Approaches

Question 1

key features of science

Answer 1

-empirical methods and replication ( getting the same results when repeating)
- the role of peer review in validating research
-hypothesis testing (accept or refute statement)
-use of objective methods

Question 2

Willhelm Wundt

Answer 2

-first man to be considered a “psychologist”
-believed all things including the human minds can be studied scientifically
-opened the first psychology lab in Germany
- studied introspection

Question 3

introspection

Answer 3

‘looking into’- how things made people feel

Question 4

The Behaviourist Approach assumptions

Answer 4

-ALL behaviour is learned form the environment
-nothing is innate and we are born as a blank slate {tabula rasa}- life experiences teach us
- rejects introspection, as it is observable behaviour

Question 5

classical conditioning

Answer 5

learning through association
-pairing two stimuli together to create a connection

Question 6

Pavlov’s Experiment

Answer 6

dogs with food and salivation
(details on next card)

Question 7

before conditioning in Pavlov’s Experiment

Answer 7

food (unconditioned stimulus) shown to dog and the dog salivates (unconditioned response)

Question 8

during conditioning in Pavlov’s Experiment

Answer 8

sound of a bell( neutral stimulus) and food (unconditioned stimulus) at the same time

Question 9

after conditioning in Pavlov’s Experiment

Answer 9

the bell WITHOUT food (conditioned stimulus) makes the dog salivate (conditioned response)

Question 10

problems with Pavlov’s Experiment

Answer 10

-done on dogs so cannot be generalised to humans- they are not as cognitively developed as humans and don’t understand things the way we do

Question 11

Little Albert Experiment- before conditioning

Answer 11

the white rat (neutral stimulus) is shown to Albert and he has no response
then a loud noise is made (unconditioned stimulus) and the child is fearful (unconditioned response)

Question 12

Little Albert Experiment- after conditioning

Answer 12

white rat (without the loud noise) creates fear from child (conditioned response)

Question 13

operant conditioning

Answer 13

learning through rewards and consequences

Question 14

positive reinforcement

Answer 14

addition of something strengthens behaviour- encouraging someone to do it again

Question 15

negative reinforcement

Answer 15

removal of unpleasant stimulus strengthens
e.g your mum nags you (unpleasant stimulus) about your messy room, by tidying your room you are removing the negative stimulus as they won’t nag you anymore

Question 16

punishment

Answer 16

unpleasant consequence of behaviour

Question 17

Skinner’s Box Experiment- positive reinforcement

Answer 17

done with rats in a box- when the rat pressed a leaver it presented food, the rat repeated this once it realised it got food, the rat is being rewarded with food

Question 18

Skinner’s Box Experiment- negative reinforcement

Answer 18

the rats were given an electric shock and it was taken away when a certain behaviour was performed- the rat is avoiding an unpleasant stimulus by acting a certain way.

Question 19

AO3- behaviourist approach is scientific

Answer 19

strength ✅ the behaviourist approach gathers objective data(not an opinion) through lab experiments (controlled)
-this also means that we can repeat the experiments and check for reliability
HOWEVER ❌ lacks ecological validity as it does not reflect real life, limits behaviourist approach from being generalised

Question 20

AO3- behaviourist approach has real life applications (operant conditioning)

Answer 20

strength ✅ operant conditioning- token economy- tokens/awards can be given out at school and prisons awarding for good behaviour (positive reinforcement) this means people will repeat the behaviour to be rewarded again. Detentions and punishments are also given out at school (negative reinforcement)

Question 21

AO3- behaviourist approach has real life applications (classical conditioning)

Answer 21

strength ✅ phobias can be unlearned through counter conditioning

Question 22

AO3- behaviourist approach relies on animal studies

Answer 22

weakness ❌ animal results cannot be generalised to humans as we have different cognitive ability, levels of awareness, lack emotion and brain development compared to animals , so it cannot be said that we would behave the same way to the animals when in these conditions, results are less valid

Question 23

AO3- behaviourist approach experiments are not ethical

Answer 23

weakness ❌ the animals may now associate the two stimuli for the rest of their lives
HOWEVER, it is more ethical to do on animals than on humans, as they are easier to breed, and it can be argued they are not developed enough to remember/associate

Question 24

AO3- behaviourist approach ignores thought processes

Answer 24

weakness ❌ the approach only looks at what can be observed and ignores internal mental processes- disadvantage as we know we have thought processes so by ignoring them, it can be seen as unreliable

Question 25

Biological Approach Assumptions

Answer 25

-all behaviour is strongly influenced by our genetic makeup and inheritance- behaviour is not learned -behaviour is within you, innate -everything psychological was once biological

Question 26

genetic basis of behaviour

Answer 26

behaviour geneticists study whether behavioural characteristics, such as mental disorder and personality are inherited the same way as characteristics such as eye colour- twin studies are used

Question 27

twin studies

Answer 27

-used to see if characteristics are genetic identical(monozygotic) have higher concordance rates than non-identical (dizygotic) for music ability, love for certain things - suggests genetic basis because MZ share 100% of the same genes

Question 28

genotype

Answer 28

actual genetic makeup

Question 29

phenotype

Answer 29

how the genes are expressed through physical, behavioural and psychological characteristics

Question 30

expression of genotype

Answer 30

influenced by environmental factors, e.g identical twins still look different due to one maybe exercising more or one has dyed their hair

Question 31

evolution of behaviour (Darwin)

Answer 31

all living things have evolved over time through process of natural selection - the weaker genes 'die out' and adaptive ones survive

Question 32

genetics

Answer 32

study of genetic makeup of organisms and how genes influence physical and behavioural characteristics

Question 33

hereditary

Answer 33

traits and behavioural tendencies inherited from ones parents

Question 34

concordance rates

Answer 34

the higher= more likely a genetic trait

Question 35

family studies

Answer 35

never 100% as none have the same genetics but likely shared environment

Question 36

adoption studies

Answer 36

-can split MZ twins and raise them in different environments, and if they behave the same, you can assume that it is innate and not learned form environment

Question 37

AO3- biological approach uses scientific methods

Answer 37

strength ✅ MRI's able to accurately measure biological processes, not open to bias/opinion and there is evidence to support (twin studies)

Question 38

AO3- biological approach can be applied in real life

Answer 38

strength ✅ understanding of biochemical processes lead to development of psychoactive drugs to treat mental illnesses- people who suffer can be helped and live a normal life

Question 39

AO3- biological approach has a deterministic view of behaviour

Answer 39

limitation❌- sees human behaviour as internal and controlled by biological causes- implications when people are in prison as they could use the excuse that they had no control over themselves and not responsible

Question 40

AO3- biological approach- difficult to separate nature and nurture

Answer 40

limitation ❌twins and families tend to be brought ups in the same environment as well as similar/same genetic material- so it cannot be determined whether the behaviour is from the environment or internal- also unethical to separate twins at birth just for science- has to be accidental- which is rare

Question 41

social learning theory assumptions

Answer 41

much of our behaviour is learned from experience- through OBSERVATION and IMITATION of others- indirectly and directly through classical and operant conditioning -NOT INNATE- learned

Question 42

identification

Answer 42

attaching oneself to a model because they have the same qualities you wish to process

Question 43

imitation

Answer 43

copying a behaviour

Question 44

model

Answer 44

any person who shows examples of behaviour

Question 45

modelling

Answer 45

imitating a behaviour that has been shown by a model who you have identified with

Question 46

reinforcement

Answer 46

the consequences of behaviour, behaviour followed by positive reinforcement is strengthened and is likely to continue

Question 47

nurture

Answer 47

behaviour is learned through environmental experience, not innate

Question 48

vicarious reinforcement

Answer 48

not directly experienced but occurs through observing someone being reinforced- like second hand

Question 49

what is SLT?

Answer 49

the bridge between learning theory/ behaviourist approach and the cognitive approach

Question 50

attention (meditational process)

Answer 50

the extent to which we notice certain behaviours

Question 51

retention (meditational process)

Answer 51

how well the behaviour is remembered

Question 52

motor reproduction (meditational process)

Answer 52

the ability of the observer to perform the behaviour

Question 53

motivation (meditational process)

Answer 53

the will to perform the behaviour

Question 54

Bandura et al (1961) imitation

Answer 54

young children watched an adult behave in an aggressive way towards a Bobo doll- hit the hammer and shouted abuse at it - when the children were later observed with various toys along with the bobo doll- they behaved much more aggressively with the bobo doll

Question 55

Bandura et al (1961) vicarious reinforcement

Answer 55

young children watched an adult behave in an aggressive way towards a Bobo doll- hit the hammer and shouted abuse at it One group saw the adult praised for their behaviour, a second saw them being punished, and a third (control) saw no consequence The first group showed much more aggression, followed by third, then second

Question 56

AO3- SLT underestimates the influence of biological factors

Answer 56

limitation ❌- bandura found that boys were more aggressive than girls- this can be explained by hormonal factors such as levels of testosterone- which is present in greater quantities in men and is linked to aggressive behaviour- this is not accounted for in SLT.

Question 57

AO3- SLT- over reliance on evidence from lab studies

Answer 57

limitation ❌banduras study where in lab settings- ppts may respond to demand characteristics in lab settings - also the main purpose of bobo dolls is to be pushed over so its argued the children were behaving the way that they were expected -important influence on behaviour is not accounted for in SLT

Question 58

AO3-SLT explains cultural differences

Answer 58

strength ✅ can account for how children learn from people around them as well as through the media- can explain how cultural norms are transmitted through societies - helps understanding a range of behaviours

Question 59

the cognitive approach assumptions

Answer 59

internal mental processes should be studied scientifically- in direct contrast to behaviourist approach -study indirectly

Question 60

cognitive approach studies...

Answer 60

human behaviour that is neglected by behaviourists- memory,percpetion and thinking

Question 61

cognitive psychologists use

Answer 61

theoretical and computer models to help them understand internal mental processes

Question 62

information processing approach

Answer 62

suggests information flows through the cognitive system in sequence of stages that include input, storage and retrieval (MSM)

Question 63

information processing approach is based on..

Answer 63

the way computers function- a computer model involves programming a computer to see if instructions produce a similar output to humans

Question 64

if computer models produce a similar output to humans it means that..

Answer 64

similar processes are going on in the human mind- have provided useful development of 'thinking machines' or AI

Question 65

schema

Answer 65

'packages' of ideas and info developed through experience and act as a mental framwork for interpretation of incoming info received through cognitive system.

Question 66

cognitive processing can be affected by...

Answer 66

a persons beliefs or expectations (schema)

Question 67

an example of a schema

Answer 67

a chair- something with 4 legs that you can sit on- learned through experience that that is a chair- helps you respond appropriately

Question 68

as we get older our schema..

Answer 68

becomes more sophisticated and detailed

Question 69

schema enables us to

Answer 69

process lots of info quickly and acts as mental 'short-cut' that prevents us from becoming overwhelmed

Question 70

however our schema..

Answer 70

may also distort our interpretations and memory- leading to errors

Question 71

cognitive neuroscience

Answer 71

scientific study of influence of brain structures on mental processes

Question 72

AO3- cognitive approach scientific and objective methods

Answer 72

strength ✅highly controlled methods in order to research- use flab experiments to produce RELIABLE and OBJECTIVE data - this means that study of the mind has established credible scientific basis

Question 73

AO3- cognitive approach- machine reductionist

Answer 73

limiation ❌ignores the influence of human emotion and motivation on the cognitive system and how if affects our ability to process information e.g anxiety has an impact on EWT

Question 74

AO3- cognitive approach- everyday life application

Answer 74

cognitive psychologists are only able to infer mental processes from the behaviour they observe in their research, therefore the theories are sometimes too abstract and theoretical, similarly experimental studies of mental processes are often carried out using artificial stimuli that may not represent everyday memory experience therefore lack external validity

Question 75

humanistic approach assumptions

Answer 75

all humans have free will and are unique they should be viewed holistically rather than only looking at small components want to reach self-actualisation

Question 76

humanistic is based on free will

Answer 76

humanism means that we have free will and that humans are self-determining, it is a person-centred approach (idiographic)

Question 77

maslow and self-actualisation

Answer 77

maslow refers to a hierarchy of needs and it explains human motivation achieving full potential

Question 78

maslows pyramid

Answer 78

top to bottom self-actualisation self-esteem love and belonging safety and security physiological needs

Question 79

conditions of worth

Answer 79

when you are told that you will only be a valuable person if you behave in a certain way

Question 80

self-actualisation

Answer 80

achieving one's true potential in life

Question 81

free will

Answer 81

the ability to choose one's own behaviour - it is not determined by factors outside of the individuals control

Question 82

ideal self

Answer 82

the person you would like to be

Question 83

actual self

Answer 83

the person who you really are

Question 84

incongruence

Answer 84

when the ideal self and the actual self are different, can lead to low self-esteem and depression feelings of incongruence might be traced back to childhood caused by lack of unconditional positive regard by parents

Question 85

unconditional positive regard

Answer 85

valuing the person for who they really are no matter what they do, reduces incongruence

Question 86

person-centred therapy

Answer 86

a form of therapy where the individual uses their free will to grow and develop, reduces incongruence. not directed by the therapist - the client makes own decisions

Question 87

holism

Answer 87

understanding the individual as a whole rather than the component parts

Question 88

A03 - humanistic approach - holistic approach

Answer 88

it takes a holistic approach, this means that we see the person as a whole rather than individual components, furthermore as behaviour is considered in a real-world context this approach may have more validity as it consider real life context this in contrast to approaches including behaviourism because they adopt a reductionist stance means that behaviour is pre-determined so there is no free will

Question 89

A03 - humanistic approach - cultural bias

Answer 89

it has been suggested that the ideas in humanism represent a cultural bias, ideas including individual freedom, autonomy and personal growth are based on individualistic cultures. this is in contrast to collectivist cultures who value needs of the group, community over independence. as a result it can be argued that it would be inappropriate to generalise to collectivist cultures

Question 90

A03 - humanistic approach - untestable concepts

Answer 90

concepts including self-actualisation are difficult to examine under experimental conditions, the use of a q-sort was designed to introduce a more objective method , however this has been criticised due to a lack of empirical evidence

Question 91

A03 - humanistic approach - positive approach

Answer 91

on the other hand, humanism has been widely praised for its positive approach to human behaviour, the idea that humans are basically good, free to work towards the achievement of their potential. this is contrast to Freud who viewed humans as being driven by sexual and aggressive drives

Question 92

A03 - humanistic approach - no real life application

Answer 92

limited application, concepts like maslows hierarchy of needs have been applied in areas like counselling but despite this the applications are limited

Question 93

psychodynamic assumptions

Answer 93

all behaviour has an unconscious causes which we are not aware of

Question 94

psychodynamic important features

Answer 94

mind is split into three levels personality develops through the psychosexual stages of development personality is split into three parts ego defence mechanisms

Question 95

conscious mind

Answer 95

things you are aware of - tip of the iceberg

Question 96

pre-conscious mind

Answer 96

arent aware of but can pull into conscious

Question 97

unconscious mind

Answer 97

push traumatic/embarrassing memories here anything we dont want to deal with on a daily basis

Question 98

ID

Answer 98

the pleasure principle, born with it till 18 months demands instant gratification

Question 99

SUPER EGO

Answer 99

morality principle, develops 3-6 years old right and wrong, captures parental and societal values

Question 100

EGO

Answer 100

reality principle, develops at 18 months balances ID and SUPEREGO

Question 101

defence mechanism

Answer 101

denial - refusal to accept reality repression - force distressing ideas from conscious to unconscious displacement - transfer true feelings on to a safer target

Question 102

what are the psychosexual stages

Answer 102

oral anal phallic latent genital

Question 103

oral stage

Answer 103

focus of pleasure to breastfeeding + mouth fixation + pen chewing, nail biting, smoking

Question 104

anal stage

Answer 104

1-3 potty training, focus of pleasure is anus control, expelling/withholding faeces fixation = anal retentive, anal repulsive, controlled perefectionist, messy

Question 105

phallic stage

Answer 105

3 - 6 pleasure focus is genital boys is oedipus complex leads to super ego, young boys develop attraction to mother, boys realise mother has no penis, father castrated her, boys fear rather will do the same to them, develop castration anxiety, see father as powerful, to resolve this boys identify with father, become like him, internalise fathers super-ego. oedipus, jealous of father (object of mothers desire Jung did Electra complex where girls desire father , develop penis envy, resolve by identifying with mother, desire a baby

Question 106

latent stage

Answer 106

6 - 13 repression of earlier complexes, focus on school and friends

Question 107

genital stage

Answer 107

puberty onwards - genitals, sexual desires fixation = struggle to form heterosexual relationships

Question 108

A03 - psychodynamic - unconscious mind cannot be observed

Answer 108

a limitation of the approach is that the unconscious mind cannot be observed or measured. it also cant be tested or replicated, we cannot test these separate variables in a highly controlled and scientific setting. there is no physical evidence to even prove it existence, therefore freuds focus on the unconscious mind is a weakness of the approach

Question 109

A03 - psychodynamic - subjectivity

Answer 109

subjective data is formulated by freuds own opinions and ideologies and interpretations of different ideas, there is no objective data or empirical evidence that can back up the psychodynamic approach

Question 110

A03 - psychodynamic - deterministic

Answer 110

theory is considered to be deterministic, this is because freud believed that in terms of human behaviour there was no such thing as an accident, therefore this denotes that everything we say is driven by unconscious forces and has deep symbolic meaning. the psychodynamic approach explains all behaviour even accidents as determined by unconscious conflicts therefore we have no free will

Question 111

A03 - psychodynamic - unscientific

Answer 111

behaviourist approach would criticise the data collection method of the psychodynamic approach, the behaviourist approach is only interested in studying behaviour that can be observed and measured, and measures this in controlled lab settings. meanwhile the psychodynamic approach has untestable concepts, so between these two concepts we have a clear difference in science