Areas and Perspectives

Question 1

Social Area

Answer 1

• Behaviour is influenced by the presence, attitudes and actions of others.
• Their influence can be actual, implied or imagined.
• The situation is more important than other variables.

Question 2

Behaviourist Perspective

Answer 2

• We are born a blank slate.
• Our environment shapes our behaviour.
• We learn in terms of classical conditioning (association) operant conditioning (reinforcement) and social learning theory (imitation)

Question 3

Psychodynamic Perspective

Answer 3

• We all have a conscious, preconscious and unconscious mind.
• There is a constant struggle in our mind that influence our behaviour.
• Our past experiences (childhood in particular) determine our behaviours.

Question 4

Individual Differences Area

Answer 4

• The differences between us determine our behaviour.
• Certain things are similar between people so we can make generalisations
• Some behaviours are normal while others aren’t normal.

Question 5

Biological Area

Answer 5

• We are biological machines
• We are made of chemicals and cells which determine our feelings and behaviours.
• We can understand behaviour by understanding biological and neurological processes.

Question 6

Developmental Area

Answer 6

• We go through changes in our lives.
• Some consider us forever changing and some say we go through stages.
• Developmental psychology is about what brings about these changes.

Question 7

Cognitive Area

Answer 7

• We are like a computer.
• Information is input, throughput and output.
• The brain is the hardware and what’s inside is the software.
• Focus on internal mental processes (problem solving, language and reasoning)