Approaches To Psychology

Question 1

Evaluation of Wundts contribution to society

Answer 1

:) one of the first people to argue that scientific methods could be used to study human thinking

:( Wundt found that introspection was unreliable as people’s reports on their experiences were too subjective.

Question 2

What are the key features of science?

Answer 2

Control- controlled conditioning in experimental methods

Objective- scientific knowledge and theories should be based on observable information and no on opinion.

Replicable- able to repeat the procedures

Empiricism- knowledge is gained through testing theories

Question 3

Advantages of scientific approach to psychology

Answer 3

Attempting to study human behaviour scientifically helps us to develop treatments.

Breaking complex processes down enable us to understand human behaviour better.

The scientific cycle means that our theories should be constantly developing and improving

Question 4

Disadvantages of scientific approach to psychology

Answer 4

Studying people in controlled conditions often means that we do no observe their natural behaviour which may limit the validity of psychological theories.

Most psychological process are not directly observable.

Question 5

Genotype

Answer 5

A genotype is an individual’s genetic make up. Eg eye colour

Question 6

Phenotype

Answer 6

The combination of someone’s genotype and the environment. For example, someone’s build is determined by their genes and nutrition.

Question 7

Why do psychologists study twins?

Answer 7

Twin studies provide psychologists with a natural experimental design.

Twins usually grow up in the same environment so we can assess whether something is due to genes. (Rules out environmental factors)

Question 8

Monozygotic

Answer 8

Identical twins

Question 9

Dizygotic

Answer 9

Non identical twins

Question 10

Evolution

Answer 10

All animals have evolved to be the way they are base of pressures to survive and reproduce.

Question 11

The learning approach (behaviourist)

Answer 11

The key assumption of the learning approach is that all behaviour is learned.
The approach assumes that we are born as a blank slate (tabula rasa) and our behaviour is a result of experiences.

Question 12

Pavlov

Answer 12

Classical conditioning was explained in the study of Pavlovs dogs.
The dogs learned to associate the sound of a bell with their food so after a while, they began to salivate just when they heard to sound of the bell

Question 13

Diagram of Pavlovs dogs experiment

Answer 13

Bell (NS) - no salivation
Food (UCS)- salivation

Bell (NS) + food (UCS) - salivation (UCR)

Bell (CS)- salivation (CR)

Question 14

Skinner

Answer 14

Skinner demonstrated operant conditioning

When the rat pressed the lever, they were rewarded with a pellet of food. (Positive reinforcement)

The floor was electrified as a punishment for an action that the rat did such as pressing the level when a red light was showing. Avoiding this electric shock by not pressing the level was negative reinforcement .

Question 15

Strengths of classical and operant conditioning

Answer 15

Scientific methods are used

Leads to practical applications such as using operant conditioning to train guide dogs or the use of rewards in schools

Question 16

Weaknesses of classical and operant conditioning

Answer 16

Much research is conducted on animals which is then generalised to humans. Humans have a much more complex brain than non him an animals.

Could be deemed deterministic as some people may be excused from crimes they have done because they are simply a product of their environment

Question 17

Social learning theory

Answer 17

The basic assumptions of the social learning theory are:
Behaviour is learned form the environment
Behaviour is leaned from observing others and the rewards and punishment that they receive.

Question 18

Bandura

Social learning theory

Answer 18

Participants aged 3-6 were shown adults playing in a room of toys. The children were either shown an adult playing aggressively with a bobo doll, an adult playing in a friendly way with a bobo doll or nothing.

Those who watched the aggressive model behaved aggressively where as the other 2 groups showed significantly less afresh job.

Boys produced more physical aggression than girls.

Question 19

Imitation

Answer 19

Used to describe when the individual copies a behaviour

Question 20

Identification

Answer 20

It helps if the individual identifies with the model. Eg similar age

Question 21

Modelling

Answer 21

The person who is being observed is the model

Question 22

Vicarious reinforcement

Answer 22

The term used to describe when the individual sees a model receive a reward or punishment

Question 23

The four factors which Bandura said led to social learning

Answer 23

Paying attention to the model
Being able to remember the action
Having the ability to remember the action
Being motivated to replicate the action

Question 24

Bandura and vicarious reinforcement

Answer 24

In a further replication of the bobo doll study, Bandura and Walters showed all children playing aggressively with the Bobo doll. However, the children were then shows one of three endings:

• model was rewarded for their aggressive behaviour
• model was punished for their aggressive behaviour
• no consequences

The results showed that the group who watched the model being rewarded were the most aggressive.

This supports the importance of motivation in social learning

Question 25

Strengths of social learning.

Answer 25

The approach can explain why certain behaviours sure imitated such as smoking.

The approach combines thought processes with behaviourist principles making it a holistic theory

Question 26

Weaknesses of the social learning theory

Answer 26

Bandura’s research was heavily artificial and can be caused of being prone to demand characteristics- the children imitated as they thought that was what was expected

Could be used to excuse people from their crimes.

Question 27

The cognitive approach

Answer 27

Assumes that
Thought processes should be studied scientifically in a lab
The mind works like a computer in that it has an input from our senses which it then process and produces and output or language or behaviour.

Question 28

Schema

Answer 28

Internal building blocks of knowledge formed through experience and help to understand the world p.

Question 29

What is the problem with trying to study internal mental processes

Answer 29

We can’t physically see then so we have to devise an operationalised experiment

Question 30

Cognitive neuroscience

Answer 30

Th scientific study of biological structures that underpin cognitive processes.

Question 31

Strengths of the cognitive appraise

Answer 31

Uses experimental methods

Some research has lead to treatment

Question 32

Weaknesses of the cognitive approach

Answer 32

The use of lab studies means the research often lacks ecological validity

The use of models overly simplifies complex human thoughts and behaviours

Question 33

Wundt

Answer 33

Wudt was described as the founding father of psychology as he set up the first ever psychology lab.

Wundt investigated mental processes by using a technique called introspection. Introspection involves trying to analyse how the mind works by asking people to thinking careful about how they do mental tasks.

Wundt was aiming to break our mental processes down into their component parts to find the structure of mental processes. This is structuralism.