Psychology AQA Paper 2 AO3 Flashcards
Approaches- Learning Approach (Behaviorism) AO3
Behaviorism has increased our understanding of the causes of phobias and attachment.
Approaches- Learning Approach (Behaviorism) AO3
It has also given rise to therapies such as systematic desensitization and token economy.
Approaches- Learning Approach (Behaviorism) AO3
Behaviorism has experimental support: Pavlov showed that classical conditioning leads to learning by association. Watson and Rayner showed that phobias could be learned through classical conditioning in the “little Albert” experiment.
Approaches- Learning Approach (Behaviorism) AO3
It has practical applications. For example, systematic desensitization based on classical conditioning is used in the treatment of phobias. Classical and operant conditioning has also been used to explain attachment.
Approaches- Learning Approach (SLT) AO3
Social learning theory is supported by research by Bandura et al. (1961) and Badura and Walters (1963); however, these were laboratory experiments, and the task did not reflect the way the participants behaved in their normal life.
At this young age, parents would guide their understanding of the situation and moderate their behavior. This was not the case in the studies, as the children were on their own. The children were aggressive towards a doll that they know does not feel pain and could not retaliate; their behavior might be different towards another child.
Furthermore, the children were in an unfamiliar environment; they might have thought that they were expected to behave like the model (demand characteristics).
The participants were young children, older children, and adults who might not have imitated the aggressive behavior as they had more developed moral values.
Approaches- Learning Approach (SLT) AO3
The theory does not explain why the boys imitated the physically aggressive behavior more than the girls. Other factors must be involved, such as biological factors like testosterone.
Approaches- Learning Approach (SLT) AO3
SLT can explain the difference in behavior between different cultures as if a behavior is not displayed and it cannot be imitated. This can explain why groups such as the Amish are non-violent.
Approaches- Cognitive Approach AO3
The study of memory has led to the development of cognitive interviews, which has decreased the inaccuracy of eyewitness memory; this should lead to a decrease in wrongful convictions.
Approaches- Cognitive Approach AO3
It also helped us understand the causes of depression, and the approach also proposes a therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, which has shown to be effective for a range of mental disorders and, unlike drugs, has no side effects.
Approaches- Cognitive Approach AO3
The cognitive approach uses a very scientific method, mainly lab experiments. These are controlled and replicable, so the results are reliable; however, they lack ecological validity because of the artificiality of the tasks and environment, so they might not reflect the way people process information in their everyday life.
Approaches- Cognitive Approach AO3
By highlighting the importance of cognitive processing, the cognitive approach is able to offer an explanation for mental disorders such as depression, where Beck argues that it is the negative schemas we hold about the self, the world, and the future which lead to depression rather than external events.
However, it does not take into account the genetic factors which seem to be involved in mental disorders such as schizophrenia. Furthermore, this approach has led to cognitive behavioral therapy, which is an effective way to deal with depression and, unlike drugs, has no side effects.
Approaches- Psychodynamic Approach AO3
The psychodynamic approach has given rise to one of the first “talking cures, “psychoanalysis, on which many psychological therapies are now based. Psychoanalysis is rarely used now in its original form, but it is still used in a shorter version in some cases.
Approaches- Psychodynamic Approach AO3
This approach can be used to explain mental disorders such as depression and schizophrenia, although these explanations are rarely used by mainstream psychology. One of the very influential concepts put forward by Freud is the lasting importance of childhood on later life and development.
Approaches- Psychodynamic Approach AO3
The concepts of Id, ego and superego are very abstract and difficult to test experimentally, so the evidence is obtained from case studies (Little Hans and Anna O). However, the sample used in these case studies is mainly Austrian, so it lacks population validity.
Approaches- Psychodynamic Approach AO3
The theory is not falsifiable; if people behave in the way predicted by the theory, it is viewed as support; if they don’t, it is argued that they are using defense mechanisms.
Approaches- Humanistic Approach AO3
Based on this approach, client-centered therapy aims to increase clients’ self-worth and decrease the incongruence between the self-concept and the ideal self.
It is a non-directive therapy in which the client is encouraged to discover their own solutions to their difficulties in an atmosphere that is supportive and non-judgemental and that provides unconditional positive regard.
Approaches- Humanistic Approach AO3
It focuses on the present rather than dwelling on the past, unlike psychoanalysis. This therapy is widely used, e.g., in health, education, and industry.
Approaches- Humanistic Approach AO3
It has given rise to a new way of looking at people’s needs; for example, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is widely used in health and social work as a framework for assessing clients’ needs.
Approaches- Humanistic Approach AO3
The approach uses non-scientific research methods. As its aim is to understand people’s subjectivity, it uses methods that yield qualitative data, such as unstructured interviews or participant observations. These are difficult/ impossible to replicate, and the interpretation of the data is influenced by researcher bias.
Biopsychology- Localization of Function AO3
Petersen et al (1988) found that Wernicke’s area was active when performing listening tasks, and Broca’s area was active when undertaking reading tasks. This supports the idea that different areas of the brain have specific functions.
Biopsychology- Localization of Function AO3
The case of Phineas Gage (1848) supports localisation of function. Gage suffered an accident when a large metal pole was forced up through his head following an industrial accident, removing most of his left frontal lobe. Amazingly, he survived, his personality changed- he became short-tempered and rude. This suggests that mood regulation may be the responsibility of the frontal lobe.
Biopsychology- Plasticity and Functional Recovery AO3
Research in this area has led to a useful practical application. As the brain’s spontaneous recovery slows down in the time after a trauma, this suggests that therapy will be needed to help continue the process. This has led to success in the field of neurorehabilitation.
Biopsychology- Localization of Function AO3
Dougherty et al (2002) found that a third of OCD sufferers who had part of the cingulate gyrus removed from their brain showed improvement in symptoms following the procedure. This, and similar studies of neurosurgery, shows that particular areas of the brain may be responsible for specific behaviours.
Biopsychology- Plasticity and Functional Recovery AO3
Bezzola et al (2012) found that when given 40 hours of golf training, participants aged 40-60 showed evidence of changes to the neural representation of movement in the motor cortex. This supports neural plasticity, and that it can happen at potentially any age.
