Introduction

Question 1

Definition of personality - Bernstein et al 1991?

Answer 1

Enduring pattern of psychological and behavioural characteristics by which each person can be compared and contrasted

Question 2

Definition of personality - Hollander, 1971

Answer 2

The sum total of an individual’s characteristics that make them unique

Question 3

Explain the key elements of Hollander’s model

Answer 3

1. Psychological core
2. Typical responses
3. Role related behaviours

Question 4

Definition of psychology?

Answer 4

The scientific study of behaviour and mental processes

Question 5

What are the main psychological approaches

Answer 5

1. Neurobiological (cognitive neuropsychology)
2. Behavioural
3. Cognitive
4. Humanistic
5. Psychoanalytical

Question 6

In cognitive neuropsychology, what 2 factors does the effect of the stimulation of a particular area of the brain depend on?

What is an example of this?

Answer 6

1. Intensity of the stimulation
2. Constraints of the environment/environmental context

Example stimulation of a rat’s hypothalamus - results in chewing on a block of wood but if there is a female rat in cage, results in sexual behaviour

Question 7

What assumptions is original behaviourism typified by?

Answer 7

1. Learning occurs through association
2. The basic laws of learning are similar for all organisms
3. Learning is best understood in relation to external/environmental causes than internal/intentional ones

Question 8

Behaviourism - what is the law of effect?

Answer 8

Action followed by a reward is more likely to be repeated than one that is not, irrespective of intelligent thought processes

Question 9

What does behaviourism not focus on and what major criticism of behaviourism does this (loosely) explain?

Answer 9

Behaviourism does not focus on the internal cognitive workings that cause behaviours

Behaviourism fails to explain why individuals react differently to the same stimuli/external factors

Question 10

What analogy is often used in the cognitive approach?

Answer 10

A computer - to explain how information is processed by the brain

Question 11

What mental processes and their functions does the cognitive approach focus on?

Answer 11

Processes:
1. perception
2. memory
3. information processes

Used for:
1. Acquiring knowledge
2. Decision making
3. Planning

Question 12

Who is the father of the cognitive approach?

Answer 12

Donald Broadbent

Question 13

Who were key figures of the behavioural approach?

Answer 13

Ivan Pavlov (1849 - 1936)
John Watson (1878 - 1958)
B F Skinner (1904 - 1990)

Question 14

What is another name for the humanistic approach?

Answer 14

Phenomenological approach

Question 15

Who are two important figures in developing the humanistic approach?

Answer 15

Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers

Question 16

What does the humanistic approach focus on?

Answer 16

How humans perceive and interpret events - explaining differences in behaviour as differences in the way ‘information’ is interpreted i.e. based on subjective perception of the individual

Question 17

How do humanists explain individual’s motivations and what model represents this?

What are the key elements of the model?

Answer 17

Personal growth, fulfilment and satisfaction in life are a basic human motive - people are motivation to self-actualise.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs:
1. physiological (food, water, shelter ..)
2. safety (personal security, employment, health
3. Love and belonging (friendship, intimacy ..)
4. Esteem (self-respect, status, recognition ..)
5. Self-actualisation (achieving one’s full potential)

Question 18

What is a key criticism of the humanistic approach?

Answer 18

It does not explain behaviour which is negative/contrary to an individual’s interests and needs

Question 19

What are two forms of conditioning in behaviourism and explain them.

Answer 19

Classical conditioning:

Learning by association. Placing a neutral stimulus before a naturally occurring reflex

Operant conditioning:

A method of learning employing rewards and punishments for behaviour

Question 20

Explain internal and external validity with respect to research

Answer 20

Internal validity - the extent to which a cause and effect relationship can be supported by the study and cannot be explained by other factors.

External validity - the extent to which the results can be generalised to the “real world