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Psychology - Core studies > Areas, Debates And Perspectives > Flashcards

Areas, Debates And Perspectives Flashcards

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1
Q

Reductionism holism

A

Do psychologists use controlled experiments in which variables are isolated and tested one at a time or as the result of many different factors interacting with each other so models need to be developed to capture all the different factors and how they interact

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2
Q

Individual situational

A

Whether behaviour is caused by factors internal to an individual or because of circumstances in which they find themselves

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3
Q

Nature nurture

A

Whether the ways in which we behave are the result of genes or environment

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4
Q

Psychology as a science

A

Whether conducting scientific research is the best way to find out about human behaviour

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5
Q

Conducting socially sensitive research

A

Research is socially sensitive if it has negative implications
Should psychologists stop investigating these topics or whether doing so is the only way to find out the truth

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6
Q

Ethical considerations

A

Whether guidelines prevent worthwhile research from taking place and whether it is possible that the benefits outweigh problems with how ppts are treated

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7
Q

Usefulness of research

A

Useful if it has practical applications which improve peoples lives
Whether it needs to be useful in the practical sense or if it is okay to be intrinsically useful - methodology may increase or decrease usefulness

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8
Q

Methodological issues

A 
Research method
Data
Ethical guidelines
Validity 
Reliability 
Sample 
Ethnocentrism
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9
Q

Research method

A

Which method has been used and what are the strengths and weaknesses

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10
Q

Data

A

What data has been gathered and what are the strengths and weaknesses

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11
Q

Ethical guidelines

A

Have the guidelines been met?

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12
Q

Validity

A 
Internal 
Ecological 
Population 
Social desirability bias
Demand characteristics
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13
Q

Reliability

A

Refers to consistency of results

Is the sample large enough to see a consistent effect?

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14
Q

Sample

A

Population validity?
Can it be generalised?
Sampling method?

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15
Q

Ethnocentrism

A

Extent to which findings apply to people from varying cultures

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16
Q

The behaviourist perspective - key features

A

Psychology should be seen as a science and should be studied in a scientific way
The only subject matter should be behaviours which can be observed and measured
The major influence on human behaviour is learning from the environment
There is little difference between the learning that takes place in animals and humans

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17
Q

How does behaviourism believe we are born?

A

As blank slates

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18
Q

Who was behaviourism launched by?

A

John Watson in 1913

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19
Q

What are the 3 processes in which learning takes place?

A

Classical conditioning
Operant conditioning
Social learning theory

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20
Q

Classical conditioning

A

Learning through association

Pavlovs dogs

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21
Q

Operant conditioning

A

Learning as a result of rewards and punishments

Skinners rat

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22
Q

Social learning theory

A

Learning through observing and copying others

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23
Q

Strengths of the behaviourist perspective

A

Highlights the role of nurture in learning showing the importance of environment
Can be useful - practical applications - suggests ways in which phobias can be unlearned
Focusses on studying observable behaviour in controlled lab settings - scientific

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24
Q

Weaknesses of the behaviourist perspective

A

Ignores the influence of nature on behaviour
The lessons it teachers us can be hard to apply - how can we control what our children are exposed to?
Lacks ecological validity - doesn’t show real life behaviours

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25
Q

Who is associated with the psychodynamic perspective?

A

Freud

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26
Q

What does the psychodynamic perspective focus on?

A

Unconscious mind and past experiences

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27
Q

What does the psychodynamic perspective believe our mind operates on?

A

Conscious
Pre conscious
Unconscious

28
Q

Conscious mind

A

What we are currently thinking about

29
Q

Preconscious mind

A

Can be accessed by retrieving memories

30
Q

Unconscious mind

A

Hidden from our awareness and can’t be accessed

31
Q

How is our unconscious revealed?

A

In our dreams and we have no control over it

32
Q

Psychodynamic perspective - personality

A

ID
Superego
Ego

33
Q

ID

A

Inherited components of personality

34
Q

EGO

A

Decision making part

Considers rules in deciding how to behave

35
Q

Superego

A

Controls the ID - rewards us if we behave well and punishes us if we behave bad

36
Q

Strengths of the psychodynamic perspective

A

Offers an explanation for why people develop mental disorders
Suggests way in which people with mental disorders can be treated
Highlights importance of childhood
Made the case study method popular

37
Q

Weakness of the psychodynamic perspective

A

Very unscientific can’t be proved right
Case studies are very subjective and researcher bias may affect the results, only study one person so can’t be generalised

38
Q

Similarities between the behaviourist perspective and the psychodynamic perspective

A

Both believe in nurture
Practical applications
Both believe in determinism
Both study human behaviour

39
Q

Differences between the behaviourist perspective and the psychodynamic perspective

A

Research method in which they use (lab and case studies)
The behaviour they study (observable and non observable)
One uses experiments
The use of evidence to support it
The idea that it is scientific

40
Q

Free will determinism

A

Whether we have control over how we behave or whether how we behave is out of our control

41
Q

The social area

A

Understanding how thoughts, feelings and behaviours are influenced by the actual or imagined presence of others

42
Q

What research method does the social area prefer?

A

Field (bickman) and lab experiments

43
Q

Strengths of the social area

A

Research is usually high in EV
Research can be useful having practical applications
Research can help to improve our understanding of human behaviour and how it is affected by other people

44
Q

Weaknesses of the social area

A

Findings may not be true of all times
Findings may not be true of all places
Socially sensitive research so can be hard to stay within the ethical guidelines

45
Q

Responses to people in authority

A

People will be in positions of authority in their lives and they will also be in subordinate positions having to respond to authority over them. We usually agree with commands given which creates problems but if we disagree there are also problems.
To what extent are people obedient and disobedient? Are there characteristics of people who are disobedient?
In the death camps hitler needed to obey orders to kill people, how did this happen, how did the people respond to authority?

46
Q

Cognitive area

A

Involved at looking at how info is processed

It covers a number of areas including memory perception language thinking and attention

47
Q

Computer analogy (how the brain works)

A

Input - through one of the senses
Processing - using currently installed software (previous experience/knowledge)
Response

48
Q

What research method does the cognitive area favour?

A

Laboratory experiments

49
Q

Strengths of the cognitive area

A

Researcher can be useful having practical applications (leading questions)
Favours scientific method so shows cause and effect
Control means it is easier to test for reliability

50
Q

Weaknesses of the cognitive area

A

Findings might not be true if the lack EV
Limitations in the way that the data is gathered (self report)
Lab experiments increase the chance of DC’s which decreases the validity

51
Q

Memory

A

The ability to retain info
We use our memory all the time but we can’t rely on it to be accurate as human info is different to a computer
Memory can be changed as we alter things to make the event seem logical and we include things of what should have happened

52
Q

Tulving

A 
Suggested we have 2 types of memory
Episodic memory (memory of episodes, events in our lives)
Semantic memory (memory of facts, trees lose leaves in winter)
53
Q

The developmental area

A

Believes our behaviour develops over time, a lot during childhood
Doesn’t focus on one particular explanation so methods used can vary
No single explanation of behaviour - more focus on how it develops
How much of behaviour are we born we and how much do we learn?

54
Q

Strengths of the developmental area

A

Useful applications to childcare education etc
Attempts to answer the nature/nurture debate
Uses qualitative and quantitative methods
Can study ppts over time which reduces ppt variables

55
Q

Weaknesses of the developmental area

A

Research with children may raise ethical issues such as consent and protection
Samples are often small and unrepresentative

56
Q

External influences on children’s behaviour

A

Physical emotion social language and cognitive development

Linked to behaviourist perspective

57
Q

The biological area

A

Behaviour can be explained in terms of biology - assumes psychologists should study the brain and nervous system
Psychology should be seen as a science, studied scientifically, measuring variables objectively

58
Q

Neurons

A 
Cells of the nervous system
Carry messages from one part of the body to another. 3 types 
Sensory 
Motor 
Inter neurons
59
Q

The brain

A

Where most of our neurons are
Divide into 2 hemispheres
Consists of the hindbrain , midbrain, and the forebrain

60
Q

Methods of investigating brain function

A

MRI scans which show image of the brain

61
Q

Strengths of the biological area

A

Favours scientific method so can see cause and effect which is useful
Control means easier to test for reliability
Understand how the brain works and how it impacts behaviour

62
Q

Weaknesses of the biological area

A

Explanations based on just biology is too simple
Way data is gathered is negative - self reports, DC’s which affect validity
Methods eg MRI scanners show us changes but not exactly what is happening

63
Q

Regions of the brain

A

The two hemispheres are joined by the corpus callosum
Left side - language
Right side - artistic, creative

64
Q

Lateralisation of function

A

One side has a different role from the other side

65
Q

Corpus callosum

A

Helps the two sides to function properly

66
Q

Surgical procedure to severe the corpus callosum

A

Commissurotomy

Psychology - Core studies (33 decks)

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