Psychology A1 - assumptions of four approaches

Question 1

1. assumption of cognitive approach

Answer 1

-Behaviour is a product of information processing
-‘cognitive’ = mental processes
-humans are processors of information, we take it in and blend it with stored knowledge to come up with new thoughts
-use internal mental processes, work together to enable us to make sense of the world
-passes through stages, occurs together and work cooperatively
-example, see a dog, notice it (perception), focus on it (attention), recognise it (memory) and can name it (language)

Question 2

2. assumption of cognitive approach

Answer 2

-brain can be compared to a computer
-both process information through 3 stages
1.goes into system (input)
2. changed and/or stored (processed)
3. respond to environment (output)
-brain is our central processing unit, codes information to change it from one format to another

Question 3

1. assumptions of the social approach

Answer 3

-behaviours occur in a social context
-‘social’ - other members of your species, humans are ‘social animals’
-behaviour is therefore best understood by considering the influence of others
-example, conformity
-social psychologists believe that social situations are biggest influence on behaviour rather than personality

Question 4

2. assumptions of the social approach

Answer 4

-wider culture and society influence people’s behaviour
-two types of culture; individualist and collectivist (Hofstede 2001)
-individualist cultures: UK, US, main priority is needs of individual, what matters is that we can achieve our potential and goals
-collectivist cultures: China, India, prioritise community before own needs, people seek partners approved by their family (Bejanyan et al, 2015)

Question 5

1. assumptions of the behaviourist and social learning approaches

Answer 5

-behaviour is learned as a response to environmental stimuli
-classical conditioning: learning through association, Pavlov (1927) - lab dogs salivated when door opened as they learned to associate noise with food
-operant conditioning: Skinner (1938) - when a behaviour produces a pleasurable consequence of the environment, likely to be repeated in future, environment reinforces behaviour

Question 6

2. assumptions of the behaviourist and social learning approaches

Answer 6

-behaviour can be learned from observation and imitation
-Bandura (1977), learning occurs through observation and imitation of other’s behaviour
-children observe behaviour of other people, become role models
-likely to imitate role models if their behaviour has been rewarded – vicarious reinforcement

Question 7

1. assumptions of biological approach

Answer 7

-behaviour is influenced by our biology
-behaviour, thoughts and feelings have a physical basis
-CNS: brain and spinal cord, control centre of body, different areas of brain preform different functions, damage to CNS/brain can affect functions
-Genes: biological ‘units’ of DNA inherited from parents, interact with environmental influences
-Neurochemistry: chemicals called neurotransmitters, active in brain, affect behaviour

Question 8

2. assumptions of biological approach

Answer 8

-behaviour is a product of evolution
-Darwin (1859), genetically-determined behaviour are inherited to future generations
-behaviours continued are naturally selected, enhance individual’s chances of survival
-example, individual has good hunting skills, more likely to survive and reproduce, hunting skills would be passed on