areas Flashcards
cognitive
- The cognitive approach attempts to explain behaviour by focusing on our internal mental processes and how they influence our behaviour.
- Humans are like information processors; input, process, output. The output or behaviour is due to the mental processing which occurs.
- the computer analogy: our mind is like a computer
- loftus&palmer, grant
social
- assumes that the main influences on our behaviour is our surrounding environment and other people
- They look at our social context and those surrounding us and their effects on behaviour- the actual, implied or imagined presence of others
- milgram, bocchiaro
individual differences
The Individual differences approach believes that everyone is different and unique and that it is these differences that explain our behaviour. They look at biology, societyand our cognitions.
- freud, baron cohen
developmental
- The developmental approach focuses on the psychological changes that occur over a person’s lifetime
- early/ childhood experiences affect later development
- behaviour may be learned (nurture) or innate (nature/ biological)
- bandura, chaney
biological
- The biological approach attempts to explain human behaviour through an understanding of biological and neurological processes.
- This assumes that all behaviour has a biological basis so is down to our brain structure, hormones and genetics.
- sperry, casey
psychodynamic
- The psychodynamic perspective assumes that human behaviour comes from a part of the mind that individuals have no direct awareness of; the unconscious
-. It believes that childhood is a key period for development - personality is shaped by relationships, experience and conflict over time
- freud, baron cohen
behavourist
- The behaviourist perspective assumes that all behaviour is learnt and acquired through experience and interaction with the environment - social learning theory or operant/ classical conditioning
- psychology is a science and the only way to be objective is to observe/ measure behaviour
strengths and weaknesses of social area
+
helps us understand how behaviour can be influenced by other people and situation
useful - provides explanations for lots of behaviours
usually conducted in natural environments
high construct validity- IVs isolated
internal reliability - controlled, standardised
-
deterministic
reductionist- underestimates individual diffs
studies have ethical issues- deception
low eco val- tasks/ setting are often artificial
strengths and weaknesses of cognitive area
+
scientific- provides accurate unbiased data
quantitative data
useful- lots of practical applications
high reliability- controls
replicable exps - standardised
-
reductionist- ignores biology
lab exps- lack eco val
the only way to study inner mental processes is through self report or behaviors that are shown bc of it
strengths and weaknesses of developmental area
+
useful- explains why people demonstrate diff intellectual abilities, social skills, emotions
adds to nature/ nurture debate
pps can be observed in natural environment
easy to apply to everyday life
collects both quantitative and qualitative data
high reliability if in lab as standardised
-
focuses manily on childhood- neglects how adults mature and affects of experiences in adulthood
deterministic- behaviour determined by upbringing
low eco val as tasks are often artificial
longitudinal research- suffer from attrition from pps
replication of case study is difficult
strengths and weaknesses of biological area
+
scientific and objective
research methods are reliable- high control
replicable exps - standardized
high validity- IVs are isolated
-
reductionist- ignores other explanations of behaviour eg environment
lack eco val
doesnt explain how mind and body interact
strengths and weaknesses of individual diffs area
+
holistic
high in eco val- take place in real-life environments
both quantitative and qualitative data
-
may not be objective- open to bias lowering external validity
socially sensitive- some people can be seen as ‘different’
low reliability - difficult to generalise results from small sample
strengths and weaknesses of behavourist area
+
can study effect of environment on behaviour
very scientific- controlled exp methods
many prac applications
lab exps - good reliability- replicable
-
deterministic
reductionist- ignores mental processes eg moods, thoughts
classical and operant conditioning based on animals not humans
uses lab exps - lack eco val
strengths and weaknesses of psycho-dynamic area
+
suggests causes of mental disorders
suggests why individuals behave in ways they cannot explain
-
not objective and open to bias
based on concepts that are difficult to test scientifically
