Evaluating The Approaches Flashcards
Introspection : it is a highly controlled procedure
previous philosophers didn’t set any limits on the tasks they studied. however, wundt strictly controlled the environments in which introspection took place. he limited the range of responses that the observers could give. he trained them to give detailed observations.
Introspection : too subjective
it is based on thought and emotion, so could be outside conscious awareness. observations were subject to bias as they relied on the observers’ private and subjective experiences.
this was seen as unreliable.
Watson argued that introspection should play no part in scientific psychology
Emergence of psych as a science : objectivity reduces reality
there are controls in observations so psychologists can create artificial situations, which decrease the external validity of research and limits the support for the theory
Emergence of psych as a science : un observable
key areas of psychology are unobservable (like internal mental processes and memory) so are studied indirectly, which is why inferences are required. e.g. for cognitive processes
The behaviourist approach : scientific
- it uses scientific and empirical methods in research. Pavlov and skinner both used experimental methods in labs which had controlled conditions.
- Pavlov accurately measured the effects of the stimulus on the dog’s behaviour as he collected the saliva in test tubes
- skinner allowed causal relationships to be established
- this adds internal validity to the research
- it studied objectively observable and measurable stimulus response mechanisms.
Behaviourist approach : use of animals in research
- criticism due to using animals. critics claim that the reliance on dogs, rats, pigeons is problematic as they tell us little about human behaviour.
- both case studies involved animals (Pavlov relied on dogs and skinner relied on rats and pigeons)
- humans have more complex cognitive processes and emotions.
- the evidence for the role of cognition is ignored so the approach is insufficient in fully explaining human behaviour
- also seen as unethical when applied to humans
Behaviourist approach : hard determinism
- It’s an example of environmental determinism as it suggests all behaviour has a cause from the environment
- skinner suggested that free will is an illusion, which wasn’t favoured by many as it shows that individuals don’t have a choice over their own behaviour
- an environmentally reductionist position ignored a range of other explanations for behaviour like the role of biology.
- the lack of consideration of free will reduces its ability to explain behaviour
Bandura’s research : experimental methods and internal validity
it was a lab experiment, so it enabled precise control of variables (control was the model used).
this enabled for cause and effect to be established, so this enhanced the validity of the findings and the SLT’s validity.
the use of standardised procedures increased replicability.
the use of videos of live role models improved the reliability
Bandura’s research : artificial settings and ecological validity
it lacked external validity
this was in an artificial setting with no interaction between adult and child, unlike real life modelling.
low ecological validity
the imitation was measured immediately, making this a snap shot study and it doesn’t tell us any long term effects of the single exposure to behaviour.
SLT : research supports evidence
Bandura’s research supported evidence
- he found that children who observed an adult act aggressively could imitate the behaviour of the role model
- in a later version, children who observed a role model get rewarded for aggression were more likely to be aggressive, so vicarious reinforcement was shown.
- identification with the role model increases chances of imitation (same- sex) and showed the highest levels of aggression
- identification + vicarious reinforcement increase the likelihood of imitation
SLT : underestimating the role of nature (biological factors)
SLT makes little reference to the impact of biological factors on human behaviour and underestimates its contribution
SLT supports the role of nurture since it suggested the origins of behaviour is a social environment, which underestimates the role of nature (biology) as it suggests that behaviour is innately determined.
this is a limitation of the SLT’s ability to fully explain behaviour
boys being more aggressive in all conditions is best explained through biological factors like hormones
Cognitive approach : scientific
- it is considered to be scientific due to the use of highly controlled experiments
- cognitive neuroscience has meant that psychologists can use technology to improve the scientific methods used in research. e.g. PET scanning provides evidence for the biological basis of mental processes.
- this improves the objectivity of the research support and reduces reliance or inference on how the mind works.
- there is high internal validity in the research
Cognitive approach : uses inferences
- it is criticised for using inferences since they are assumptions and can be mistaken
- cognitive psychologists are not considered as scientific (even though they have highly controlled lab studies) as biological psychologists who support theories with directly observable behaviours
Cognitive approach : machine reductionism
- the computer analogy has been critiqued by many since it likens the human brain to a computer, even though the brain is far more complex.
- the brain can adapt due to experience and computers can’t
- it doesn’t consider the influence of human emotion and motivation that often lead to irrational behaviour, and affects human cognition (changes the way we process information)
- human memory is flawed yet computers recall things accurately
- the approach is too simplistic to fully explain all the factors involved in human behaviour and fails to consider the complexity of the human brain
Biological approach : attachment by bowlby
suggests that attachment is an innate (natural) system that is biologically programmed into babies from birth. this helps them survive.
he argued that human infants seek proximity. they develop a strong emotional bond with the mother early on during a crucial period so they can meet the biological needs of the infant and help them survive.
Biological approach : research is scientific
it uses the scientific method and experimental ones.
the experiments take place in highly controlled conditions so studies can be replicated. this improves the reliability of the original findings.
the increase of sophisticated brain imaging (fMRI scans) has increased the precision and objectivity.
this enhances the scientific credibility of the approach and the research that supports its assumptions.
Biological approach : we can’t separate nurture from nature
difficulty in investigating the true influence of nature on behaviour.
high concordance rates for identical twins is seen as support for a genetic cause of behaviour (not 100% still due to nurture!)
could be influenced by environmental factors.
it is to measure the influence of nature (genetics) and nurture (the environment)
this challenges the validity of the research support for the role of genetics from this approach
Biological approach : applications
useful research for the role of biological factors in our behaviour, like the role of biological mechanisms in psychological illnesses
theory and research from this approach have had significant contributions to treatment, such as :
1. SSRIs created for neuro chemical imbalances in depression, which have been effective at reducing effects
2. dopamine: psychosis (when someone is disconnected from reality) has led to the making of anti psychosis to reduce symptoms of hallucinations
the approach helps in the development and use of drug therapies to treat symptoms of psychological illnesses
Psychodynamic approach : explains the unexplainable
controversial assumptions about the approach, but it has had an important influence on psychology
it has been used to explain many phenomena (personality, abnormal behaviour) which can’t be explained by other approaches
significant in highlighting the connection between early experiences in childhood (e.g. attachment) and it’s influence in later attachment and deviant behaviours.
e.g. Freud’s concepts have influenced Bowlby and his attachment theory’s
Freud was among the first to develop a scientific concept on the unconscious
Psychodynamic approach : untestable concepts
lacks scientific credibility as they were development through case studies and therefore can’t be empirically tested
he interpreted his client’s memories and dreams
many of his concepts are said to exist at an unconscious level, making them impossible to test
argues the validity and usefulness of the approach
concepts lack falsification because if they can’t be tested, they also can’t be disproved
Humanistic approach : practical applications
the approach has yielded therapies that have helped many (counselling therapy)
Counselling psychology is commonly used within social work and has helped people improve their lives
Sexton and Whiston found that person centered therapy was effective for some people
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs has been influential within the business world and helps improve motivation within the workplace
Humanistic approach : holistic
unlike other approaches (reductive), the approach considers all aspects of a person’s life
this approach may yield more valid insights and treatments as it is based on real life experiences and context rather than unrealistic lab experiments which are artificial
Humanistic approach : unscientific and untestable concepts
subjective approach so can’t produce quantifiable data
difficult to objectively test the claims of the approach against reality and say whether it’s true or not
the approach is ideographic and rejects attempts to generalise behaviour in the same way science is about developing theories to explain behaviour
What are Freud’s 5 psychosexual stages ?
stage age focus development consequence on adult personality
oral 0-1 mouth breast feeding, ego develops smoking / overreacting
anal 1-3 bowel/bladder control toilet training orderliness/messiness
phallic 3-6 genitals oedipus complex, super ego develops deviancy / sexual dysfunction
latency 6-10 repression of sexual urges cognitive and social development none
genital 12+ genitals sexual maturity, development of sexual relationships if all stages are done then positive mental health and sexual maturity is achieved
Introspection : has had useful contribution
recent researchers used introspection as a way of making emotions a measurable phenomenon.
it paved the way for controlled empirical research
wundt’s use of introspection inspired others to apply it to more complex processes, such as by cognitive psychologists.
Emergence of psychology as a science : paradigm shifts
this means a change in approach
a scientific paradagm is a specific idea
psychologists lack a common goal, since there are 5 different approaches.
there have been several paradagm shifts from the origin with introspection
Emergence of psychology as a science : determinism
scientific methods rely on this since they can establish the cause of behaviour through objective and empirical methods
theories that no longer fit the facts can be abandoned, so knowledge is self-corrective
science is progressive since researchers repeat others’ experiments
Behaviourist approach : contribution to the development of behavioural therapy
- it has made significant contributions to the development of behavioural therapy and in the real world
- classical conditioning has led to treating phobias (systematic desensitisation), and operant conditioning has led to the token economy system used in prisons
- this reduces bad behaviour and encourages a positive one, contributing to the rehabilitation of service
- the principles are therefore valid and have useful applications of conditioning theories
Bandura’s research : relied on inferences
vicarious reinforcement, identification with a model, and cognitive factors are not directly observable but are inferred from the behaviours shown.
these inferences may be incorrect.
the true cause of behaviour could be very different to what was assumed.
SLT : it provides the highest level of explanation
SLT provides a more comprehensive explanation of human learning by recognising the role of meditational processes
it recognises that individuals are active in their processing and interpreting of a behaviour and can make decisions about their behaviour. this recognises the role of learning and cognition.
shows that individuals exert some level of free will (soft determinism vs hard determinism)
SLT acknowledges the role of consciousness and rationality and provides a more believable explanation for complex behaviours (like agression).
SLT : application/alternatives , reducing stereotypes
usefully applied to enhance our understanding of the impact of observation + imitation on human behaviour.
it explains the development of gender typical behaviour through observation of same sex role models in the media.
it last led to positive social change (laws against gender stereotypes in the media)
the theory is useful since it gives explanations in media and could have positive effects on society
Cognitive approach : lacks external validity
- there is a lack of ecological validity since it involves tasks which don’t show real life experiences
- an example of this is Loftus’ experiment on the Eye Witness Testimony (car crash experiment)
- it is hard to generalise findings of such tests to real life situations so they approach is criticised
Biological approach : issues with causation
much of the findings from experimental research in this approach are correlation.
research findings may show a relationship between 2 factors, but this doesn’t mean a causal relationship. there could be a 2 way (bidirectional relationship) in certain cases.
much of the support for the role of neurotransmitters as an explanation for the cause of mental illnesses came from studies that show how a particular drugs acts on the neurotransmitter which reduces symptoms, assuming a neuro chemical cause
this is a limitation in the biological approach since it assumes the biological bases to human behaviour where only an association can be found.
Psychodynamic approach : useful applications (psycho analysis)
has brought new methodological procedures for gathering empirical data in case studies.
led to successful treatments using psychoanalysis (treat the main cause of disorders instead of drug treatments which only treat symptoms)
as many claim to have been successfully treated, the psychodynamic ideas on which psychoanalysis is based have the same validity
Psychodynamic approach : other factors
The psychodynamic approach explains mental disorders as a result of conflict between different aspects of the mind but this ignores other explanations (e.g. biological).
For example, there are physical differences in both the neurochemistry and biological structures of people with OCD and without.
Treating these physical causes is likely to be more effective for many psychological disorders.
Humanistic approach : cultural bias
more collectivist cultures emphasise the common good and may prefer to focus on achieving community potential rather than self actualisation individually.
Nevis challenges Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as the research found that in China, belongingness was deemed more fundamental than physiological needs
