PAPER 2 - Approaches in Psychology Flashcards

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1
Q

What is INTROSPECTION ?

A

the examination or observation of one’s own mental and emotional processes.

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2
Q

Who is Wundt ?

A
  • father of psychology

- aim was to examine the structure of the mind

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3
Q

What was Wundt’s APPROACH ?

A

structuralism

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4
Q

What was Wundt’s TECHNIQUE ?

A

introspection

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5
Q

What were the 2 major assumptions that introspection were based on ?

A

(1) all behaviour is seen as being caused (determined)
(2) if behaviour is determined, this it should be possible to predict how human being would behave in different conditions.

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6
Q

What are the 2 WEAKNESSES of Wundt’s introspection technique ?

A

UNRELIABLE - relied on ‘non-observational’ response - not reliable reproduced by other researchers

NOT ACCURATE - lacks validity - we have little knowledge of the processes behind out behaviour.

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7
Q

What are the 4 psychology goals ?

A

DESCRIPTION - tells us ‘what’ occurred

EXPLANATION - tells us ‘why’ it occurred

PREDICTION - identify conditions that will cause a behaviour to occur

CHANGE - apply psychological knowledge to prevent unwanted behaviour

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8
Q

What is a STRENGTH of the emergence of psychology as a science ?

A

reliance on OBJECTIVE SYSTEMATIC METHODS means that theories were tested rather than being accepted as true

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9
Q

What is a WEAKNESS of the emergence of psychology as a science ?

A

by concentrating on objectivity we may focus more on controlling the situation rather than looking at how people behave in normal situation (ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY)

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10
Q

What are the 5 approaches that explain behaviours ?

A

THE LEARNING APPROACH: behaviourist and SLT

COGNITIVE APPROACH : point of view of our mind

PSYCHOANALYTIC APPROACH: point of view of our unconscious and early childhood experiences

BIOLOGICAL APPROACH: point of view of genetics

HUMANISTIC APPROACH: point of view of self-image

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11
Q

What is the FIRST ASSUMPTION that behaviourists believe ?

A
  • psychology should be seen as a science
  • supported by evidence
  • objective and controlled observations
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12
Q

What is the SECOND ASSUMPTION that behaviourists believe ?

A
  • psychologists should study OBSERVABLE BEHAVIOURS
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13
Q

What is the THIRD ASSUMPTION that behaviourists believe ?

A
  • no FREE WILL

- ENVIRONMENT determines BEHAVIOUR

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14
Q

What is the FOURTH ASSUMPTION that behaviourists believe ?

A
  • when we are BORN our mind is TABULA RASA (blank slate)
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15
Q

What is the FIFTH ASSUMPTION that behaviourists believe ?

A
  • little difference in the learning between ANIMALS and HUMANS
  • study animals generlaise to humans
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16
Q

What is CLASSICAL CONDITIONING ?

A
  • learning through association

- two stimuli (UCS) + (NS) - repeatedly paired

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17
Q

What are the STRENGTHS of classical conditioning ?

A

EVIDENCE

  • Watson and Rayner
  • Little Albert

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

  • systematic desensitization
  • treat ANXIETY of phobias
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18
Q

What is a LIMITATION of classical conditioning ?

A

DIFFERENT SPECIES, DIFFERENT SURVIVAL NEEDS

  • Seligman
  • preparedness
  • associate if linked with survival
  • cc isn’t always implemented
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19
Q

What does the COGNITIVE APPROACH argue ?

A

internal mental processes should be observed

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20
Q

What involvement do schema’s have on behaviour ?

A

contribute to how we perceive and have opinions on the world

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21
Q

What are THEORETICAL MODELS ?

A
  • one way to study INTERNAL PROCESSES
  • information processing approach
  • information flows through cognitive system
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22
Q

What are COMPUTER MODELS ?

A
  • comparing minds to computers
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23
Q

What is COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE ?

A
  • how structures affect mental processes

- Paul Broca = frontal lobe affects speech

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24
Q

Name 2 brain imaging techniques

A

fMRI and PET scans

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25
Q

What do brain imaging techniques do ?

A

identify activity in specific areas of the brain

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26
Q

What are the STRENGTHS of the cognitive approach ?

A

USES SCIENTIFIC & OBJECTIVE METHODS

  • reliable, objective methods
  • enables biological and cognitive approach to come together
  • credible basis

USEFUL APPLICATIONS

  • explain dysfunctional behaviours
  • successful treatment
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27
Q

What is the WEAKNESSES of the cognitive approach ?

A

COUNTERARGUMENT

  • too abstract and theoretical
  • artificial stimuli = not represent everyday experiences

COMPUTER MODELS
- different programming between humans and computers

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28
Q

How are twin studies used to determine the likelihood that certain traits have a genetic basis ?

A
  • comparing concordance rates

- concordance rate = extent that both twins share the same characteristics

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29
Q

What is GENOTYPE ?

A

GENETIC CODE - ‘written’ in the DNA

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30
Q

What is PHENOTYPE ?

A

BEHAVIOUR and PHYSICAL STRUCTURE - arising from INTERACTION between their GENOTYPE and ENVIRONMENT

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31
Q

What is EVOLUTION ?

A

change in INHERITED CHARACTERISTICS over SUCCESSIVE GENERATIONS

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32
Q

What is the mechanism behind biological evolution ?

A

natural selection

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33
Q

How does evolution affect behaviour ?

A

over successive generations - ADVANTAGEOUS BEHAVIOURS - passed on - widespread

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34
Q

What is ‘SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST’ ?

A

characteristics are inherited - compete for resources - those who survive reproduce - offspring have this good traits

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35
Q

How does NEUROCHEMISTRY affect behaviour ?

A

levels of neurotransmitters affect mood and mood and behaviour

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36
Q

Why do HORMONES do ?

A

cause PHYSIOLOGICAL REACTION - alerting its activity

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37
Q

Who studied the effects of hormones ?

A

CARRE ET AL - Canadian ice hockey team

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38
Q

What did CARRE ET AL find ?

A
  • surge in levels of TESTOSTERONE - home stadium - energised players - defending home territory
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39
Q

What are the STRENGTHS to the biological approach ?

A

SCIENTIFIC METHOD

  • objective measurement
  • easily replicated
  • credibility

REAL-LIFE APPLICATIONS

  • development of psychoactive drugs
  • treat mental illness
  • gain relief
40
Q

What are the LIMITATIONS of the biological approach ?

A

CANNOT ESTABLISH CAUSE AND EFFECT
- never be completely sure that brain activity influences behaviour

DETERMINISM

  • sees human behaviour as governed by INTERNAL BIOLOGICAL cases
  • have no control over
41
Q

What is humanistic psychology concerned with ?

A

explanations of healthy growth of individuals

42
Q

Who led the research of humanistic psychology ?

A

Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow

43
Q

What does humanistic psychology believe about FREE WILL ?

A
  • we have free will
  • rejects scientific models
  • psychology should concern itself with SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE
44
Q

What is Maslow’s HIERARCHY OF NEEDS ?

A
  • physiological needs at the bottom

- self-actualisation at the top = PEAK EXPERIENCE

45
Q

What is CONGRUENCE ?

A

ROGERS

  • personal growth achieved through congruence
  • more overlap between SELF-IMAGE and IDEAL-SELF
  • issues in adulthood stem from childhood due to a lack of UNCONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD
46
Q

What is PERSON-CENTRED THERAPY ?

A
  • each person is best expert of themselves
  • encourage to find OWN SOLUTIONS
  • talk as openly as possible
  • counsellor provides UNCONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD
47
Q

What are the STRENGTHS of the humanistic approach ?

A

NOT REDUCTIONIST

  • gain better insight into individual’s behaviour
  • qualitative methods
  • holistic view
  • more valid = meaning human behaviour = real life context

POSITIVE APPROACH

  • offers refreshing and optimistic alternative
  • sees people as free to work towards improving themselves
48
Q

What are the LIMITATIONS of the humanistic approach ?

A

LIMITED APPLICATIONS

  • not many real-life application other than the therapy
  • abstract concepts

UNSTABLE CONCEPT

  • adopts non-scientific approach
  • difficult to study
  • lack of empirical evidence to support theories
49
Q

What does the PSYCHODYNAMIC APPROACH suggest ?

A

behaviour is the result of EARLY CHILDHOOD experiences and UNCONSCIOUS THOUGHTS and FEELINGS

50
Q

Who was the founder of the psychodynamic approach ?

A

Sigmund Freud

51
Q

What is the role of the unconscious ?

A

conscious mind = tip of the iceberg
unconscious mind = larger part

behaviour stems from the unconscious part - reveals itself through slips of the tongue

52
Q

What did Freud believe about defence mechanisms ?

A

mind actively prevents traumatic memories - repression / denial / displacement

53
Q

What are the 3 structures of personality ?

A

ID / EGO / SUPEREGO

54
Q

What is the ID ?

A

PLEASURE PRINCIPLE - present from birth- immediate gratification

55
Q

Give an example of the ID

A

if a person is hungry the id demands that they eat there and then

56
Q

What is the EGO ?

A

REALITY PRINCIPLE - mediates between other two personalities

57
Q

Give an example of the EGO

A

may delay gratifying the id until there is a more appropriate opportunity to satisfy its demands

58
Q

What is the SUPEREGO ?

A

MORALITY PRINCIPLE - develops around age 4/5 - right or wrong - how we should behave

59
Q

What is REPRESSION ?

A

MOTIVATED FORGETTING - threatening thoughts are pushed out

60
Q

What is DISPLACEMENT ?

A

TRANSFERRING FEELINGS from a TRUE SOURCE onto a TARGET e.g. parent

61
Q

What is DENIAL ?

A

REFUSING TO BELIEVE the situation is occurring

62
Q

What are the 5 PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGES involved with PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT ?

A
oral stage 
anal stage 
phallic stage
latency stage 
genital stage 

(OAPs Love Gravy)

63
Q

What is the ORAL STAGE (0-1) ?

A

pleasure in the mouth - sucking / biting

64
Q

What are the consequences of unresolved conflict in the oral stage ?

A

ORAL FIXATION - smoking / biting nails

65
Q

What is the ANAL STAGE (1-3)

A

pleasure in the anus - control of bodily waste

66
Q

What are the consequences of unresolved conflict in the anal stage ?

A

ANALLY RETENTIVE - perfectionist

ANALLY EXPULSIVE - disorganised

67
Q

What is the PHALLIC STAGE (3-6)

A

Oedipus and Electra complex - unconscious desire for opposite sex parent - identify with same sex parent

boys fear castration
girls suffer penis envy

68
Q

What are the consequences of unresolved conflict in the phallic stage ?

A

PHALLIC PERSONALITY - reckless / possibly homosexual

69
Q

What is the LATENCY STAGE (6-puberty)

A

sexual urges

70
Q

What is the GENITAL STAGE (puberty onwards)

A

sexual desires - become conscious alongside onset of puberty

71
Q

What are the consequences of unresolved conflict in the genital stage ?

A

difficulty forming heterosexual relationships

72
Q

What are the STRENGTHS of the psychodynamic approach ?

A

EXPLANATORY POWER

  • explains wide range of phenomenon
  • demonstrated influence of childhood on adulthood

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

  • used in hypnosis bringing unconscious to conscious
  • could be considered inappropriate
73
Q

What are the LIMITATIONS of the psychodynamic approach ?

A

UNSTABLE CONCEPTS
- hard to falsify - open to interpretation - very subjective - hard to tests

PSYCHIC DETERMINISM
- no behaviour is an accident - driven by unconscious forces

74
Q

What is OPERANT CONDITIONING ?

A

how consequences influence behaviour

75
Q

What is REINFORCEMENT ?

A

something in the environment that STRENGTHENS a behaviour making it more likely to occur

76
Q

What is POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT ?

A

INCREASES the likelihood that the behaviour will be REPEATED - consequence is pleasant

77
Q

Give an example of positive reinforcement

A

giving child praise for carrying out a good behaviour

78
Q

What is NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT ?

A

INCREASES the likelihood that the behaviour will be repeated - removing something unpleasant

79
Q

Give an example of negative reinforcement

A

giving a crying child sweets to take away the crying

80
Q

What is PUNISHMENT ?

A

DECREASES the likelihood that the behaviour will be repeated - consequence is unpleasant

81
Q

Give an example of punishment

A

giving a detention for not completing homework

82
Q

What is POSITIVE PUNISHMENT ?

A

giving something unpleasant e.g. press-ups at badminton

83
Q

What is NEGATIVE PUNISHMENT ?

A

removing something desirable e.g. being grounded

84
Q

What are the STRENGTHS of operant conditioning ?

A

EMPIRICAL SUPPORT

  • Skinner
  • cause and effect

REAL-LIFE APPLICATIONS

  • token economy programmes
  • prisons
  • good behaviour is rewarded
85
Q

What are the LIMITATIONS of operant conditioning ?

A

FREE WILL IN HUMANS COMPARED TO ANIMALS
- cant relate Skinner’s research to humans

however. ..
- skinner argued free will is an illusion

MECHANISTIC VIEW OF BEHAVIOUR

  • animals = passive responders
  • humans = active responders
  • learning theory may apply less to humans
86
Q

What is the SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY ?

A

we learn indirectly by observing and imitating others

87
Q

What is MODELLING ?

A

someone who is looked at ‘role model’

- can be live models or symbolic

88
Q

What is IMITATION ?

A

copying of behaviour

- determined by characteristics of models, ability to perform and consequences of behaviour

89
Q

What is IDENTIFICATION ?

A

the extent that someone relates to a model

90
Q

What is VICARIOUS REINFORCEMENT ?

A

learning by looking at the consequences of a behaviour

91
Q

What is the MEDITATION PROCESS ?

A

cognition involved prior to imitation

- attention / retention / motor reproduction / motivation

92
Q

What is ATTENTION ?

A

noticing the behaviour

93
Q

What is RETENTION ?

A

remembering the behaviour

94
Q

What is MOTOR REPRODUCTION ?

A

being physically capable / possible

95
Q

What is MOTIVATION ?

A

has to be a reason for copying the behaviour