Module 4/1 - Approaches in Psychology Flashcards
Outline the work of Wilhelm Wundt.
- Opened the first ever lab dedicated to psychological enquiry.
- Wanted describe the nature of consciousness. He and his co-workers recorded their conscious thoughts hoping to break them down into their constituent parts - Introspection.
Outline some strengths of Wundt’s work.
+ Used some scientific methods.
+ High controlled conditions used the same stimulus every time.
+ Used standardised instructions allowed procedures to be repeated. Marked the separation of modern psychology from its broader philosophical roots.
Describe the emergence of psychology as a science.
The scientific status of introspection was being questioned by behaviourists e.g. (Watson). Watson did not like that introspection produced subjective data. Cannot be used to develop general principles. Introspection also focusses on ‘private’ mental processes. Watson believed scientific psychology should study phenomena that can be observed and measured Birth of the behaviourist approach. Watson and Skinner brought the language, rigor and methods of the natural sciences into psychology. Used carefully controlled lab studies that would go on to dominate discipline many psychologists still rely on the experimental method.
Outline classical conditioning as an explanation for behaviour.
Learning by Association.
US→ UR
US + NS → UR
CS(NS) → CR
Outline operant conditioning as an explanation for behaviour.
Learning by reinforcement and punishment. Positive and negative reinforcement - Explain. Punishment - Explain. Reinforced behaviour is repeated and punished behaviour dies out.
Describe one study in which classical conditioning was investigated.
Pavlov’s Dog - to assess learning through association. Noticed dogs would salivate at food UR + US. Paired the food with a bell (NS) → Dog would salivate at the sound of the bell. Dog has learned to associate the bell with food and will salivating.
Describe one study in which operant conditioning was investigated.
Skinner’s rats - investigate the role of reinforcement on behaviour. Rats in a box would get a food pellet (reward) every time they press a lever and so would repeat the behaviour. In addition they would learn to repeat behaviours to avoid unpleasant stimuli. Rats learned through reinforcement to perform behaviours.
Outline some real world applications / support for behaviourism.
Token Economy systems in prisons and other institutions. Prisoners earn tokens (rewards) through desirable behaviour, which can go towards something bigger. Shows operant conditioning in action.
Behaviourism has been credited with increasing the scientific credibility of psychology. Explain this.
Uses the language of the natural sciences → focuses on measuring observable behaviour within controlled settings. Emphasises the importance of scientific processes - replicability & objectivity. Can be used to create general laws of behaviour.
Explain environmental determinism in relation to the behaviourist approach.
Behaviourism suggest that all of our behaviour comes as a response to interactions with the environment. Doesn’t take other influences into account - not everybody acts without thinking - there is proof that we can choose our actions. Limitation of the approach.
What does it mean that behaviourism has a mechanistic view of behaviour? Are there better ways of viewing behaviour?
Animals and humans are seen as passive (machine like) responders to the environment. No conscience or insight. Cognitive approach & Social learning theory - emphasis on mental processes. These allow us to decide how to respond to a stimulus, making us more active in our behaviour.
Outline the basic assumption of social learning theory. Illustrate your answer with an example of behaviour.
Behaviour is learned through observation and imitation. Vicarious reinforcement (indirect reinforcement of behaviour). Watching someone be a bully. Copying behaviour because of the social acceptance gained by the bully.
Use an example of behaviour to explain what social learning theorists mean by mediational processes in learning.
According to SLT, mediational processes are cognitive processes that allow us to choose whether or not to act out a behaviour. Attention, retention, motivation, motor reproduction. Seeing the bully’s behaviour; remembering it; seeing the positive outcome for the bully; being able to carry out the behaviour.
What do social learning theorists mean by the term identification? Illustrate your answer using an example.
People are most likely to imitate behaviour of people they identify with (role models). These are usually similar age, gender, charismatic, attractive etc. Little brother is going to imitate big brother.
Describe one study in which social learning theory was investigated.
Bandura’s Bobo doll study. Will children imitate violent behaviour? Children observed adults being violent towards a bobo doll. When put in the same position the children imitated the behaviour they saw. → Children imitate the violent behaviour carried out by a role model.
Why does SLT provide a much more comprehensive account of behaviour than behaviourism?
Behaviourist approach suggests humans have no choice in their behaviour. Behaviour is stimulus – response. Recognises the importance of cognitive factors. SLT suggests that mediational processes help to choose whether or not a behaviour is worth carrying out - has a cognitive aspect to it.
How does SLT compare to behaviourism in terms of determinism?
Takes cognitive factors into account. Gives a much more comprehensive account of behaviour. Much less deterministic than the behaviourist approach. Reciprocal vs. environmental determinism.
Outline two limitations of social learning theory.
Underestimates the influence of biological factors. Testosterone (boys were consistently more aggressive than girls in the Bobo doll study). Over-reliance on lab studies. Demand characteristics could be an issue. (e.g the Bobo doll study).
Outline two features of the cognitive approach.
Approach focusses on internal mental processes. This is in direct contrast to the behaviourist approach. Interested in memory, perception and thinking - private processes and cannot be observed or measured. Inferences are made about behaviour using models.
Use an example of behaviour to explain what cognitive psychologists mean by inferences.
The process by which cognitive psychologists draw conclusions about mental processes. This is based on observed behaviour. E.g. Memory - psychologists observe memory in action → make inferences about duration and capacity of memory.
Briefly discuss one key difference between the behaviourist approach and the cognitive approach in investigating behaviour.
Behaviourism - focus on observable and measurable behaviour - uses lab studies and rigorous scientific methods. Cognitive psychology focuses on internal and private mental processes. Uses theoretical and computer models to make inferences about mental processes based on observed behaviour.
Outline the role of schema in cognitive psychology.
Schema are bundles of information that people have about events, concepts, situations and people. Schema help us to interpret information from our environment and help us to build a set of beliefs and expectations for the world and future.
What is machine reductionism and why is it a criticism of the cognitive approach?
The cognitive approach uses computer models to make inferences about mental processes. There are many similarities between the human mind and computers. This ignores the influence of human emotion - which computers do not have. For example research has shown that human memory is influenced by anxiety.
The cognitive approach has been praised for being “less” deterministic than other approaches. Explain why this is the case - refer to other approaches in your answer.
The cognitive approach is founded on soft determinism
It recognises the role of free will, however states that we can only exercise this free will within the realms of what we know. This is “soft” in comparison to the behaviourist approach for example. Behaviourism = environmental determinism - we are passive responders to the environment - stimulus - response relationships - no free will - much harder form of determinism.
Without referring to determinism, outline 2 further strengths of the cognitive approach.
Has been effectively applied to a wide range of real life scenarios. The explanation and treatment of depression. Explanation through focussing on negative and irrational thoughts and Treatment through challenging the irrational thoughts.
Scientific credibility. Rigorous and controlled methods - lab studies to produce reliable and objective data. The emergence of cognitive neuroscience has allowed the fields of biology and cognitive psychology.
Why has it been argued that research on cognitive processes may lack external validity?
Cognitive psychologists are only able to infer mental processes based on observations. Can lead to cognitive psychology being quite abstract and theoretical. Studies on mental processes are also often carried out using artificial stimuli (e.g. memory).
Briefly outline the assumptions of the biological approach.
Everything that is psychological, is first biological → we must look at biological structures to understand behaviour. Gene, neurochemistry, nervous systems and evolution. Understanding the brain structure and function means we will be able to understand thoughts and behaviours. The mind lives in the brain - everything has a physical basis.
Outline how behavioural geneticists investigate a genetic basis of behaviour.
Twin studies. Concordance rates - how similar the twins are in particular traits. If MZ twins have a higher concordance rates than DZ twins then a genetic cause is implied, rather than an environmental cause. This is because MZ twins share 100%.
