Chapter 4 - Approaches In Psychology Flashcards
What is the definition of Psychology?
The scientific study of the human mind and functions,especially any affecting behaviour.
What is the Rene Descartes theory?
‘Cartesian dualism’ the brain isn’t the same as the mind
Who created the Empericism concept and what is it?
John Locke
The belief that knowledge is derived from sensory experience.
Who is Wilhelm Wundt?
He was the 1st psychologist
He separated psychology from biology and philosophy.
In 1879 he opened the first Psychology lab and wrote the first book on psychology.
What is the structuralism approach?
Unit used experimental methods to find basic structures, studied sensation
What is the structuralism approach?
Wundt used experimental methods to find basic structures, studied sensation and perception. He did this by changing a stimulus and measuring the reaction time.
What is introspection?
‘Looking into’ , participants were asked to reflect on their own cognitive processes and describe them.
What was the evaluation of introspection ?
Weaknesses :
Produced subjective data and often unreliable and varied
The study cannot be observed and measured and not empirical methods
What is the scientific method?
Step 1 - ask a question
Step 2 - hypothesis
Step 3 - conduct an experiment
Step 4 - analyse results
Step 5 - conclusion
What was Wundts method?
1 - all behaviour is being caused (determined)
2 - if the behaviour is determined then its possible to predict other conditions.
What are the 4 Pyschology goals ?
Description - ‘what’s occurred
Explanation - ‘why’ it occurred
Prediction - future behaviour
Change - prevent unwanted behaviour
Evaluation of scientific method
Advantages :
Knowledge required is accurate because of objective and controlled studies.
Allows behaviour to be tested and modified so that theories can be developed and can be used for therapies.
Disadvantages :
Only in strictly control environments, participants wont behave like this in a natural environment
There are certain areas of the mind and behaviour that cannot be observed and measured.
Who came up with the social learning theory ?
Bandura
What is the definition of social learning theory?
A bridge between traditional learning theory and cognitive approach.Its different to conditioning because it involves cognitive processes.
What did Bandura suggest?
That we can learn directly from our experiences but we can also learn indirectly and observing + imitating other for a reward.
What is vicarious reinforcement ?
An individual will observe a behaviour and choose to imitate it, usually when they see someone rewarded
What is the name of the process prior to imitation?
The 4 meditational processes
What are the 4 meditational processes?
Attention - the extent behaviour is noticed
Retention - how well behaviour
Motor reproduction - ability to perform that behaviour
Motivation - the will to perform the behaviour
What is identification?
People are more likely to model behaviour of someone they know or respect, like an adult. Also known as modelling.
What is cognitive ?
Basically, a mental process
Assumptions of the cognitive approach
Internal mental processes are studied scientifically.
Psychologists have to make assumptions as it can’t be seen.
Use of computer models and theoretical models
Information is turned into useable format by coding.
Models to justify the cognitive approach
MSM, memory is sequential
Computer models, to see if. A program has the same ut come as a human and use that to find the processes.
What is a schema?
Packets of information that help us to remember events. We have them for people and place and mostly everything. They are developed with experience and help us process information quicker.
Who was responsible for the rat-man illusion ?
Bugelski and Alampay (1962)
What did the rat-man illusion show?
That by using cues we could prime the illusion.
What is classical conditioning and who discovered it?
Learning through association and Ivan Pavlov.
Dogs were conditioned to salivate at the sound of the bell.This is the association of a stimulus and another stimulus.
Pavlov was able to show how the neutral stimulus can condition a response.
What is operant conditioning?
Behaviour is shaped by its consequences, the consequence could be positive or negative reinforcement or punishment.
What is positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement and punishment in terms of operant conditioning?
Positive reinforcement - is receiving a reward for a behaviour
Negative reinforcement - avoiding something unpleasant
Punishment - an unpleasant consequence of behaviour
What are the cognitive approaches 5 key point?
Mental processes - they study mental processes that were ignored by behaviourists
Interference - mental processes are interfered by drawing conclusions about what goes on in someone head from their behaviour
Computer analogy - cognitive psychologists use models to explain cognitive processes based on a computer
Schema - packages of knowledge that can affect what we expect and can help sue to process information quicker
Cognitive neuroscience - the ability to connect different mental processes to different parts of the brain
Evaluate the cognitive approach
+ methods of study
- human emotion
- can be too abstract and theoretical
What is the biological approach?
A combination of psychology and biology that provides physiological explanations for human behaviour