areas of psychology?

Question 1

Assumptions of the social area?

Answer 1

1. other people and environment influence our behaviours and thoughts
2. all behaviours occurs in a social context
3. our relationships with others influence out thought processes.

Question 2

strengths of the social area?

Answer 2

1. useful applications
2. good range of research methods
3. unique explanations of negative behaviour

Question 3

weaknesses of the social area?

Answer 3

1. human behaviour changes over time and has a shelf life (Milgram’s in the 60’s, times have changed)
2. sometimes unethical
3. reductionist

Question 4

assumptions for cognitive area?

Answer 4

1. behaviour can be explained by how the brain processes information
2. the mind is similar to the computer
3. something happens in the brain somewhere between stimulus and response to cause behaviour

Question 5

strengths of the CA?

Answer 5

1. normally controlled in lab settings
2. useful applications
3. links to individual differences

Question 6

weaknesses of the CA?

Answer 6

1. over-simplified computer model. Humans have more emotions than a computer
2. reductionist
3. hard to scientifically and objectively measure behaviour.

Question 7

assumptions for the biological area?

Answer 7

1. all that is psychological is firstly physiological.
2. the mind comes from the brain so its safe to assume that all feelings and behaviours have a biological cause
3. mostly genetic

Question 8

strengths of the BA?

Answer 8

1. very scientific and objective
2. useful applications
3. ranges of RM

Question 9

weaknesses of the BA?

Answer 9

1. reductionist
2. often low ecological validity
3. over- simplified

Question 10

assumptions for the developmental area?

Answer 10

1. brain development is ongoing so behaviour is ongoing
2. early life is essential for attachments and determining later development
3. abilities change over time.

Question 11

strengths for the DA?

Answer 11

1. useful applications

2. reliable methods

Question 12

weaknesses for DA?

Answer 12

1. hard to study objectively
2. unethical
3. generalises.

Question 13

assumptions for the individual differences area?

Answer 13

1. nobody is ‘normal’
2. dispositional not situational
3. every individual is unique

Question 14

strengths of the IDA?

Answer 14

useful applications

varies RM

Question 15

weaknesses of the IDA?

Answer 15

reductionist
creates labels
hard to measure objectively

Question 16

assumption of psychodynamic?

Answer 16

• strongly influenced by unconscious mind

- development affected by early development

Question 17

strengths PDP?

weaknesses PDP?

Answer 17

explains many behaviours

- theoretical values hard to test

Question 18

behaviourist assumptions?

Answer 18

• SLT

- acquire behaviour through observations

Question 19

BP strengths and weaknesses?

Answer 19

• scientific and useful

- reductionist and unethical