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ALEVEL PSYCHOLOGY VALERIE > Approaches > Flashcards

Approaches Flashcards

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1
Q

Who is considered the “father” of psychology?

A

Wilhelm Wundt is considered the father of psychology

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2
Q

What year did Wilhelm Wundt establish the first psychology laboratory?

A

1879

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3
Q

Where was the first psychology laboratory set up

A

Leipzig, Germany

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4
Q

What is introspection in psychology

A

Introspection is the process of looking inward and examining ones own conscious thoughts and feelings

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5
Q

How did Wundt use introspection in his experiments?

A

Wundt used introspection by asking participants to describe their conscious experiences in response to stimuli, such as light, sound, or images

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6
Q

What was the main goal of Wundt’s psychological experiments?

A

Wundt aimed to understand the structure of the mind by breaking down conscious experiences into basic elements.

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7
Q

What is structuralism

A

Structuralism is the approach developed by Wundt, focusing on breaking down mental processes into their basic components.

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8
Q

Why was Wundt’s use of introspection criticized?

A

Introspection was criticized because it was subjective, meaning the results varied between individuals, and it could not be independently verified or reliably measured.

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9
Q

What role did Wundt play in the development of psychology as a science?

A

Wundt’s use of controlled experimental methods and systematic observation laid the foundation for psychology to be recognized as a scientific discipline.

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10
Q

What is the difference between Wundt’s approach and the later approaches like behaviourism?

A

Wundt focused on studying the inner workings of the mind (consciousness), while behaviorism rejected introspection and focused on observable behavior instead.

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11
Q

What is empirical research in psychology?

A

Empirical research involves gathering data through observation and experimentation, often using controlled methods.

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12
Q

How did Wundt’s approach differ from earlier philosophical approaches to the mind?

A

Wundt’s approach was scientific and experimental, while earlier philosophical approaches were more speculative and based on introspection and reasoning without controlled experiments.

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13
Q

What is the method of controlled observation

A

Controlled observation is an experimental method where researchers observe participants under controlled conditions to study behaviour

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14
Q

Who was Edward Titchener, and how did he contribute to psychology?

A

Edward Titchener was a student of Wundt who brought Wundt’s ideas to America and developed structuralism further

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15
Q

What is the significance of Wundt’s laboratory to modern psychology?

A

Wundt’s laboratory was the first dedicated space for psychological research, establishing psychology as a separate scientific discipline from philosophy

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16
Q

How did the emergence of psychology as a science differ from earlier fields like philosophy?

A

Psychology became distinct from philosophy by using controlled, empirical methods of research to study behaviour and mental processes

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17
Q

What is meant by ‘scientific methods’ in psychology?

A

Scientific methods refer to systematic, controlled approaches to collecting and analysing data, ensuring research is objective and replicable

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18
Q

How did Wilhelm Wundt’s work influence later psychologists?

A

Wundt’s emphasis on systematic, experimental research influenced many psychologists, especially those who followed in the field of experimental psychology, like John Watson and B.F. Skinner.

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19
Q

what is the scientific method in psychology

A

The scientific method in psychology involves developing a hypothesis, conducting controlled experiments, collecting data, and drawing conclusions based on evidence.

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20
Q

How did Wundt’s work lead to the rise of behaviourism?

A

Wundt’s focus on the mind and consciousness was later replaced by behaviourism, which rejected the study of the mind as unobservable and focused on measurable behaviour.

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21
Q

Why was introspection seen as unreliable by later psychologists like Watson?

A

Introspection was seen as unreliable because it involved subjective self-reports that could not be consistently observed or verified, making them unscientific.

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22
Q

What are the characteristics of a scientific approach to psychology?

A

A scientific approach in psychology is objective, empirical, systematic, and relies on controlled experiments and data collection.

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23
Q

Why did Wundt’s research move away from philosophy?

A

Wundt wanted to establish psychology as an experimental science distinct from philosophy, which often relied on speculation rather than empirical evidence.

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24
Q

what is the behaviourlist approach

A

The behaviorist approach in psychology focuses on observable behaviors and emphasizes the role of environmental stimuli in shaping behavior through processes like classical and operant conditioning.

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25
what are the key assumptions with the behaviourlist approach
-all behaviour is learned -humans asre no different from animals so should not be regarded as more complex -Research on animal behaviour is directly relevent to humans -psychologists should only study observable, quantifiable behaviour
26
who developed classical conditioning and how
ivan Pavlov accidently discovered it when researching digestion in dogs
27
what is Classical conditioning
the idea that behaviour is learnt through association. food --------> salivate UCS ---------->UCR bell------------>no response NS ------------->No response bell+food---(association)--> salivate UCS+NS------------->CR
28
what is operant conditioning
the idea that behaviour is learnt and maintained through consequences: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishments
29
who developed the idea of operant conditioning
Skinner and Watson
30
what does the behaviourist approach and social learning theory come under
learning approaches
31
what is positive reinforcement
Positive reinforcement is the addition of a pleasant stimulus following a behaviour, which increases the likelihood of that behaviour being repeated.
32
what is negative reinforcement
is the removal of an unpleasant stimulus following a behaviour, which increases the likelihood of that behaviour being repeated.
33
what is a punishment
Punishment is the addition of an unpleasant stimulus or the removal of a pleasant stimulus following a behaviour, which decreases the likelihood of that behaviour being repeated.
34
how did Skinner create the idea of operant conditioning
he created Skinners Box. He placed rats into this box and as they moved around the box they would accidently press the lever. and food would fall into the box (positive reinforcement). They would then carry on pressing the leaver till extinction occurred which is no more food would come out(negative reinforcement) and the rat stopped pressing it.
35
Strengths of the behaviouralist approach
-Highly Scientific as its valid and reliable -Highlights the role of nurture in development, which is beneficial as it shows how important environmental factors are in shaping behaviour so its more practical for real life settings - assumes behaviour can be learnt
36
weaknesses of the behaviouralist approach
- low generalisability due to lack of ecological validity -reductionist approach -mechanistic way of explaining human behaviour -Skinner ignores the idea of free will and claims its an "illusion"
37
what is social learning theory
it rests on the idea of observational learning: that learning occurs through the observation and imitation of behaviour, performed by role models
38
who developed the social learning theory
Albert Bandura, he argued that classical and operant conditioning couldn't be applied to all human learning
39
what makes the social learning theory different to other behaviouralist approaches
takes into account the role of mediational processes (thoughts), according to Bandura a person will form a mental representation of behaviour and weigh up the pros and cons before coping it
40
what 4 mental or mediational processes is the social learning theory categorized by
-attention -retention -motivation -reproduction
41
what is vicarious reinforcement
Reinforcement which is not directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced for a behaviour. This is a key factor in imitation.
42
what is Mediational processes
Cognitive factors (i.e. thinking) that influence learning and come between stimulus and response.
43
what is Imitation
Imitation – Copying the behaviour of others.
44
What is identification( social learning theory)
When an observer associates themselves with a role model and wants to be like the role model.
45
What is modelling
From the observer’s perspective, modelling is imitating the behaviour of a role model. From the role model’s perspective, modelling is the precise demonstration of a special behaviour that may be imitated by an observer
46
What was the aim of Bandura's Bobo Doll experiment?
The aim was to investigate whether children would imitate aggressive behaviour observed in an adult model, and whether the type of model (aggressive or non-aggressive) would influence the child's behaviour.
47
How many participants were in Bandura's Bobo Doll experiment?
There were 72 children, aged between 3 and 6 years old, who were involved in the experiment.
48
What were the main conditions in the Bobo Doll experiment?
The children were exposed to three conditions: -An aggressive model (who physically and verbally attacked the Bobo Doll) -A non-aggressive model (who played calmly with the toys) -A control group (no model at all).
49
What were the findings of Bandura's Bobo Doll experiment?
Children who observed the aggressive model were more likely to imitate aggressive behaviours, both physically and verbally, compared to those who saw the non-aggressive model or no model at all.
50
What does Bandura's Bobo Doll experiment support in terms of learning theory?
The experiment supports social learning theory, showing that behaviour can be learned through observation and imitation of others, particularly when the model is seen as a role model or is rewarded for their behaviour.
51
How did Bandura test whether children would imitate gender-specific behaviour?
Bandura found that children were more likely to imitate same-gender models. Boys were more likely to imitate the aggressive actions of male models, while girls were more likely to imitate the female model's behaviour, indicating gender differences in imitation.
52
What are some criticisms of Bandura's Bobo Doll experiment?
Criticisms include the lack of ecological validity (as the setting was artificial and the child’s behaviour may not reflect real-life actions) and ethical concerns regarding exposing children to aggressive behaviour, which might have influenced them negatively.
53
Strength in of the social learning theory
- Considers the role of cognition -strong supporting evidence e.g. Rushton and Campbell (1977), The bobo doll experiment -can be applied to real life issues such as criminal behaviour (Sykes and Matza, 1957)
54
when was the bobo doll experiment and who was it conducted by
1961 by Bandura
55
Weaknesses of the social learning theory
-methodology has been criticised due to it being a lab experiment so high demand characteristics, low ecological validity and hard to establish a cause and effect relationship -ignores biological factors overlooks the role of genetic influences on behaviour. This makes it less comprehensive as it focuses primarily on learned experiences without considering innate factors.
56
who laid the foundations for the psychodynamic approach
Sigmund Freud
57
What are key points talked about in the psychodynamic approach
-the role of the unconscious -the structure of the personalities, Ego and superego -Psychosexual stages -defence mechanisms -Oedipus complex
58
What is the role of the unconscious
Freud used the metaphor of the iceberg to propose his theory, the consciousness being a small part of the structure (the top of the iceberg) and the unconscious taking up a larger proportion of the human mind (beneath the surface). Any traumatic experiences are repressed to the unconscious mind
59
How can the unconscious mind revel itself
-dreams -fantasies -slips of the tongue (Freudian slips) -
60
what is the ID
- consists of primal urges -operates on instinct and is part of the personality -governed by the pleasure principle -present since birth
61
What is the ego
-It tames the ID and balances out the superego -governed by the reality principle -not present at birth but develops around 2 due to control of others, especially parents during the anal phase
62
What is the superego
-governed by the morality principle: our sense of right and wrong -characterised by the 'inner voice' -develops in response to parental discipline around 5
63
who uses the defence mechanism and why
-ego -to cope with the conflicting demands of the ID and superego
64
what are the 3 parts of the defence mechanism
-displacement -denial -repression
65
what are the psychosexual stages
-oral -anal -phallic -latent -genital
66
what is the driver of the psychosexual stage
Oedipus Complex
67
what is Oedipus complex
when boys relinquish their unconscious desire for there mother and internalise the fear of castration by their father
68
what is the age, focus and description of the oral stage
-0-2 years -mouth -the infant experiences pleasure through their mouth, particularly sucking and biting
69
what is the age, focus and description of the anal stage
-2-3 years -anus -child undergoes potty training to control their bowel movements
70
what is the age, focus and description of the phallic stage
-3-6 years -genitals -boys must overcome their unconscious desire for their mothers by identifying with their fathers (Oedipus complex)
71
what is the age, focus and description of the latent stage
-6-puberty -hidden -sexual energy becomes latent (is still there but people don't know) so the individual can focus on the world around them
72
what is the age, focus and description of the genital stage
-puberty+ -forming heterosexual relationships -taking residence in he genitals to be directed towards the formation of adult relationships
73
what are the strengths of the psychodynamic approach
-empirical data to support effectiveness of psychoanalysis (Biskup et al. 2005) -even though its an androcentric approach it has been applied to make women's theories e.g. electra complex - Freud ideas have influenced the practice of psychology and how our culture operates
74
what are the weaknesses of the psychosexual approach
-Gender Bias -culture bias as all of his patients came from Viennese middle class
75
what happens if the oral stage is unresolved
-oral fixation: here a person might engage in behaviours like nail biting and smoking
76
what happens if the anal stage is unresolved
-anal fixation manifests in 2 ways -anal retentive: here a person may become an obsessive perfectionist - anal expulsive: here a person may be messy or thoughtless
77
what happens if the phallic stage is unresolved
-reckless and narcissistic behaviour
78
what happens if the genital stage is unresolved
-struggle to form heterosexual relationships
79
what is denial
it is refusing to acknowledge reality
80
what is displacement
taking out your emotions on a substitute objects
81
What are some of the key points of the cognitive approach
-The Study of Internal Mental Processes -The Role of The Schema -The Use of Theoretical Models -The Use of Computer Models -The Emergence of Cognitive Neuroscience
82
What are internal mental processes
Internal mental processes are the operations that occur during thinking.
83
What are examples of internal mental processes
Examples include how we turn the information from our eyes into a usable form (perception); how we choose what to think about (attention); how we store information to use in the future (memory); how we construct meaningful sentences to communicate with others (language); and how we construct new solutions (problem solving)
84
Why are theoretical models vital and what approach is it
-cognitive approach -visual representation of complex conceptual processes
85
Why is the computer model vital and what approach is it
-cognitive approach -provide a basis for research within the field of cognitive psychology
86
What is a schema
-Are a mental framework of information that we use to organise past experiences and to interpret and respond to new situations
87
What is cognitive psychology
Its the study of how human brains process information (internal mental processes)
88
What are the key assumptions in cognitive psychology
- ‘thought acts as meditational processes between stimulus and behavioural response -‘mental processes can be scientifically studied’ -‘mental processes can be regarded as information processing’ -the brain affects cognitions and cognitive processes’
89
Advantages of schemas
- allow us to process vast amounts of information rapidly -prevent us from becoming overwhelmed by stimuli - helps us to predict what will happen in the world around us based on our experiences
90
Disadvantages of Schemas
-can distort our interpretation of sensory information -can cause bias recall/see what we expect -may have a negative impact of mental health
91
What are theoretical models
are visual representation of internal mental process and help researchers to simplify/ visual complex processes for everyone to understand
92
What caused the development of computer models
-Development of computers in the 1960s led to computer models emerging within psychology
93
What is an example of theoretical models
the multi store model
94
What is cognitive neuroscience
-is a new field that tries to bridge the gap between the cognitive and biological approaches
95
What does inference mean
make assumptions about mental processes that cannot be directly observed/going beyond the immediate research evidence
96
What are disadvantages of the cognitive approach
-can be seen as mechanical in regarding human thinking as processing like the computer leaving little room for the irrationality seen in emotional behaviours. - Low generalisation because of the focus of detail of what can be recalled by participants - The process of inference may be a 'leap too far' in explaining thinking. -Low ecological validity -Use of self-report as a method of data collection and the subsequent issues of reliability.
97
What are the research methods strengths of the cognitive approach
- control over variables so cause and effect relationship can be established -variables are operationalised to make measurements accurate and objective -standardisation of procedures so can be replicated
98
What is an example of top down information processing and why
Schemas as they provide us with a mental framework for situation and experiences
99
What are the assumptions of the biological approach
-behaviour is caused by our biology -evolution applies to an understanding of human behaviour -psychologists should study the brain, nervous system and other biological systems -genes affect behaviour and influence individual psychological differences between people
100
When does a recessive gene show
if the individual has 2 copies of the recessive gene
101
When is a dominant gene shown
if the individual only has one copy of the gene
102
What is heterozygous
The genotype consists of 2 different genes e.g.Bb
103
What is Homozygous
The genotype consists of 2 genes that are the same e.g. BB
104
What is genotype
-this is the genetic code in our DNA e.g. eyes
105
What is a phenotype
This is the expression/appearance of this genetic code after interacting with the environment
106
What are monozygotic twins
- twins from one zygote, these twins are formed when a fertilised cell splits into two and forms 2 separate embryos
107
What are dizygotic twins
- twins from 2 zygotes, these twins form when two separate eggs both become fertilised by different sperm cells
108
What do genes carry
information in the form of DNA, which carries instructions for characteristics
109
What twins are identical monozygotic or dizygotic twins
monozygotic
110
What are some examples of twin studies
-McGuffin(1996) discovered that if one MZ twin had depression there was a 46% chance the other would develop it -Gottesman found a concordance (correlation) between MZ and schizophrenia
111
How does the biological approach look at biological differences
-use of experiments -uses scanning equipment to study the structure and function of the brain which is highly scientific
112

ALEVEL PSYCHOLOGY VALERIE (7 decks)

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