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psychology approaches Flashcards

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1
Q

what are the assumptions of the behaviourist approach

A

only interested in studying behaviour that can be observed and measured
tried to maintain more control and objectivity through lab studies
describe babys mind as a blank slate- all behaviour is learned and is written on the slate by experience
basic processes govern learning are the same in all species- animals replace humans as experimental subjects
classical and operant conditioning

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2
Q

what is classical conditioning

A

learning through association

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3
Q

how did pavlov study classical conditioning

A

showed how dogs could be conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell if it was repeatedly presented at the same time with the food
learned to associate the sound of the bell and food and would produce salivation of the sound of the bell

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4
Q

what is operant conditioning

A

learning is an active process where humans and animals learn to operate on their environment

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5
Q

what is positive reinforcement

A

receiving a reward when a certain behaviour is performed

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6
Q

what is negative reinforcement

A

when an animal or human avoids something unpleasant. the outcome is a positive experience.

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7
Q

what is punishment

A

an unpleasant consequence of behaviour

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8
Q

what do positive and negative reinforcement do

A

increase the likelihood the behaviour will be repeated again
but punishment decreases the likelihood the behaviour will be repeated again

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9
Q

what was skinners box

A

conducted with rats and pigeons
every time a rat activated a lever or pecked at a disc if it was a pigeon= it was rewarded with a food pellet (positive reinforcement)
he did the same but showed negative reinforcement through an electric shock

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10
Q

what is the well controlled evaluation points (behaviourist)

A

STRENGTHS
- based on well controlled research
- highly controlled lab settings
- broke down behaviour into basic stimulus response units- all other possible extraneous variables were removed
- allowed cause and effect relationships to be established
- have scientific credibility
WEAKNESSES
- may have oversimplified the learning processes
- reducing behaviour to such simple components- ignored the influence of human thought
- learning is more complex
- private mental processes are also essential

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11
Q

what is the real world application evaluation points (behaviourist)

A

STRENGTHS
-principles of behaviour has been applied to real world behaviours and contexts
- token economy systems used in institutions such as prisons- rewarding appropriate behaviour that can be exchanged for privileges (operant)
- been applied to the treatment of phobias (classical)
- increases the value of the approach
- has widespread application

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12
Q

what is the environmental determinism evaluation points (behaviourist)

A

WEAKNESSES
- sees all behaviour as conditioned by past conditioning experiences
- skinner- everything we do is the sum of total of our reinforcement history
- ignores influence of free will may have on behaviour
- extreme position and ignores the influence of conscious decision making process on behaviour

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13
Q

what is the ethical issues evaluation points (behaviourist)

A

WEAKNESSES
- animals housed in harsh cramped conditions
- deliberately kept below their natural weight so they were always hungry

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14
Q

what are the assumptions of the social learning theory

A

learn through observation and imitation
learning occurs directly through classical and operant conditioning and also indirectly

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15
Q

what is vicarious reinforcement

A

imitate the behaviour if the behaviour of the other person has been rewarded
the learner observes the behaviour but also the consequences

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16
Q

what are the mediationial processes and their roles

A

mediate in the learning process to determine whether a new response is acquired
attention- notice of the behaviour
retention- how well the behaviour is remembered
motor reproduction- the ability of the observer to perform the behaviour
motivation- the will to perform the behaviour- determined by whether the behaviour was rewarded or punished
the first two relate to the learning process and the second two relate to the performance of behaviour- they dont need to occur together
observed behaviour may be stored and reproduced at a later point

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17
Q

what is identification

A

more likely to imitate someone if it is people they identify with
the person they identify with is called a role model
the process of imitating a role model is modelling
person becomes a role model if they are seen to possess similar characteristics and or attractive and have high status
role models dont need to be physically present in the environment

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18
Q

what did bandura study and find

A

STUDY A
recorded the behaviour of young children who watched an adult behave in an aggressive way towards a bobo doll
adult hit the doll with a hammer and shouted abuse at it
children behaved more aggressively to bobo doll than any other toy they were observed playing with
STUDY B
group 1- saw adult being praised for their behaviour
group 2- adult punished for their behaviour
group 3- adult got no consequence for their behaviour
in order of aggression- group one then group 3 then group 2

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19
Q

what is the cognitive factors evaluation points (slt)

A

STRENGTHS
- recognises the importance of cognitive factors in learning
- neither classical nor operant can offer adequate account of learning on their own
- humans and animals store info about the behaviour of others and make judgements about when it is appropriate to perform these behaviours
- slt more comprehensive explanation of human learning
WEAKNESSES
- criticised for making too little reference to biological factors
- thought learning itself was determined by the environment
- observational learning may be result of mirror neurons in the brain found by research- allow us to empathise with and imitate other people
- biological influences were underemphasised by slt

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20
Q

what are the contrived lab studies evaluation points (slt)

A

WEAKNESSES
- evidence was gathered based on lab studies
- lab studies criticised for contrived nature
- pps may respond to demand characteristics
- pps may behave in a way they thought was expected of them
- research tells us little about how children actually learn aggression in every day life

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21
Q

what are the real world application evaluation points (slt)

A

STRENGTHS
- applied to a range of real world behaviours
- able to explain cultural differences
- can account for how children learn from others around them
- can further explain how norms and values are transmitted
- proved useful in understanding a range of behaviours
- increases the value of the approach
- can account for real world behaviours

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22
Q

what are the reciprocal determinism evaluation points (slt)

A

STRENGTHS
- emphasised reciprocal determinism- have some influence over external environment
- suggests there is some free will in the way we behave
- contrasts with the behaviourist approach denies the possibility of free will

23
Q

what are the assumptions of the cognitive approach

A

argues that internal mental processes can and should be studied scientifically
investigated those areas neglected by the behaviourists
these processes are private and cant be observed so have to be studied indirectly by making inferences about what is going on inside peoples minds on the basis of behaviour

24
Q

what is the role of schema

A

schema are packages of ideas and info developed through experience- they act as a mental framework the interpretation of incoming info
babies are born with simple motor schema for innate behaviours and as we get older our schemas become more detailed and sophisticated
adults have developed metal representations for everything
enables us to process lots of info quickly- useful as a mental shortcut that prevents us from being overwhelmed by environmental stimuli
can also distort our interpretations of sensory info leading to perceptual errors

25
Q

what is theoretical and computer models

A

these help them to understand internal mental processes
theoretical- abstract, info processing approach- info flows through cog system in a sequence of stages- input storage retrieval
computer model- similarity between human mind and computer- output input processing- developed artificial intelligence

26
Q

what is the emergence of cognitive neuroscience

A

scientific study of the influence of brain structures on mental processes
broca- how damage to an area of the frontal lobe could impair speech production
advances in brain imaging techniques (fMRI and PET scans)- able to scientifically observe and describe the neurological basis of mental processes
buckner and peterson- show how different types of ltm may be located on opposite sides of prefrontal cortex
scanning techniques proved useful in establishing neurological basis of some mental disorders eg ocd
focus of cog neuroscience expanded to include the use of computer generated models that are designed to read the brain- lead to development of mind mapping techniques known as brain fingerprinting
one future application- analyse the brain wave patterns of eyewitnesses to determine whether they are lying in court

27
Q

what are the scientific methods evaluation points (cog)

A

STRENGTHS
- uses objective scientific methods
- employ highly controlled and rigorous methods of study- able to infer cog processes at work
- the use of lab studies produce reliable objective data
- emergence of cog neuroscience- enable two fields of biology and cog psych come together to enhance the scientific basis of the study
- credible scientific basis
WEAKNESSES
- relies on the inference of mental processes rather than direct observation
- occasionally suffer from being too abstract and theoretical in nature
- often carried out using artificial stimuli that may not represent everyday experiences
- may lack external validity

28
Q

what are the real world application evaluation points (cog)

A

STRENGTHS
- practical application
- applied to wide range of practical and theoretical contexts
- cog psych made an important contribution in the field of artificial intelligence
- been applied to the treatment of depression
- improved the reliability of eye witness testimony
- supports the value of the approach

29
Q

what are the machine reductionism evaluation points (cog)

A

WEAKNESSES
- similarities between the human mind and computers ignores influence of human emotion and motivation on cog system and how this may affect our ability to process information
- human memory can be affected by emotional factors such as the influence of anxiety on eyewitnesses
- may weaken the validity of the approach

30
Q

what are the assumptions of the biological approach

A

everything physiological is first biological
must look at biological structures and processes within the body to understand the human behaviour
the mind lives in the brain- all thoughts and feelings and behaviour have a physical basis

31
Q

what is the neurochemical basis of behaviour

A

refers to the action of chemicals in the brain
thought and behaviour rely on chemical transmission in the brain
occurs using neurotransmitters
imbalance of neurochemicals causes mental disorders such as ocd and over production of dopamine

32
Q

what is the genetic basis of behaviour

A

psychological characteristics- inherited
twin studies used to investigate whether psychological characteristics have a genetic basis by concordance rates (the extent to which individuals share the same characteristics)
if characteristic is genetic all monozygotic twins would be concordant
dizygotic twins share 50% of genes so arent concordant

33
Q

what is the genotype and phenotype

A

genotype- genetic makeup
phenotype- the way genes are expressed through physical behaviourial and psychological characteristics
if you have the same genes the way they are expressed will be different due to environment
much of the human behaviour depends upon the interaction between inherited factors and the environment

34
Q

what is evolution and behaviour

A

charles darwin- evolution through natural selection (any genetically determined behaviour that enhances an individuals survival will continue in future generations)
natural selection takes place naturally in nature
if some traits give some benefits they are more likely to survive and reproduce but if they dont the traits dont remain in the gene pool for successive generations

35
Q

what is the real world application evaluation points (bio)

A

STRENGTHS
- real world application
- increased understanding of neurochemical processes is associated with the use of drugs to trwat mental disorders
- treat clinical depression using antidepressant that increase the level of neurotransmitter serotonin at synapses in the brain
- people with depression may be able to manage their condition and live their lives in their community rather than remain in hospital
WEAKNESSES
- antidepressants dont work for everyone
- research found that the effectiveness ranged but they are better than the placebo drug - effects of antidepressants were mainly modest
- challenges the value of the approach- suggests that brain chemistry alone may not account for all cases of depression for example

36
Q

what are the scientific methods evaluation points (bio)

A

STRENGTHS
- uses scientific methods of investigation
- makes use of a range of precise and highly objective methods
- scanning techniques (fMRI and EEGs)
- possible to accurately measure physiological and neural processes in ways that are not open to bias
- based on reliable and objective data

37
Q

what are the biological determinism evaluation points (bio)

A

WEAKNESSES
- deterministic
- sees human behaviour as governed by internal genetic causes over which we have no control
- phenotype is heavily influenced by the environment
- could violent criminal excuse their actions by claiming their behaviour was controlled by a crime gene
- often too simplistic
- ignores mediating effects of environment

38
Q

what is the role of the unconscious

A

freud- part of our mind that we know and are aware of (conscious mind)
unconscious- vast storehouse of biological drives and instincts that has significant influence on our behaviour and personality- contains threatening and disturbing memories that have been repressed which can be accessed through dreams and slips of the tongues (parapraxes)
preconscious- contains thoughts and memories which are not currently in conscious awareness but can still be accessed if desired

39
Q

what is the structure of personality

A

id- primitive part, pleasure principle, instant gratification, present at birth
ego- reality principle, mediator between id and superego, present at 2yrs, reduce the conflict between the demands of the id and superego by employing a number of defence mechanisms
superego- present at 5yrs, internalised sense of right and wrong, morality principle, represents moral standards of childs same sex parent and punishes ego for wrongdoing through guilt

40
Q

what are the psychosexual stages

A

oral (0-1yrs)- focus of pleasure is the mouth, oral fixation is smoking nail biting sarcasm critical
anal (1-3yrs)- focus of pleasure is the anus, anal retentive is perfectionist obsessive, anal expulsive is thoughtless messy
phallic (3-6yrs)- focus of pleasure is genital area, phallic personality is narcissistic reckless
latency- earlier conflicts are repressed
genital- sexual desires become conscious alongside onset of puberty, difficulty forming heterosexual relationships

41
Q

what are defence mechanisms

A

unconscious
ensure that the ego is able to prevent us from being overwhelmed by temp threats or traumas
often involve some distortion of reality and as a long term solution they are regarded as psychologically unhealthy and undesirable

42
Q

what is freuds study of little hans and the oedipus complex

A

phallic stage- little boys develop incenstuous feelings towards their mothers and murderous feelings for their fathers
fearing their fathers will castrate them, boys repress feelings for their mothers and identify with their father taking on his gender role and moral values
girls of the same age- penis envy desiring their father and hate for their mother
give up their desire for their father and replace it with a desire for a baby identifying with their mother in the process
supported this through little hans- five yr old developed phobia of horses after seeing one collapse in the street, displacement in which his repressed feelings for his father were transferred
horses were merely a symbolic representation of hans real unconscious fear- the fear of castration experienced during oedipus complex

43
Q

what are the real world application evaluation points (psychodynamic)

A

STRENGTHS
- introduced psychotherapy
- new form of therapy- psychoanalysis first attempt to treat mental disorders psychologically
- claims to help patients through bringing their repressed emotions into their conscious mind so they can be dealt with
- foundation of modern day talking therapies such as counselling
- shows the value of the approach
WEAKNESSES
- regarded as inappropriate and harmful for patients experiencing more serious mental disorders- schizophrenia
- lost the grip on reality and cant articulate their thoughts in the way required by psychoanalysis
- may not apply to all mental disorders

44
Q

what are the explanatory powers evaluation points (psychodynamic)

A

STRENGTHS
- ability to explain human behaviour
- huge influence on psych and contemporary thought
- remained key force in psych and been used to explain a wide range of phenomena
- significant in drawing attention to connection between experiences in childhood and later development
- had a positive impact on psychology

45
Q

what are the untestable concepts evaluation points (psychodynamic)

A

WEAKNESSES
- much of it is untestable
- does not meet scientific criterion of falsification
- not open to empirical testing
- many concepts occur at unconscious so nearly impossible to test
- based on subjective study of single individuals
- difficult to make universal claims on human behaviour
- pseudoscientific (not a real science) rather than established fact

46
Q

what is free will

A

humans are self determining and have free will
people still effected by external and internal influences and active agent who can determine who development
reject more scientific models that attempt to establish general principles of human behaviour
we are all unique- should concern itself with the study of subjective experiences rather than general laws
person centred approach

47
Q

what is maslows hierarchy of needs

A

motivate our behaviour
primary goal is self actualisation
physiological needs, safety and security, love and belongingness, self esteem and self actualisation

48
Q

what is self actualisation

A

achieve full potential- to be the best they can possibly be
regard personal growth as essential part of what it is to be human- concerned with developing and changing as a person to become fulfilled, satisfied, goal orientated
psychological barriers that may prevent a person from reaching their full potential

49
Q

what is the self, congruence and conditions of worth

A

way people see themselves must have congruence with ideal self
if too big a gap exists- state of incongruence and self actualisation will not be possible due to negative feelings of self worth
rogers client centred therapy to reduce gap
parent who sets limitations on their love for their child- stores up psychological problems in the future
saw his role being effective if provided with unconditional positive regard

50
Q

what is counselling psychology

A

led to modern day counselling
referred to clients because he saw them as being an expert of their own condition
client is encouraged towards the discovery of own solutions within theraputic setting that is warm supportive and non judgemental
effective therapist should provide with genuineness empathy and unconditional positive regard
increase the persons self worth reduce level of incongruence and help person become fully functioning
been praised as being forward looking and effective

51
Q

what are the non reductionist evaluation points (humanistic)

A

STRENGTHS
- rejects attempts to break up behaviour and experiences into smaller components
- advocate for holism- subjective experience can only be understood by considering the whole person
- more validity than alternatives within real world contexts
WEAKNESSES
- reductionist may be scientific
- reduce behaviour to independent and dependent variables
- relatively few concepts that can be broken down into single variables and measured
- short of empirical evidence to support its claims

52
Q

what are the positive approach evaluation points (humanistic)

A

STRENGTHS
- optimistic
- praised for bringing the person back into psychology
- promoting a positive image of the human condition
- see all people as basically good and free to work towards the achievement of their potential and control of their lives
- offers refreshing and optimistic alternative to other approaches

53
Q

what are the cultural bias evaluation points (humanistic)

A

WEAKNESSES
- culturally biased
- more readily accepted with individualist
- collectivist shared goals and interdependence
- might not be as important as others
- doesnt apply universally
- product of cultural context within it was produced

sociology and psychology (34 decks)

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