Basic schools of psychology

Question 1

What is Cognitive Psychology?

Answer 1

The study of how people think, perceive, remember and learn.

Question 2

What are the four stages of cognitive development and who developed them?

Answer 2

1. Sensorimotor stage (Birth-2) Children learning through basic actions E.g. sucking, grasping, looking and listening.
2. Preoperational stage (2-7) Children learn to use words and pictures.
3. Concrete operational stage (7-11) Children begin to think logically.
4. Formal operational stage (12yrs and up) Young adults think more about moral, social and political issues.
   Developed by Jean Piaget

Question 3

What is humanistic psychology?

Answer 3

Focuses on individual free will, personal growth and the concept of self-actualisation. The person strives for self-actualisation, self-maintenance, ad self-enhancement. (Carl Rogers)

Question 4

What is psychoanalysis?

Answer 4

It is the influence of the unconscious mind on behaviour. Events in our childhood have a great influence on our adult lives shaping our personalities. (Sigmund Freud)

Question 5

What is behaviourism?

Answer 5

The belief that behaviour can be explained by environmental causes rather than internal causes, E.g. getting praise for doing well, likely to repeat good behaviour.

Question 6

What is Gestalt psychology?

Answer 6

The idea of experiencing things as a whole, instead of breaking down thoughts and behaviours, this school of psychology believes you must look at the whole experience

Question 7

What are linguistics and what are they used to study?

Answer 7

Linguistics is a way to study social, cultural, and political factors. Everyone is born with the capacity to learn any language.