Perspective Flashcards
What is the social areas?
The Social Area looks at understanding human behaviour in a social context; that is looking at the factors that lead to us to behave in a given way due to the presence of others.
Strength so fteh social area
Useful applications to real world events - Milgram helps explain terrible events such as the holocaust,
Strengths of the social area 2
Often high in ecological validity. Field experiments are commonly performed (e.g. Piliavin) and because they take place in a natural environment, the researchers are likely to observe natural behaviour, which can then be generalised with greater confidence.
Weaknesses of the social area 1
Explanations can be deterministic - as they can assume that all behaviour is the result of social processes.
Weaknesses of social area
Making experiments ecologically valid often brings ethical issues. For example, participants in field experiments often do not know that they are participating and so cannot give consent.
Cognitive area
Cognitive psychology involves the study of internal mental processes—all of the things that go on inside your brain, including perception, thinking, memory, attention, language, problem-solving, and learning.
Strengths of cognitive area 1
Cognitive psychology is very scientific, based mainly on laboratory experiments. This means that it’s conclusions are more likely to be reliable, because large amounts of data will be collected and compared.
Strengths of teh cognitive area 2
Experiments are also likely to be high in internal validity, as they will attempt to control all extraneous variables so that only the IV can affect the DV.
Weaknesses of the cognitive 1
Because it only looks for the causes of our behaviour in our thought processes, the cognitive approach is reductionist. It ignores possible causes for our behaviour that could have come from, for example, our social environment or our biology.
Weaknesses of the cognitive area 2
Lab experiments are low in ecological validity because they create unusual situations for participants. This may lead participants to behave strangely, producing behaviour that is not representative of normal life. This means we cannot be completely confident about generalising the findings.
Biological area
The biological area focuses on genetic, neurochemical and how the brain and nervous system work as explanations of behaviour
Strengths of teh biological area 1
It is very scientific because the experiments used are measurable, objective and can be repeated to test for reliability
Strengths of teh biological area 2
It is deterministic because it increases the likelihood of being able to treat people with abnormal behaviour and provides explanations about the causes of behaviour.
Weaknesses of teh biological area 1
Focuses too much on the ‘nature’ side of the nature/nurture debate. It argues that behaviour is caused by hormones, neurotransmitters and genetics.
Weaknesses of teh biological area 2
it often fails to account for other influences on behavior. Things such as emotions, social pressures, environmental factors, childhood experiences, and cultural variables can also play a role in the formation of psychological problems.
Developemntal area
Developmental psychology looks at how thinking, feeling, and behavior change throughout a person’s life.
Strengths of teh developemental area 1
Very useful applications to real life.
Strengths of teh devlopemnal area 2
Children require simple experiments with standardised procedures if they are to understand what they are doing. This is a big advantage, as it means that the findings from the experiments are likely to be more reliable.
Weaknesses fo the devlopmentla area 1
Children are very easily influenced by other people. Demand characteristics can therefore occur very easily.
WEaknesses of the developmental 2
There are ethical issues with the use of children. Children under 16 require parental consent to participate in experiments, but as they cannot give consent themselves, they may not want to participate. Younger children are also very unlikely to understand that they have a right to withdraw.
Assumptions of teh biological area
There is a direct correlation between brain activity and cognition
Biochemical imbalances can affect behaviour
Assumptions of the cognitive area
The mind actively processes information from our senses (touch, taste etc.).
Between stimulus and response are complex mental processes, which can be studied scientifically.
Assumptiosn of the developmental area
Development is life long
There is plasticty in development
Assumptions of teh social area?
Our relationships with others influence our behaviour and thought processes.
All human behaviour occur in a social context
Social study
Milgram
Developmental stduy
Kholberg
Cognitive study
Grant
Biological stduy
Sperry
