paper 2 - approaches Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

who’s is the founding father of psychology?

A

Wilhelm Wundt

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Wundt moved the study of the mind from its______ to controlled_______

A

philosophical roots, empirical roots

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What did Wundt set up first?

A

First psychology laboratory

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Where and when did Wundt set up the first psychology laboratory?

A

In Leipzig, Germany in 1870.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Wundt’s approach to psychology became known as…

A

structuralism (breaking down consciousness to its basic elements)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What did Wundt promote?

A

introspection - as a way of studying mental processes.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Define introspection

A

Introspection is the process of directly examining one’s own conscious mental states and processes.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What stimulus did Wundt use when examining one’s conscious mental states?

A

Metronome

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Outline behaviourist approach

A

The behaviour approach is only interested in studying behaviour that can be observed and measured.
As a result, behaviourists tried to maintain more control and objectivity within their research and relied on LAB STUDIES as the best way to achieve this.
Behaviourists believe that all behaviour is learnt. They describe a baby’s mid as a ‘blank slate’ and this is written on by experience- there’s no biological influence on behaviour.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Following Darwin…

A

behaviourists suggested that the basic processes that governs learning are the same in all species. This meant that in behaviourists research, animals replace humans as experimental subjects.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Behaviourists identified two important forms of learning, what are they?

A

classical conditional and operant conditioning.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Classical conditions

A

Classical conditioning is learned through association and was first demonstrated by Ivan Pavlov (1927).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What did Pavlov show?

A

Pavlov showed how dogs could be conditioned to salivate to the sound of a bell if that sound was repeatedly presented at the same time as they were given food. Gradually, Pavlov’s dogs learn to associate the sound of the bell (stimulus) with the food (another stimulus) and would produce the salivation response every time they heard the sound.
Thus, Pavlov was able to show how neutral stimulus, in this case a bell, can come to elicit (obtain) a new learned response (conditioned response) through association.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Explain how Pavlov tested classical conditioning (6 marks)

A

Classical conditioning was discovered by Ivan Pavlov while he was studying starvation in dogs.

He observed that his dogs salivated when his assistants opened the doors to their cages and inferred that they must have learned to associate the opening of the doors with food.

He tested this by associating the ringing of a bell with the food so that the dog would salivate when they heard the bell.

Pavlov noted that there are some things dogs do not need to learn e.g to salivate when presented with food. This response is unconditioned. His experience aimed to use this unconditioned response and teach the dogs to associate a neutral stimulated with the response.

In typical experiment done by Pavlov, a bell would be run (NS) and the amount of saliva produced was measured. Food was be presented (UCS) and the amount of saliva measured (UCR).

This would be repeated a set of number of times, then eventually the bell would be rung (CS) without presentation of the food, and the amount of salvia would be measured to test strength of the condition response that had been learned.

Conditioning- a theory that the reaction (‘response’) to a response.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Operant conditioning

A

Skinner suggested that learning is an active process whereby humans and animals operate on their environment. In operant conditioning behaviour is shaped by its consequence:

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Positive reinforcement

A

Positive Reinforcement is receiving reward when a certain behaviour is performed
E.g praise from a teacher for answering a question correctly in class.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Negative reinforcement

A

Negative reinforcement occurs when an animal (or human) avoids something unpleasant . The outcome is a positive experience.

For example, when a student hands in an essay so not to be told off, the avoidance of something unpleasantly is the negative reinforcement. Similarly a rat may learn through negative reinforcement that pressing a lever leads to avoidance of electric shock.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What’s a punishment and reinforcement

A

Punishment is an unpleasant consequence of behaviour.
E.g. shouted at by the teacher for talking during a lesson ( finding a way to avoid that would be a negative reinforcement.)

Reinforcement increase the likelihood of a behaviour to happen

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Punishment

A

Anything unpleasant which has the effect of decreasing the likelihood of any behaviour which is not the desired behaviour.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Neutral stimulus (NS)

A

An event that does not produce a response.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)

A

An event that produces an innate, unlearnt reflex response.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Conditioned stimulus (CS)

A

An event that produces a learned response.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Unconditioned response ( UCR)

A

An innate, unlearned reflex behaviour that an organism produces when exposed to an unconditioned stimulus.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Conditioned response ( CR)

A

A learned physical reflex behaviour that an organism produces when exposed to a condition stimulus.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

SKINNERS BOX- OPERANT CONDITIONING

A

B.F. Skinner (1953) suggested learning is an active process whereby humans and animals operate in their environment, Skinner studied how animals learn from the consequences of their actions

The Skinner box experiment
Skinner devised a box known (unsurprisingly) as the ‘Skinner Box’
Inside the box, Skinner placed one rat at a time
Each box contained different stimuli, including a lever that released food and an electroplated floor
Rats were placed in these boxes consecutively and would learn how to release food by pressing a lever (reward = positive reinforcement)
The rats also learned to avoid the electric shock (punishment) by pressing the lever when the light came on (avoiding punishment = negative reinforcement)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

EVALUATION FOR BEHABIOURIST APPROACH

A

(+) WELL CONTROLLED RESEARCH
Behaviourists focused on the measurement of observable behaviour within highly controlled lab setting. By breaking down behaviour into basic stimulus-response unit, all other possible extraneous variables removed, allowing cause and effect relationships to be established.
For instance, skinner was able to clearly demonstrate how reinforcement influenced an animal’s behaviour.

COUNTERPOINT However, the problem with this is that behaviourists may have oversimplified the learning process. By reducing behaviour to such simple components, behaviourist may have ignored an important influence on learning- that of human thought. Other approaches, such as social learning theory and the cognitive approach have drawn attention to the mental process involved in learning. This suggests that learning is more complex than observable behaviour alone, that private mental processes are also essential.

(-) ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINISM
One limitation of behaviourist approach is that it sees all behaviours as conditioned by past conditioning experiences. Skinner suggested that everything we do is the sum total of our reinforcement history. When something happens, we may think ‘I’ve made a decision to do that’ but according to skinner, our past conditioning history determined the outcome. Ignores any possible influence that free will may have on behaviour (skinner himself free will is an illusion).
This is an extreme position and ignores the influence of conscious decision-making process on behaviour.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

What does the SLT suggests

A

Albert Bandura agreed with the behaviourist that behaviour is learned from experience. However, his social learning theory (SLT) proposed a different way in which people learn- through observation and imitation of others. SLT suggested that learning occurs directly, through classical and operant conditioning, but also indirectly.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

VARIOUS REINFORCEMENT

A

For indirectly learning to take place an individual observes the behaviour of others.

The learner may imitate this behaviour but, in general, imitation only occurs if the behaviour is seen to be rewarded (reinforced) rather than punished.

Vicarious reinforcement occurs in a study called the Bobo doll study by Bandura and Walters. Thus, the learned observes the behaviour but most importantly also observes the consequence of a behaviour.

29
Q

BOBO DOLL EXPERIMENT - BANDURA

A

Children saw an adult (a role model( behave aggressively both verbally and physically towards a larger inflatable doll, called a bob doll.

The experimental groups then observed an adult role model enter the room and interact with a 6’ tall Bobo Doll.

Found that children who saw an aggressive model played more aggressively than children who saw a non-aggressive model.

Children showed significantly more imitation of a same-sex model, and boys performed more acts of aggression than girls.

30
Q

The role of mediational processes

A

SLT if often described as the ‘bridge’ between behaviourist learning theory and the cognitive approach because it focuses how mental (cognitive) factors are involved in new response is acquired. The mental factors mediate (I.e intereve) in the learning process to determine whether a new response is acquired.

31
Q

Explain what mediations processes and what are the four processes?

A

Mediational processes are mental (cognitive) factors that intervene in the learning process to determine whether a new behaviour is acquired(obtain) or not.

Four mental or mediational processes in learning were identified by Bandura:

ATTENTION
RETENTION
REPRODUCTION
MOTIVATION

32
Q

(1) ATTENTION

A
  1. ATTENTION- the extent to which we notice certain behaviour.
33
Q

(2) RETENTION

A
  1. RETENTION- how well the behaviour is remembered.
34
Q

(3) MOTOR REPRODUCTION

A
  1. MOTOR REPRODUCTION- the ability of the observer to which to perform the behaviour.
35
Q

(4) MOTIVATION

A
  1. MOTIVATION- the will to perform the behaviour, which is often determined by whether the behaviour was rewarded or punished.

The first two of these relate to the learning of behaviour and the last two to the performance of behaviour. Unlike traditional behaviourism, the learning performance of behaviour need not occurs together. Observed behaviour maybe stored by the observer and reproduced at a later time.

36
Q

IDENTIFICATION ( hint : role model)

A

People (especially children) are more likely to imitate people they identify with, a process called IDENTIFICATION.A person they identify with is called a role model and the process of imitating a role mode is called modelling (the behaviour of a role model is also called modelling).
A person becomes a role model if they are seen to possess similar characteristics to the observer and/ or attractive and high status. Role models may not necessarily be physically present in the environment, and this has important implications for the influence of the media on behaviour.

37
Q

EVALUATION (A03)

A

(-) biological explanations
it does not take any biological explanations of aggression into account. Lavine (1999) found increased levels of dopamine activity were associated with. Increased aggressive behaviour, furthermore, pillar (2000) found that levels of testosterone were positively correlated with levels of aggression.

(+) real world application
The SLT principles have been applied to a range of real-world behaviours.
Social learning theory has the advantage of being able to explain cultural differences in behaviour.
SLT principles, such as modelling, imitation and reinforcement, can account for how children learn from others around them, including the media, and this explains how cultural norms are transmitted of behaviours, such as how children come to understand their gender role. This increases the value of the approach as it accounts for real world behaviour.

(-) contrived lab studies
One limitation of social learning theory is the evidence in which it is based was gathered through lab studies.

Many banduras ideas were developed through observation of young children’s behaviour in the lab. Lab studies are often criticised for their contrived nature where participants may respond to demand characteristics. It has been suggested, in relation to the bobo doll research that, because the main purpose of the doll is to strike it, the children were simply behaving in a way they thought was expected.
This suggests that the research may tell is little about how children actually learn aggression in everyday life.

38
Q

THE PSYCHODYNAMIC APPROACH

A

A perspective that described the different forces (dynamics), most of which are unconscious, that operate on the mind and direct human behaviour and experience.

39
Q

The role of unconscious

A

Sigmund Freud suggested that the part of our mind that we know about and aware of – the conscious mind- is merely the ‘tip of the iceberg.

Most of our mind is made up of the unconscious of biological drives and instincts that has significant influence on our behaviour and personality.

The unconscious also contains threatening and disturbing memories that have been repressed or locked way and forgotten. These can be accessed during dreams or through ‘slip of the tongue’ (what Freud referred as parapraxes).

An example of such a slip would be calling your female teacher ‘mum’ instead of ‘miss’.

40
Q

The structure of personality( hint: tripartite)

A

Freud described personality as tripartite, composed of three parts:
Id
Ego
Superego

41
Q

THE ID

A

Id: The Id is the basic part of our personality.

It operates on the pleasure principle- the Id gets what it wants. It is seething mass of unconscious drives and instincts.

Only the Id is present at birth (Freud described babies as being ‘bundled of Id’)

Throughout life the Id is entirely selfish and demands instant gratification (satisfaction) of its needs.

42
Q

THE EGO

A

EGO: The ego works on reality principle and is the mediator (go- between) between the two parts of the personality.

The Ego develops around the age of two years and role is to reduce the conflict between the demands of the Id and Superego.

It manages this by employing a number of defence mechanisms.

43
Q

THE SUPEREGO

A

SUPEREGO- is formed at the end of the phallic stage, around the age of five.

It is our internalisation sense of right or wrong.

Based on the morality principle. It represents the moral standards of the child’s same- gender parents and punishes the Ego for wrongdoing (though guilt).

44
Q

Explain Psychosexual stage

A

Freud claimed that child development occurred in five stages.

Each stage ( apart from latency) is marked by a different conflict that the child must resolve in order to progress successfully to the next stage.

Any psychosexual conflicts that is unresolved leads to fixation where the child becomes ‘stuck’ and carries certain behaviours and conflicts associated with that stage through to adult life

45
Q

What are the 5 stages of the psychosexual stages

A

ORAL (0-1 yrs)
ANAL (1-3 yrs )
PHALLIC (3-6 yrs)
LATENCY (6-12 yrs)
GENTUAL (puberty onwards)

46
Q

STAGE 1: ORAL (0-1yrs)

A

focus of PLEASURE is the mouth, mother’s breast or bottle is desired.

FIXATIONS: Smoking, biting nails, sarcasm, critical.

47
Q

STAGE 2 : ANAL (1-3yrs)

A

Focus of pleasure is the anus. Pleasure is gained from retaining or expelling faeces

FIXATION:
Anal retentive: obsessive and a perfectionist
Anal expulsive: Messy and disordered.

48
Q

STAGE 3: PHALLIC (3-6yrs)

A

Focus of pleasure is the genital area.
Child experiences Oedipus or Electra complex.

FIXATION: Vain, narcissist, homosexual.

49
Q

STAGE 4: LATENCY (6-12yrs)

A

No focus of please as social skills are focused on.

FIXATION: Expands social contacts.

50
Q

STAGE 5 : GENTIAL ( PUBERTY ONWARDS)

A

focus of pleasure becomes genitals again and they begin to become sexually intimate.

FIXATION: Difficulty in forming normal heterosexual relationships.

51
Q

DEFENCE MECHANISMS

A

Defense mechanisms are psychological strategies that are unconsciously used to protect a person from anxiety arising from unacceptable thoughts or feelings.

According to Freudian theory, defense mechanismss involve a distortion of reality in wome way so that we are better able to cope with a situation

52
Q

What are the three defense mechanism

A

REPRESSION
DENIAL
DISPLACEMENT

53
Q

REPRESSION

A

forcing a distressing memory out of the conscious mind.

54
Q

DENIAL

A

refusing to acknowledge some aspects of reality.

55
Q

DISPLACEMENT

A

transferring feelings from true source of distressing emotion onto a substitute target.

56
Q

Freud’s case of little Hans and the Oedipus complex

A

In the phallic stage, Freud claimed they little boys develop incestuous feelings towards their mother and a murderous hatred for their rival in love- their father (the Oedipus complex ). Fearing that their father will castrate them, boys repress their feelings for their mothers and identify with their father, taking on his gender role and moral values.

Freud also suggested that girls of the same age experience penis envy: they desire their father- as the penis is the primary love object- and hate their mother (electra complex). Although Freud was less clear on the process in girls, they are thought to give up the desire for their father over time and replaced this with a desire for a baby (identifying with their mother in the process).

Freud supported his concept of the Oedipus complex with his case study of little hans. Hans was a five-year-old boy who developed a phobia of horses after seeing one collapse in the street. Freud suggested that Han’s phobia was a form of displacement in which his repressed fear of his father was transferred (displaced) onto horses. Thus, horses were merely symbolic representation of Han’s conscious fear- the fear of castration experienced during the Oedipus complex.

57
Q

Castration

A

a boy’s fear of loss of or damage to the genital organ as punishment for incestuous wishes toward the mother and murderous fantasies toward the rival father.

.

58
Q

Oedipus complex-

A

During the phallic stage, boys develop sexual desires for their mother, and become jealous of their father, seeing them as a rival for the mother’s affections.

59
Q

The Electra complex-

A

refers to girls who desire their fathers. They are aware they do not have a penis, which leads to penis envy. Girls repress their penis envy and instead focus their desire for the father, blaming the mother for their lack of a penis.

60
Q

EVALUATION OF PSYCHODYMANIC APPROACH (A03)

A

(+)REAL WORLD APPLICATION
One strength of the psychodynamic approach is that it introduced the idea of psychotherapy (as opposed to physical treatment).

Freud brought to the world a new form of therapy- psychoanalysis.
This was the first attempt to treat mental disorders psychologically rather than physically. The new therapy employed a range of techniques designed to access the unconscious mind, such as dream analysis. Psychologically claims to help clients by bringing their repressed emotions into their conscious mind so they can deal with. This shows the value of the psychodynamic approach in creating a new approach to treating.

COUNTERPOINT Although Freudian therapists have claimed success for many clients with mental disorder, psychoanalysis is regarded as inappropriate, even harmful, for people experiencing more serious mental disorders (e.g. schizophrenia). Many of the symptoms of schizophrenia, such as paranoia and delusional thinking, mean that those with the disorder have lost their grip on reality and cannot articulate their thoughts in the way required by psychoanalysis.
This suggests that Freud therapy (and theory) may not apply to all mental disorders.

(+) EXPLANATORY POWER
Another strength of Freud’s theory is its ability to explain human behaviour.
Freud theory is controversial in many ways and occasionally bizarre, but it has nevertheless had a huge influence on psychology and contemporary thought.

Alongside behaviourism, the psychodynamic approach remained a key force in psychology for the 20th century and been used to explain a wide range of phenomena including personality development, the origins of psychology disorders, moral development and gender identity.

The approach is also significant in drawing attention to the connections between experiences in childhood such as our relationship with our parents and our later development.
This guests that, overall, the psychodrama is approach has had a positive impact on psychology

(-) CASE STUDIES
Freud supported with theory through case studies such as little Hans who demonstrated the Oedipus complex. However, as Freud conducted these, they could be open to researcher bias, and it is hard to generalise from one individual to the general population.

(-) PSYCHIC DETERMINISM
Freud theories suggests that our childhood experiences shape our adult personality and does not acknowledge how other factors in adult life could affect abnormality. He ignores the suggestion of free will.

61
Q

HUMANISTIC APPROACH

A

Humanistic psychology is a perspective that emphasises looking at the whole person, the uniqueness of each individual. Humanistic psychology begins with the existential assumption that people have free will and are motivated to achieve their potential and self actualise.

An approach to understanding behaviour that emphasises the study of the whole person and sees people as being active in their development. It is a person-centred approach, which views every individual as unique and regards personal growth and fulfilment as a basic human motive.

62
Q

FREE WILL ( humanistic approach)

A

All the approaches we have considered so far are deterministic to some degrees in their suggestion that behaviour is entirely or at least partly, shaped by forces over which we have no control.
Even the cognitive approach, which claims we are free to choose our own thoughts, would still argue that such choice is constrained by the limits of our cognitive system.

Humanistic psychology is quite different in this respect, claiming that human beings are essentially self- determining and have free will.

People are affected by external and internal influences, but also active agents who can determine their own behaviour. For this reason, humanistic psychology such as Rogers and Maslow, reject more scientific models that attempt to establish general principles of human behaviour.

As active agents we are all unique, and psychology should concern itself with study of subjective experience rather than general laws. This is referred to as a person-centred approach in psychology.

Active agents- someone who believes she can improve her life by taking action

63
Q

MASLOW HIERACHY OF NEEDS

A

Abraham Maslow was one the founders of the humanist approach movement in psychology. One of his main interests was in what motivates people. He described a hierarchy of needs that motivate our behaviour.

64
Q

What are the 5 levels of maslows hierachy

A

BOTTOM OF PYRAMID

PHYSIOLOGICAL
SAFETY AND SECURITY
LOVE AND BELONGING
SELF ESTEEM
SELF- ACTUALISATION

TOP OF PYRAMID

65
Q

PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS

A

breathing, food, water, shelter, clothing, sleep

66
Q

SAFETY AND SECURITY

A

health, employment, property, family and social abilty

67
Q

LOVE AND BELONGING

A

friendship, family, intimacy, sense of connection

68
Q

SELF ESTEEM

A

confidence, achievement, respect of others, the need to be a unique individual

69
Q

SELF- ACTUALISATION

A

achieving one’s full potential, including creative activities