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A Level Psychology: Component 1 > Behaviourist Approach - Evaluating The Behaviourist Approach > Flashcards

Behaviourist Approach - Evaluating The Behaviourist Approach Flashcards

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1
Q

what does the acronym DRUGS stand for

A

Determinism (verses free will)
Reductionism (verses holism)
Useful applications (in the real world)
Generalisability (nomothetic or idiographic)
Science (verses non scientific)

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2
Q

Where/how can we use psychology in real life?

A
  • Therapy
  • Education
  • legal system
  • advertising
  • business
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3
Q

what is the best way to investigate human behaviour

A
  • using the nomothetic approach
  • using the idiographic approach
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4
Q

What are the characteristics of science that make it falsifiable

A
  • objective
  • reliable
  • valid
  • casual
  • repeatable (standardised procedures)
  • controlled
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5
Q

definition of concept: determinism

A

An individual’s behaviour is controlled by external or internal forces rather than the individual’s will to do something.

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6
Q

definition of concept: free will

A

Individuals are free to choose their behaviour, and are not constrained by other factors (biology, environment etc).

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7
Q

definition of concept: reductionism

A

Explaining behaviour by breaking down complex phenomena into its most simple components.

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8
Q

definition of concept: Holism

A

Looking at the whole. We cannot predict how the whole system will behave from knowledge of the individual components

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9
Q

definition of concept: useful applications

A

Providing practical applications that are useful and effective intreating patients or improving life outcomes for people.

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10
Q

definition of concept: Nomothetic

A

The study of large numbers of people with the aim of making laws/theories which can be generalised to all people.

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11
Q

definition of concept: idiographic

A

The study of individuals and the unique insights this can give us into human behaviour.

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12
Q

definition of concept: science

A

Is it falsifiable? Does it have: objectivity? Reliability? Is it valid? It is testing causal relationships? Is it controlled or valid?

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13
Q

what is the strength(s) for: determinism

A
  • Allows for the development of laws; forms the basis of science.
  • Establishes cause and effect to enable predictions to be made.
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14
Q

what is the strength(s) for: freewill

A

Offers an empowering view to individuals who can control their destiny

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15
Q

what is the strength(s) for: reductionsim

A
  • It means we can isolate one factor and research it or treat problems by focussing on it.
  • Cause and effect relationships can be found.
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16
Q

what is the strength(s) for: Holism

A

It offers a better understanding of human behaviour as it takes into account more factors, including complex ones.

17
Q

what is the strength(s) for: useful applications

A

It benefits those who receive therapy & provides further evidence that the underlying principles of the approach are correct.

18
Q

what is the strength(s) for: Nomothetic

A
  • Considered to be very scientific; it is easy to replicate and you can generalise.
  • Treatments developed can be widely distributed.
19
Q

what is the strength(s) for: idiographic

A

Recognises the role that individuals play in human behaviour.

20
Q

what is the strength(s) for: science

A

People are more likely to see the research or approach as credible if it has been conducted in a scientific way.

21
Q

what is the weakness(s) for: Determinism

A
  • Underestimates the uniqueness of individuals & their freedom to choose their destiny.
  • May remove individual responsibility for actions.
22
Q

what is the weakness(s) for:freewill

A

Individuals are responsible for their actions. We are all capable of self-control, which may not always be the case.

23
Q

what is the weakness(s) for: reductionism

A

It may offer explanations that are too simplistic

24
Q

what is the weakness(s) for: holism

A

Not a scientific view; it makes researching and treating problems very complex.

25
Q

what is the weakness(s) for: useful applications

A

N/A

26
Q

what is the weakness(s) for: Nomothetic

A

ignores individual differences

27
Q

what is the weakness(s) for: idiographic

A
  • Makes it harder to apply laws of human behaviour to everyone and develop treatments.
  • Also harder to investigate in a scientific way.
28
Q

what is the weakness(s) for: science

A

N/A

29
Q

Is the behaviourist approach determinism or free will + strengths and weakness

A
  • determinism:
  • assumption 1 (tabula rasa): we’re the product of our interactions with out environment, through stimulus and response
  • STRENGTH: develop scientific laws because we can establish cause + effect. Therefore because everything is learnt = can be unlearnt
  • WEAKNESS: ignores individual differences (we might not learn the same, –> behaviour might not be determinable
30
Q

Is the behaviourist approach reductionism or holism + strengths and weakness

A
  • Reductionism
  • Assumption 2: Behaviour learned through conditioning: we’ve broken down complex human behaviour into being a result of individual conditioning stages
  • STRENGTH: individual factors can be isolated and experimented on in order to explain cause + effect, e.g. if we identify the association that causes addiction, we can unlearn it
  • WEAKNESS: may offer too simplistic explanations: different people have different hormone balances, genetics, childhoods, etc
31
Q

Is the behaviourist approach useful/not useful + strengths and weakness

A
  • Useful
  • use it in therapy: aversion therapy (treat addiction + remove unwanted behaviour)
  • use it for children: schools (+R/P, token economy - note token economy is also used in prisons)
    STRENGTH
    • for society: encourages normal behaviour and motivated individuals
    • for individuals: remove addiction/phobias
    • for economy: treatment costs less then the cause
      WEAKNESS
  • n/a
32
Q

Is the behaviourist approach idiographic or Nomothetic + strengths and weakness

A
  • Nomothetic
  • the general laws for behaviourist approach: we ALL learn thru conditioning, we are ALL born a tabula rasa, we are ALL products of our environment
    STRENGTHS
  • you can make predictions (increasing the generalisability), therefore able to suggest appropriate treatments
    WEAKNESS
  • ignores individual diffs: ignoring - the difference between humans and animals (our emotions/our brain)
33
Q

Is the behaviourist approach Nature or nurture+ strengths and weakness

A
  • Nurture
  • assumption 1: NO INHERENT PERSONALITY, we’re products of our environment —> S-R + cond.
    STRENGTH
  • we can change our behaviour by reconditioning: we can change our environment but not our biology
    WEAKNESS
  • Over simplifies it all: instead we should focus on the interactionist perspective (both nature and nurture)
34
Q

Is the behaviourist approach scientific or unscientific + strengths and weakness

A
  • scientific
  • its: objective, reliable, valid + you can falsify it ——> therefore its scientific
    STRENGTH
  • it has credibility + its observable (unlike Freud’s concept of id)
    WEAKNESS
  • some things (due to ethics) can’t be studied scientifically

A Level Psychology: Component 1 (40 decks)

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