Approaches To Psychology Flashcards
Evaluation of Wundts contribution to society
:) 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.
What are the key features of science?
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
Advantages of scientific approach to psychology
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
Disadvantages of scientific approach to psychology
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.
Genotype
A genotype is an individual’s genetic make up. Eg eye colour
Phenotype
The combination of someone’s genotype and the environment. For example, someone’s build is determined by their genes and nutrition.
Why do psychologists study twins?
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)
Monozygotic
Identical twins
Dizygotic
Non identical twins
Evolution
All animals have evolved to be the way they are base of pressures to survive and reproduce.
The learning approach (behaviourist)
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.
Pavlov
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
Diagram of Pavlovs dogs experiment
Bell (NS) - no salivation
Food (UCS)- salivation
Bell (NS) + food (UCS) - salivation (UCR)
Bell (CS)- salivation (CR)
Skinner
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 .
Strengths of classical and operant conditioning
Scientific methods are used
Leads to practical applications such as using operant conditioning to train guide dogs or the use of rewards in schools
Weaknesses of classical and operant conditioning
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
Social learning theory
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.
Bandura
Social learning theory
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.
Imitation
Used to describe when the individual copies a behaviour
Identification
It helps if the individual identifies with the model. Eg similar age
Modelling
The person who is being observed is the model
Vicarious reinforcement
The term used to describe when the individual sees a model receive a reward or punishment
The four factors which Bandura said led to social learning
Paying attention to the model
Being able to remember the action
Having the ability to remember the action
Being motivated to replicate the action
Bandura and vicarious reinforcement
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
Strengths of social learning.
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
Weaknesses of the social learning theory
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.
The cognitive approach
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.
Schema
Internal building blocks of knowledge formed through experience and help to understand the world p.
What is the problem with trying to study internal mental processes
We can’t physically see then so we have to devise an operationalised experiment
Cognitive neuroscience
Th scientific study of biological structures that underpin cognitive processes.
Strengths of the cognitive appraise
Uses experimental methods
Some research has lead to treatment
Weaknesses of the cognitive approach
The use of lab studies means the research often lacks ecological validity
The use of models overly simplifies complex human thoughts and behaviours
Wundt
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.
