Paper 2 - Approaches Flashcards
Outline Wilhelm Wundt’s role in the origins of psychology
Wilhelm Wundt is often regarded as the father of modern psychology. He established the first psychology laboratory in Leipzig in 1879, marking the beginning of psychology as a scientific discipline. Wundt used introspection as a method to study the human mind in a controlled, experimental way
Define introspection. Describe how Wilhelm Wundt carried it out
Introspection is the process of examining and reporting one’s own conscious thoughts and feelings. Wundt used introspection by having participants reflect on their sensory experiences in response to stimuli, aiming to analyze the structure of consciousness in a systematic and controlled setting
Explain one strength and one limitation of Wilhelm Wundt’s research
Strength: Wundt’s research is important as it marked the formal beginning of psychology as a scientific discipline with controlled methods.
Limitation: Introspection is subjective and unreliable, as it relies on self-reporting, which can vary between individuals and cannot be easily verified.
Describe the emergence of psychology as a science from Wundt’s time to today
Wundt’s work laid the foundation for psychology to evolve into a scientific discipline. His use of controlled experimentation and introspection influenced later approaches, such as behaviorism, cognitive psychology, and biological psychology. Today, psychology is a widely recognized scientific field using objective methods like experiments, brain imaging, and statistical analysis
What is the Behaviourist explanation for behaviour? What is meant by tabula rasa?
Behaviourism explains behavior as a learned response to environmental stimuli, rejecting internal mental states. “Tabula rasa” means “blank slate,” the idea that individuals are born without built-in mental content, and all knowledge comes from experience and perception.
Define classical conditioning.
Classical conditioning is a learning process where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus to produce a conditioned response.
NS (bell) + UCS (food) → UCR (salivation), then NS → CS (bell) → CR (salivation)
Explain extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalisation, discrimination
Extinction: The gradual weakening and disappearance of a conditioned response when the conditioned stimulus is no longer paired with the unconditioned stimulus.
Spontaneous recovery: The reappearance of a conditioned response after a period of rest.
Generalisation: The tendency to respond to stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimulus.
Discrimination: The ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and other similar stimuli that do not elicit the conditioned response
Define operant conditioning. Describe the different types of reinforcement
Operant conditioning is a method of learning where behaviour is shaped by consequences.
Positive reinforcement: Adding a pleasant stimulus to increase a behaviour (e.g., giving a treat for correct behaviour).
Negative reinforcement: Removing an unpleasant stimulus to increase behaviour (e.g., stopping loud noise when a behaviour is performed)
Explain operant conditioning in his Skinner box
B.F. Skinner used the Skinner box to study operant conditioning in animals. In the box, a rat could press a lever to receive food (positive reinforcement) or avoid an electric shock (negative reinforcement). Skinner used this setup to show how behaviour could be shaped by rewards and punishments.
What is the research method used by the Behaviourist Approach? Give an example
The behaviorist approach uses controlled laboratory experiments to study behavior. An example is Skinner’s use of the Skinner box to observe and manipulate animal behavior through reinforcement.
Outline the supporting evidence for classical conditioning
A key piece of supporting evidence is Pavlov’s experiment with dogs, where a neutral stimulus (bell) became associated with food, causing the dogs to salivate at the sound of the bell
Explain how classical conditioning has been practically applied to real life
Classical conditioning has been used in therapy, such as systematic desensitization for phobias, where patients gradually associate relaxation with the feared object, reducing their fear response
Explain how operant conditioning has been practically applied to real life
Operant conditioning is used in schools, where students are reinforced with rewards (positive reinforcement) for good behaviour or work. It is also used in behaviour modification programs, such as in prisons or psychiatric settings
Evaluate the Behaviourist Approach in terms of the research methods used
Strength: Behaviourism uses controlled, scientific experiments, ensuring reliability and replicability.
Limitation: The approach is criticized for being too reductionist, as it ignores internal mental processes, which cannot be fully understood through observable behaviour alone.
Skinner and Pavlov’s work was both based on animal studies, this is a limitation as they are not directly reflective of human behaviour
Evaluate the Behaviourist approach in terms of one of the Debates
In the nature vs. nurture debate, behaviourism emphasizes the role of nurture (environmentally deterministic), arguing that behaviour is learned from the environment. Critics argue that it neglects genetic influences and the role of biological predispositions
What is SLT’s main idea/explanation for behaviour?
Social Learning Theory (SLT) suggests that behaviour is learned through observation, imitation, and modeling, especially from role models. It emphasizes the role of cognitive processes and environmental influences.
Define imitation, modeling
Imitation: Copying the behaviour of others.
Modeling: The process of demonstrating behaviours that can be observed and imitated by others
Define identification. What affects identification with a role model?
Identification is when an individual adopts behaviours, beliefs, or attitudes of a role model. Factors influencing identification include similarity, attractiveness, and perceived authority of the role model
Define vicarious reinforcement. Give an example
Vicarious reinforcement occurs when an individual observes someone else being rewarded for a behaviour and, as a result, is more likely to imitate that behaviour. For example, a child seeing a peer praised for sharing might be more likely to share in the future
Define mediational cognitive processes. Describe the four parts
Mediational cognitive processes refer to mental processes that occur between stimulus and response in SLT. The four processes are:
Attention: Focusing on the behaviour.
Retention: Remembering the behaviour.
Reproduction: The ability to replicate the behaviour.
Motivation: The desire to perform the behaviour, influenced by outcomes such as rewards.
Describe the procedure of Bandura et al.’s (1961) original Bobo doll study
In Bandura’s study, children watched an adult model behave aggressively or non-aggressively toward a Bobo doll. Later, the children were allowed to interact with the doll and their behaviour was observed to see if they imitated the model’s actions
Describe the findings of Bandura et al.’s (1961) original Bobo doll study
The findings showed that children who observed aggressive models were more likely to act aggressively toward the Bobo doll, demonstrating that behaviour can be learned through observation and imitation
What is the Cognitive Approach’s main idea/explanation for behaviour?
The Cognitive Approach suggests that behaviour is influenced by internal mental processes such as perception, memory, and problem-solving, and that these processes can be studied scientifically
Define internal mental processes and name three examples
Internal mental processes refer to the cognitive functions that occur inside the mind, such as perception, attention, and memory.
