psychology - approaches Flashcards
what is empiricism?
the belief that all knowledge is derived from sensory experience
what is introspection?
the process by which a person gains knowledge about his or her own mental and emotional states as a result of the examination or observation of their conscious thoughts and feelings.
what was Wundt’s belief about the human mind?
it could be studied scientifically along with all other aspects of nature
what is structuralism?
a school of thought that seeks to understand the structures of the human mind by observing the basic components of consciousness
what is introspection?
Introspection is a process by which a subject, as objectively as possible, examines and explains the components of their conscious experience.
what are the evaluation points for Wundt’s work?
Nisbett and Wilson- participants don’t actually know how the human brain works
does the introspective technique have real world application?
Hunter (2003)- bleepers that went off at random times of the day would prompt teenagers to write down their thoughts and feelings, they found that the teenagers were happiest when they were doing a challenging task
what are the strengths of the scientific method ?
it is made to be replicable meaning other researchers can repeat it with different circumstances meaning the can approve of the work. You can also establish cause and effect
what are the limitations of the scientific method?
it is difficult to measure aspects of human development such as cognitive development. the data’s reliability is limited to human interpretation
What is the process of classical conditioning
a NS is paired with a UCS and then association forms, this means the NS->CS and the CS forms a CR
what is the process of operant conditioning?
adding or taking away something good or bad in order to manipulate a certain behavior
what is classical conditioning?
learning through association- involves a natural reflex response
what is operant conditioning?
involves shaping behavior through consequences i.e. rewarding behavior that is encouraged and punishing behavior that is discouraged
what is the fundamental belief of behaviourism ?
behavior is learnt.(through classical and operant conditioning) behavior is not innate
what is meant by stimulus generalization?
once a behavior is conditioned the response can happen with other similar stimuli
what is partial reinforcement?
the behavior is learnt through occasional reinforcement
What is modelling?
a form of learning where individuals learn a particular behaiour by observing another individual performing that behaviour
what is imitation?
the act of using someone or something as a model and copying their behaviour
what is identification?
the extent to which the individual relates to the model, they must feel they are similar enough to experience the same outcome of the behaviour
what is vicarious reinforcement ?
learning through observing others and imitating behavior that are rewarded
what is the fundamental belief of the biological approach?
all behaviour can be explained in terms of the individuals biology
what are the influences for the biological explanation of behaviour?
genetic basis of behaviour, genotype and phenotype, biological structures, neurochemistry and evolution
What does hereditary mean?
The passing of genes from one generation to the next and this is how we “take after our parents”
What is genotype?
The genetic code written into the DNA of an individuals cells
What is phenotype?
The physical appearance of the individual as a result of this inherited information
What is the peripheral nervous system?
Somatic and automatic nervous system. The nervous system carries messages around the body via neurons.
What is the frontal lobe responsible fpr?
Speech, thought, learning
What are the temporal lobes responsible for?
Hearing and memory
What are the parietal lobes responsible for?
Process sensory information e.g. touch temperature and pain
What is the occipital lobes responsible for?
Process visual information
what is an excitatory neurotransmitter?
those that trigger an impulse
what did Buss(1989) find to do with evolutionary preferences?
Buss found universal similarities in mate preferences in 37 different cultures. Women preferred men with more resources and men preferred younger women because of their reproductive value
what is an inhibitory neurotransmitter?
those that stop an impulse(calm and balance the mood)
What is an example of an excitatory neurotransmitter?
dopamine, because it is associated with drive and motivation
What is an example of an inhibitory neurotransmitter?
serotonin, necessary to maintain a stable mood
how does the endocrine system work?
Hormones are secreted from the pituitary gland directly into the blood stream and travel to target cells and stimulate receptors cells in or outside the cells causing a physiological reaction
What is the evolutionary explanation of behaviour?
(biological approach)
organisms adapt to their environment over time which is known as natural selection, individuals in a species will differ in characteristics and those characteristics that are better suited for survival will outcompete the others in that population. those who survive will reproduce and the characteristics will be passed on
Who was the psychodynamic approach created by?
Sigmund Freud
What are the four parts of the psychodynamic approach?
Defense mechanisms, the role of the unconscious, psychosexual stages of development and the structure of personality
What are the 3 parts of the structure of personality in the psychodynamic approach?
Id- selfish desires and basic drives, known as the pleasure principle. Ego- known as the reality principle, balances the demand of the Id and superego. Superego- morality principle, develops through socialization and gives feelings of guilt and shame
Explain defense mechanisms as a part of the psychodynamic approach.
These are triggered when the Ego cannot mediate between the id and superego so your mind undergoes an unconscious process of distorting reality so the individual doesn’t have to think about the trauma.
Explain denial as a defense mechanism
When a person cannot accept the facts about the negative affects of a situation or scenario e.g. smoking has health risks
Explain displacement as a defense mechanism
transferring feelings of anger and frustration towards something that isn’t the origin of the anger e.g. being annoyed at homework so you shout at a little sibling
Explain repression as a defense mechanism
repression is where you move an uncomfortable memory to your unconscious so you don’t have to experience it, but this can build up which is what causes anxiety
What are the parts of Freuds psychosexual stages of development?
Oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital
what are the adult traits associated with problems at the oral stage?
optimism, gullibility, dependency, pessimism, passivity, hostility, sarcasm and aggression
what are the adult traits associated with problems at the anal stage?
excessive cleanliness, orderliness, stinginess, messiness, rebelliousness and destructiveness
what are the adult traits associated with problems at the phallic stage?
flirtatiousness, vanity, promiscuity pride and chastity
What is the fundamental belief of the psychodynamic approach?
all of our behavior is caused by unconscious drives that operate in our mind
How are mental disorders solved by the psychodynamic approach?
accessing the unconscious part of the mind and bringing repressed memories into conscious awareness(Psychoanalysis)
How do the psychosexual stages of development work?
Freud believed that we pass through five stages and that at each stage we resolve the issues and move onto the next one, however if there is a problem or trauma at a stage then we become fixated at that particular stage which will therefore show traits that are associated at the stage when we become adults.
What is the fundamental approach of the humanistic approach?
We are all capable of achieving our potential , exercising free will and control over our destiny, when we receive unconditional love and regard
What are the levels of maslow’s hierarchy of needs?
Physiological-basic needs, safety- enough to live on, love/belonging- friendship and family etc, Esteem- confidence and achievement etc, self actualization- morality and lack of prejudice and acceptance of facts etc.
What is the role of the unconscious?
Freud believed that most of our mind is unconscious and that our conscious mind has minimal amounts of material. It is the unconscious behavior that drives our behavior
What is free will?
the belief that people have full conscious belief over their own destiny and you make your own decisions but it could be hindered by external factors
What is self actualisation?
the highest level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs which the drive to be the best version of yourself
What is the hierarchy of needs ?
5 areas of the human conscious that you need to complete one level completely before you can progress the the next level
What is congruence?
the difference what we perceive ourselves to be and how we want to be, if these are more similar then we have a higher level of confidence.
What does incongruence mean?
the part of your desired self that you are missing
What does focus on self mean?(humanistic approach)
Based on your interactions with other people and it is about having self insight. you are able to understand yourself
What are conditions of worth?
An individual has created ideas of what they believe is a bad thing to have and if they have these then they won’t feel worthy in a social setting. You believe there is a set criteria for you to achieve in order to feel self worth
What is the position taken by a humanistic counsellor?(humanistic approach)
guides/facilitates to help people understand themselves rather than giving them direct advice
What are the conditions that a counsellor might provide during therapy?(humanistic)
empathy and unconditional positive regard. They would offer a supportive environment despite what they think about the clients attitudes
What is the fundamental belief of the social learning theory?
we learn through observation of role models nd we imitate behaviour that seems to be rewarded
What was the procedure of Bandura et al’s bobo doll study?
Bandura et al had nursery school children observe an adult assaulting a large inflated Bobo doll in specific ways i.e. kicking, hurling and being pummelled with a mallet. the environment that the experiment was conducted i had various other typical children’s toys to remove any social demand
What were the findings of Bandura et al’s bobo doll study?
the children who observed the aggressive behaviour reproduced much of the models aggressive behaviour. Children who observed the non-aggressive model showed almost no aggression.
What are mediational processes?
the internal mental processes that exist between environmental stimuli and the response made by an individual to those stimuli
What is the fundamental belief of the cognitive approach?
Behaviour can be studied by looking at the internal mental processes that occur in our conscious
What are the three internal mental processes (cognitive approach)
schemas, theoretical and computer models, emergence of cognitive neuroscience
What are two examples of theoretical models (cognitive approach)
MSM and the WMM
What is the aim of cognitive neuroscience?
explore the neurobiological basis of thought processes and disorders
How is the cognitive neuroscience studied?
PET scans and fMRI scans study the brain structures to understand the internal mental processes
