Chapter 1 Flashcards
1
Q
Discuss how historical events contributed to the emergence of psychology as a profession
A
- Due to WW2 many psychologists were pressed into service as clinicians
- they were involved in the screening of new recruits and the treatment of soldiers returning from war
- American Veterans Administration created hospitals and funded the increase in demand for trained clinicians
2
Q
Describe two trends emerging in the 1950s-1960s that represented a return to psychology’s intellectual roots
A
- renewed interest in cognition and biology and their effects on behaviour
- development of computer processors drew attention to the similarities between computer and mental processes
3
Q
Explain why Western psychology has shown an increased interest in cultural variables in recent decades
A
- initially Western psychologists did not consider how their studies apply to non western cultures.
- they also didn’t consider the possibility of even basic differences such as gender or social status.
- increased communication and international travel has widened perspectives about culture
- multiculturalism has created more diversity and pressed psychologists to widen their perspectives and how cultural differences affect behaviour
4
Q
Discuss the emergence and basic ideas of evolutionary psychology
A
- patterns of behaviour evolve across generations in the same way as anatomical characteristics
- Examines adaptive value for a species over the course of many generations
- natural selection favours behaviours that enhance reproductive success
- ie if aggression ensures the survival of a certain tribe then aggressive genes will be more likely to be passed on to successive generations.
5
Q
Discuss the emergence and basic ideas of and positive psychology
A
- Seligman said that psychology had focused too much on pathology and weakness
- uses theory and research to better understand the positive adaptive, creative and fulfilling aspects of the human existence.
- studies positive subjective emotions like love, happiness, gratitude, and hope
- Focuses on positive individual traits – strengths and virtues
- create positive institutions and communities where civil obedience, strong families, supportive neighbourhoods and positive working environments can grow.
6
Q
What is cognition
A
- refers to the mental processes involved in acquiring knowledge
- was known as consciousness
7
Q
What is clinical psychology?
A
Clinical psychology is the branch of psychology concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems and disorders
8
Q
Summarise Wundt’s contributions to psychology
A
- Moved Psychology from a philosophy to a science
- Created the first Psychology Lab in 1879 in Germany
- Focused on recognising the parts of the conscious and how they interact
- Said consciousness was awareness of immediate experiences.
9
Q
Describe the chief tenets of Structuralism
A
- seek to identify the fundamental components of the conscious such as sensations, feelings and images.
- depended on introspection and careful self-observation of one’s own experiences.
- developed research mostly in labs
10
Q
Describe the Chief tenets of Functionalism
A
- psychology should focus on the purpose of the consciousness not it’s separate structures
- consciousness consists of a continual flow of thoughts
- William James wanted to understand the flow of the stream of consciousness
- developed research by observing people and how they adapted themselves to the demands of the world around them.
11
Q
Articulate Freud’s principle ideas
A
- the unconscious holds thoughts, memories and desires that are well hidden from our awareness but regardless of this have a strong influence in our behaviour.
- slips of the tongue give clues to our unconscious thoughts and feelings
- dreams are an expression of our unconscious
- psychological disturbances are caused by personal conflict that exist in the unconscious
- personality, motivation and mental disorders can be explained by unconscious factors in behaviour
12
Q
Why did Freud’s ideas inspire controversy
A
- suggested that behaviour is influenced by how well a person manages their sexual urges.
- His focus on sex and sexuality was considered scandalous and offensive in its time.
- his subject pool was small and consisted of mostly women with severe psychological problems
13
Q
Summarise Skinner’s key insights
A
- emphasised that environmental factors influence behaviour
- organisms tend to repeat responses that lead to positive outcomes and they tend not to repeat responses that lead to neutral or negative outcomes
- was able to train rats and pigeons to engage in unnatural behaviours by manipulating their environment
- asserted that all behaviour was fully governed by external stimuli
- behaviour is determined in preditable ways and governed by lawful principles just like physics
- our actions are not the result of conscious decisions and therefore there is no such thing as free will.
14
Q
Explain the emergence of humanism and its underlying philosophy
A
- rejected psychoanalysis and behaviourism as dehumanising.
- criticised the theories which stated the humans were not the masters of their own destinies
- emphasises the unique qualities of humans, especially their free will and potential for personal growth
- Optimistic view of human nature
- humans tend to strive for personal growth and achieve their own potential.
- as humans are not animals, animal research is not relevant to understanding human behaviour
- Carl Rogers said that human behaviour is governed by the individual’s self-concept, something animals don’t have.
15
Q
Summarise John B Watson’s thoughts on Behaviourism
A
- Behaviour is the theoretical orientation based on the premise that scientific psychology should only study observable behaviour.
- suggested psychology abandon the study of the consciousness completely
- the power of psychology as a science relied on the idea that it needed to be verifiable.
- mental processes are not fit for scientific study because they rely heavily on opinions that are not tangible
- Watson argued that nature is irrelevant and that it is nurture or behaviour that ultimately decided the fate of a person
- discounted heredity and personality as scientific observable factors in development
