluation of the learning approach: behaviourism.
+ has increased our understanding of the cause of phobias and attachment.
+ also helped therapies - SD and token economy.
+ ‘little albert’ by Watson and Rayner - phobias can be learnt through cc.
– experiments done on animals - we are different and thus the results cannot be generalised to humans.
– low ecological validity due to the lab experiments, however + high control of extraneous variables, replicable.
– reductionist.
– neglects free will as it says our behaviour is the result of previous conditioning.
Learning approach: social learning theory. What is it?
Bandura proposed that we learn through observation and imitation of others behaviour. Also focuses on the mental processes involved in learning.
Explain the role of mediational processes in learning.
ATTENTION: the individual needs to pay attention to the behaviour and its consequences.
RETENTION: storing the observed behaviour in LTM as to remember the behaviour to imitate later.
MOTIVATION - individuals must expect to receive the same positive reinforcements (vicarious reinforcement) for imitating the observed behaviour of the model.
ASSESSMENT OF OWN ABILITY - the individual must be able to reproduce the observed behaviour eg have the ability and skills.
Bandura and his bobo doll studies. Explain the finding.
1st one:
-lab experiment
- children aged 3-6 either saw model hitting doll/ model non-agressive or not shown a model.
- children who observed aggressive model were way more aggressive and imitated the aggressive acts.
- this supports SLT as children imitate behaviour of a role model even when agressive.
2nd one:
- lab experiment.
- saw an aggressive model and then the consequences.
- the model was either praised/ punished or there was no consequences.
- group one where he was praised, the children imitated behaviour.
- shows vicarious reinforcement.
Evaluation of SLT.
+ supported by the works of bandura.
- these were lab experiments so the tasks did not reflect everyday life.
- different environment so it cannot be generalised to everyday life.
- does not explain why boys were more aggressive than girls. It is therefore reductionist as it does not consider the bio approach and how testosterone is involved.
The cognitive approach
- assumptions.
*Assumes that the scientific and objective study of internal mental processes is possible.
However, as these private processes cannot be directly observed, cognitive
psychologists formulate conclusions of their workings, through making inferences, based
upon observable behaviours.
• Therefore, much of the work of cognitive psychologists is the indirect measurement of cognition.
• Cognitive psychologists use computer models and theoretical models to better
understand and model cognitive processes, through the use of analogies.
Cognitive approach: computer model.
The computer analogy is a key idea of the cognitive approach.
They compare a brain to a computer and how processes are a set of inputs and outputs. An example would be the WMM.
Cognitive approach. What is a schema?
*Schemas are ‘packages’ of ideas and knowledge about a certain person, place, object or time. They are generated through experience, becoming more sophisticated through time.
• They also act as mental frameworks, providing us with ‘mental shortcuts’ so we can process large volumes of data quickly and efficiently, thus avoiding sensory overload.
