Cognitive Approach

Question 1

What are the strengths of determinism in cognitive approach ?

Answer 1

Allows psychologists to research and understand what causes behaviour. This allows psychologists to develop new treatments and therapies.

Question 2

Why may determinism be a weakness of cognitive approach ?

Answer 2

Criminals may use this excuse to justify bad behaviour as it is out of their control. They cannot change their behaviour if it is predetermined for them.

Question 3

Why is reductionism a strength of cognitive approach V

Answer 3

Taking a more complex phenomenon and breaking it down into its smaller constituent parts help psychologists to investigate more easily.

Question 4

Why is reductionism a weakness of cognitive approach ?

Answer 4

Psychologists can ignore the bigger factors associated with human behaviour.
Simplifying too much can distort from bigger issue.
Not a complete account of human behaviour.

Question 5

Is cognitive approach applied successfully ?

Answer 5

Yes

Psychological knowledge of the cognitive approach has led to CBT.
This is an extremely effective therapy used in todays society. Deals with issues such as OCD.

Question 6

What are the main components of cbt ?

Answer 6

Cognitive restructuring
Negative thought diary
Pleasant activity scheduling

Question 7

What is pleasant activity scheduling ?

Answer 7

The patient is asked to schedule one pleasant activity a day over a week.
These activities should either give a sense of accomplishment ie going to the gym or encourage patient to change their routine.
By engaging in more pleasant activity, patients will experience more positive emotions and distract from negative thoughts.
Known as behavioural activation.
Clients are asked to record their experiences.

Question 8

What is cognitive restructuring ?

Answer 8

Therapist and client work together to change negative thinking patterns.
This is aka as therapy during therapy.
A client says what they may be distressed about ie somebody gave them a dirty look.
The therapist will then challenge with rational questions like is there enough evidence to suggest this? If so what is the worst that can happen ?
Aims to replace negative thinking with more rational thoughs.

Question 9

What is negative thought diary ?

Answer 9

Client is asked to keep a journal as homework.
When a negative event brings negative emotions they are asked to write it down.
They are then asked to rate how much they believe in these emotions from 1-100%
They are then asked to write a rational response and rate this in how much they believe in it.
They are then asked to re rate their original response. This is challenging dysfunctional thoughts and teaching a more rational way to to approach things.

Question 10

Does research support the effectiveness of cbt?

Answer 10

In many studies CBT has been found highly effective in challenging and treating negative thoughts.
Jarred et al found that CBT was as effective as some anti depressant drugs when treating patients with severe depression over a 10 week period.
Hollon et al found CBT was not as effective as another type of antidepressant in another 10 week trial.
Therefore, CBT may not be the most effective way to deal with these issues.

Question 11

How does therapist competence effect Cbt?

Answer 11

The ability for a therapist to structure successions, assign “homework” and the ability to enable and establish relationships will effect the results.
Kuyken and tsivrikos suggest 15% of the varied outcomes of CBT effectiveness are due to therapist competence.
Therefore CBT may not be effective for all clients as each may have a different approach and therefore different outcome.

Question 12

How will Individual differences effect the effectiveness of Cbt ?

Answer 12

May be more suitable to some more than others.
Individual differences should be taken into account when applying therapies.
CBT may be less effective for those with irrational thoughts.
Simons et al people may be stressed due to realistic stressors ie job or money. Wouldn’t be effective as it isn’t irrational.

Question 13

Why is patient blame an ethical issue in Cbt ?

Answer 13

CBT suggest that the client is responsible.
It does not take into account other factors ie home life or relationships.
These could be contributing factors.
Therefore the real cause of the problem is not being treated and symptoms may arise again.

Question 14

Why is rationality an ethical concern in Cbt ?

Answer 14

While some thoughts may seem irrational to some people, they may not be irrational.
Alloy and Abrahamson suggested that depressive realists see things for what they truly are and normal people distort life in a positive way.
Therefore ethical issues such as psychological harm could occur as we are changing the way people perceive things according to how we see them.

Question 15

What was the methodology of loftus and palmer ?

Answer 15

Two experiments
Conducted in a lab
With independent groups design each experiment had different participants.
Experiment 1 - 45 student participants
Experiment 2 - 150 student

Question 16

Procedures of experiment 1 ?

Answer 16

-shown 7 clips of different car accidents.
-ranged from 5-30 seconds long
- participants received a questionnaire
- asked a range of questions about what they seen
- how fast were the cars going when they —— ? The word in space changed from group to group.
- 5 groups each had 9 participants

Question 17

What words were used to fill in the blanks ?

Answer 17

Smashed
Hit
Collided
Bumped
Contacted
Each group was asked to estimate the speed in mph the car was travelling at.

Question 18

What we’re the procedures in experiment 2 ?

Answer 18

Whether leading questions affected a persons memory.
Shown a film of a car crash.
Accident lasted less than 4 seconds
Asked a set of questions and the critical question about speed.
Divided into three groups of 50 participants.

Question 19

What we’re group 1 asked in experiment 2 ?

Answer 19

How fast were the cars going when they smashed into eachother ?

Question 20

What were group 2 asked in experiment 2 ?

Answer 20

How fast were the cars going when they hit eachother ?

Question 21

What were group 3 asked in experiment 2 ?

Answer 21

Control group
No questions asked.

Question 22

What was the second part of experiment 2 ?

Answer 22

One week later they returned.
All participants were asked did you see any broken glass ?
No broken glass shown in film.
Those who thought car was travelling faster may have expected broken glass.

Question 23

What were the conclusions of loftus and palmer study ?

Answer 23

The form of the question asked can effect the witnesses answer to that question

Question 24

What we’re the explanations for loftus and palmers conclusion?

Answer 24

Response bias factors
Memory is altered

Question 25

What is meant by response bias factors ?

Answer 25

The different speed estimates occurred because the critical word influences the persons response.

Question 26

What is meant by memory is altered ?

Answer 26

Perception of accident is different according to word used.
In experiment 2, leading questions changed the memory the person had for the event.

Question 27

What is the evaluation of loftus and palmer methodology and procedures.

Answer 27

Controlled experiment- demonstrates a causal relationship. By manipulating iv we can see the effect on the dv.
Ecological validity- lacks ecological validity as p’s didn’t witness accident so may respond differently. Foster et al showed that when participants believed they were watching a real robbery and their responses would influence the trial the identification of robber was more accurate.
The sample - unrepresentative and lack of population validity as it was just student used.

Question 28

What we’re the ethical implications of Watson and Rayner ?

Answer 28

Lack of valid consent- participants weren’t aware of the true aims of the study. Aims were hidden so participants didn’t act more careful of their responses. This would make study useless.
Deception was used.
Psychological harm - watching films could’ve brought up sensitive issues for participants. This could cause distress for individuals and lead to psychological harm. However, less psychological harm than them expecting a real accident.

Question 29

What is the researcher for therapist competence ?

Answer 29

Kuyken and tsivikos
15% of varied outcomes of Cbt are down to the competence of therapist.

Question 30

What was the researcher for individual differences ?

Answer 30

Simons et al
People who are stressed due to real life stressors ie job money won’t find Cbt effective as worries aren’t irritational

Question 31

What was the researcher for what is rational ?

Answer 31

Alloy and abrahamson
Depressive realists

Question 32

Who were the researchers for research support ?

Answer 32

Hollen et al - Cbt is not superior to all anti-depressant drugs. 108 p’s 10 week study.
Jarred et al- Cbt just as effective as some anti depressants. 107 p’s 10 week study.

Question 33

What researcher suggest methodology of Watson and Rainer may lack ecological validity ?

Answer 33

Foster et al -
When p’s believed they were watching a real robbery and their account would influence the trial more participants were able to give a correct description of robber.