Psychology as a Science Flashcards

1
Q

What is the hypothetico deductive model?

A

When a theory is formulated - hypothesis is derived - hypothesis is tested empirically - amending or agreeing with theory

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2
Q

What is falsification?

A

Must be possible to prove it wrong but don’t actually have to, e.g can’t falisfy id, ego, superego

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3
Q

What is reductionism?

A

Breaking things into parts in order to study it more effectively, reducing a behaviour to one aspect e.g genes

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4
Q

What is empricism?

A

States that the only source of knowledge comes through our senses. Knowledge can’t come through chains of reasoning, must be experienced

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5
Q

What is a paradigm?

A

One overall theory within a subject in order to make predictions. Needs to be accepted by everyone in that subject. All appraches disagree.

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6
Q

What is a nomathetic approach?

A

A scientific approach to behaviour that focuses on large samples in testing/experiments that seeks to find generalised laws that apply to all

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7
Q

What is an ideographic approach?

A

A non scientific approach that focuses on small samples/individuals that does not seek to find generalised laws

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8
Q

How are case studies in clinical unscientific?

A

Bradshaw (1998) is an ideographic case study that cannot provide general laws of behaviour as there is just one in the sample and she is female and has undifferentiated type which isn’t the same for all schizophrenics

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9
Q

How does clinical psychology use empirical evidence?

A
  • Monoamines can be seen in monoamine hypothesis
  • Dopamine can be seen and measured in NT hypothesis
  • Genetics are testable through concordance rates
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10
Q

How doesn’t clinical psychology use emprical evidence?

A
  • 4Ds very subjective and difficult to see

- Symptoms of depression/schizophrenia difficult to see - auditory hallucinations

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11
Q

How can studies in clinical psychology be falsified?

A
  • Rosenhan (1973) - would have to detect them as sane
  • Brown (1986) - if no onset of depression after life event
  • Williams et al (2013) - if no improvement after iCBT and CBM
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12
Q

How can’t studies in clinical psychology be falsified?

A
  • Cognitive explanation is difficult to falsify - difficult to see cognitive triad and prove negative automatic thoughts
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13
Q

How is the methodology in clinical psychology scientific?

A
  • Bradshaw (1998) case study = unscientific
  • Carlsson (2000) used PET scans :) but also interviews :(
  • Williams (2013) randomised ppts into intervention or WLC and measured effectiveness of CBT objectively
  • Brown (1986) used interviews = subjective
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14
Q

Is clinical psychology reliable?

A
  • DSM and ICD - Cooper (1972) NYC 2X as likely to diagnose sz as London who are 2X as likely to diagnose depression = :(
  • Beck (1962) 54% agreement when 2 clinicans looked at 153 patients = :(
  • Rosenhan (1973) replicated each time a pseudopatient went to the hospital = :)
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15
Q

Is clinical psychology reductionist?

A
  • Cognitive explanation doesn’t take into account biological factors - :)
  • Monoamine hypothesis ignores environment - :)
  • Dopamine hypothesis ignores environment - :)
  • Brown (1986) ignores biological vulnerabilities - :)
  • Social causation - more holistic but still reductionist
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16
Q

What issues are there with cause and effect in clinical psychology?

A
  • Does high dopamine cause schizophrenia or is it a side effect?
  • DSM and ICD supposed to predict cause of a disorder but no one cause
  • Pontizosky (2006) 94.2% ppv
  • Heather (1976) only 50% chance of predicting treatment from diagnosis
  • Bannister (1964) no clear cut relationship diagnosis and treatment
17
Q

How do theories follow the hypothetico deductive model in clincal psychology?

A
  • Dopamine hypothesis: theory derived (excess dopamine = sz) PCP studies showed low glutamate = excess dopamines -> ammended theory
18
Q

How does learning psychology follow the hypothetico deductive model?

A

Theory - we learn through stimulus-response, hypothesis - positive reinforcement = increase targetted behaviour, testing - Skinner isolates behaviour in rats or pigeons to see if positive reinforcement has the effect of increasing the frequency of behaviour

19
Q

How does biological psychology follow the hypothetico deductive model?

A

Theory - our brains affect behaviour. Hypothesis - there will be a difference in brain function between murderers and non-murderers. Tested empirically by giving participants a task and then scanning their brains.

20
Q

How does learning psychology use falsification?

A
  • If Pavlov’s dogs didn’t salivate
  • If Albert didn’t show fear to white rat
  • If rat didn’t press lever after getting food from pressing it
21
Q

How isn’t the psychodynamic approach falsifiable?

A

Doesn’t have hypotheses that risk being contradicted as it is not possible to test things like the id, ego and superego and therefore these concepts are not falsifiable.

22
Q

How does biological psychology use falsification?

A
  • Possible to use experiments to falsify that the amygdala is linked to aggressive behaviour.
  • If normal testosterone and cortisol found in those who are aggressive
23
Q

How does social psychology use falsification?

A
  • If Burger (2009) found lower obedience than Milgram
  • If Sherif (1954/61) showed no prejudice and were friendly
  • If all Milgram’s participants refused
24
Q

How can cognitive psychology be falsified?

A
  • If participants could do two tasks using the same store

- If participants didn’t reconstruct any memories and memorised things exactly as they were

25
Q

How does biological psychology use scientific subject matter?

A
  • Genes
  • Hormones
  • Brain regions
26
Q

How does and doesn’t learning psychology use scientific subject matter?

A

They make behaviour measurable, e.g., no. of times a rat presses a lever, therefore testable and so scientific subject matter. SLT includes cognition such as attention and motivation, which are much harder to measure.

27
Q

How doesn’t the psychodynamic approach use scientific subject matter?

A

The unconscious, repression, parts of the personality are extremely hard to test/measure. Therefore not scientific subject matter.

28
Q

How does social psychology look at scientific subject matter?

A
  • Obedience is measurable - either complete task or don’t
29
Q

How does cognitive psychology look at scientific subject matter?

A
  • Memory - words recalled - behaviour is measurable
30
Q

How are the approaches reductionist?

A
  • Biological - only genes hormones etc ignores environemnt
  • Learning - each theory only looks at one way of learning - doesn’t combine them all to make it holistic
  • Social - assumes only people and environment influence behaviour as opposed to biological factors
  • Cognitive - recon more holistic but all largely ignore how situation influences memory
31
Q

Are the approaches nomathetic or ideographic?

A
  • Learning - born as blank slates - learn all behaviour
  • Psychodynamic approach - find general laws like all use defense mechanism
  • Cognitive case studies - ideographic
  • Biological - nomathetic - all have genes etc universal
32
Q

Does child use nomathetic or ideographic research?

A
  • Privation - ideographic - case studies

- Attachment - nomathetic - 3 types for all

33
Q

Is child reductionist or holistic?

A
  • Theory of attachment ignore biological presdispositions for different attachments
  • Bowlby considers evolution and upbringing - holistic
  • EMB - reductionist
  • TOM - reductionist
34
Q

How might child not be scientific?

A
  • Lots of qualitative data
  • Although strange situation a scientific method
  • Lack of statistical test apart from Li et al (2013)