Topic 5: Approaches in Psychology

Question 1

What are the 5 approaches ?

Answer 1

Behavioural
Cognitive
Biological
Psychodynamic
Humanistic

Question 2

Who was the father of experimental psychology ?

Answer 2

Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920)

Question 3

Introspection

Answer 3

This is a technique devised by Wundt so a person can gain knowledge about their own mental and emotional states as a result of the examination of their conscious thought and feelings.

Question 4

Psychology

Answer 4

The scientific study of the mind and behaviour

Question 5

Problems with introspection

Answer 5

• doesn’t explain how the mind works
• relies on people describing their thoughts and feelings , which usually isn’t objective
• doesn’t provide data that can be used reliably

Question 6

Reductionism

Answer 6

Wundt believed in reductionism - the idea that things can be reduced to smaller, measurable parts

Question 7

Features that make something a science

Answer 7

Objectivity
Control
Predictability
Replication
Hypotheses testing- theories generate predictions (hypotheses)

Question 8

Arguments for psychology as a science

Answer 8

• Allport (1947) said psychology has the same aims as science - to predict, understand and control
• the behaviourists , cognitive and biological approaches use scientific procedures.

Question 9

Arguments against psychology as a science

Answer 9

• there are approaches in psychology which use unreliable methods - interview techniques which can be biased
• psychological experiments are also open to extraneous variables which can be hard to control

Question 10

Behaviourist approach

Answer 10

A learning approach that suggests all children are born as “tabulae rasae” (blank states), learning through their interactions with their environment

Question 11

Biological approach

Answer 11

A learning approach that views human behaviour as a result of genetics and proposes that individual psychology stems from internal psychology

Question 12

Classical conditioning

Answer 12

A form of learning which occurs by associating naturally occurring instinct with new stimuli, thus creating a “conditioned” response

Question 13

Cognitive approach

Answer 13

A learning approach which likens the human mind to a computer, with internal mental processes turning an input to an output. This approach suggests studying these internal processes by inference is the key to understanding human psychology.

Question 14

Congruence

Answer 14

When a persons ideal self and actual self are aligned

Question 15

Defence mechanisms

Answer 15

Strategies employed by the ego to protect the mind from feelings that may be too overwhelming

Question 16

Displacement

Answer 16

A defence mechanism utilised by the unconscious mind. This mechanism works by substituting the real target of overwhelming emotions with a (usually) defenceless target . This allows for a cathartic release of emotions that would not be possible with the original target

Question 17

Denial

Answer 17

A defence mechanism utilised by the unconscious mind . This is the complete refusal to acknowledge the occurrence of an event, in an attempt to prevent harm

Question 18

Contrast the behavioural and biological approaches

Answer 18

• Behaviourists believe all behaviour is learned through your environment (through classical and operant conditioning) whereas biological psychology theorises that behaviour is determined by genes, hormones and neurochemistry.
• Behaviourists take the side of nurture while biological psychologists favour nurture.
• Both are reductionist as they only focus on either environment or biology, rather than taking a more holistic approach and considering psychodynamic explanations, for example.
• Both have informed effective treatment methods, for example Classical conditioning has been applied to systematic desensitisation, and this has been helpful in helping people deal with phobias, while many medications have been developed to treat a whole range of mental illnesses.

Question 19

Schema

Answer 19

This is a mental framework of beliefs and expectations that influence cognitive processing. Schemas contain our understanding of an object, a person or an idea.
Schemas become increasingly complex during development as we gain more information about each object/idea.

Question 20

What approaches are on the side of nature in the nature vs nurture debate

Answer 20

Biological
Psychodynamic

Question 21

What is the role of reinforcement in behaviour ?

Answer 21

This refers to things that strengthen and increase the likelihood that a behaviour will be repeated in the future

Question 22

What approaches take the side of nurture in the nature vs nurture debate ?

Answer 22

Behaviourist
Humanistic
Social Learning theory
Psychodynamic

Question 23

Vicarious reinforcement

Answer 23

This refers to learning that is not the result of direct reinforcement, but rather through observing someone else being reinforced for that behaviour