approaches Flashcards
(31 cards)
Timeline
Wundt (1879)
Freud (1900)
Pavlov(1904)&Skinner(1913)
Maslow & Rogers (1954)
Cognitive approach (1960s)
Bandura (1961)
biological approach (1980s)
cognitive neuroscience (2023)
Wilhelm Wundt
his work paved way for other scientists.
Introspection - look within and gain knowledge about your own state by examining thoughts and feelings.
used a metronome to participants relax ask participants to focus on every day object and look inwards noticing sensations and feelings.
psychodynamic approach - role of unconscious
unconscious part of mind (tip of iceberg). instincts that influence our behaviour.
also contains disturbing memories - forgotten.
Just under surface is preconscious - induces thoughts we become aware of during dreams. (freudian slips).
psychodynamic approach - structure of personality
Id: irrational n selfish. demands immediate satisfaction. ruled by pleasure principle (food)
Ego: rational part, mediated between Id and superego. reality principle.
Superego: conscience and sense of morals. punishes ego (guilt). morality principle.
psychodynamic approach - ego defence mechanisms
repression: unpleasant thoughts into unconscious. prevents unacceptable desires becoming conscious.
denial: refuses to accept reality to avoid painful feelings.
displacement: redirecting emotions when feel unable to express to person u should.
psychodynamic approach - psychosexual stages
oral: 0-1 focus on pleasure is eating, fixation = anorexia.
anal: 1-3 pleasure is anus from pooing, fixation = OCD.
phallic: 3-6 pleasure from genital area. Oedipus complex - boys fancy mum n jelaous of father but dear father so identify with him. Electra complex - girls have penis envy so desire father n hate mother, replace desire for baby. fixation = antisocial.
latency: 6-12 child develops mastery of world around them.
genital: 12+ sexual desire become conscious, puberty. fixation = difficulty with relationships.
Evaluation of psychodynamic approach
explanatory power: huge influence, 1st to study unconscious mind. ideas led to deeper understanding.
practical applications n treatments: hypnosis + dream analysis.
limited scientific support: all theories so can’t be supported with evidence.
learning approach (behaviourist)
behaviour is learned thru own experiences.
can be unlearned by same principles.
classical conditioning
used dogs and a bell.
timing - short interval between presenting NS + UCS to learn.
natural reflexes e.g salivation for food.
made up of a stimulus(food) and it’s natural response (salivation).
when other stimuli consistently associated with stimulus, they can also trigger same response.
Little Albert - Watson &Raynor
White fluffy objects. e.g. rat, wool, rabbit.
no fear response.
conditioned response - loud bang when went to touch them.
then cried 3 times when saw the rat and other things that looked like it.
operant conditioning
learning thru consequences of actions.
positive reinforcement: behaviour resulting in pleasant consequence is likely to be repeated.
negative reinforcement: behaviour resulting in the removal of an unpleasant thing, likely to be repeated.
punishment: behaviour resulting in an unpleasant consequence isn’t likely to be repeated.
skinner (1913)
skinner box.
rat accidentally presses lever and food pellets fall into the cage. The rat learns and keeps pressing the lever - positive reinforcement.
if no food presses more then stops (extinction ). Also played a loud noise which was stopped by pressing the lever.(negative reinforcement)
Then, if rat pressed the lever, it got an electric shock (punishment) so it stopped.
evaluation of behaviourist approach
Both use animals in experiments so can’t generalise.
Critical of ethics rats had physical harm
Oversimplistic - reduce behaviour to simple things - could’ve ignored important influence.
Highly scientific research lab reliable so provides credibility and status.
Practical applications, treatments for mental illness, phobias unlearned by therapy
humanistic approach
Approach to understanding behaviour that emphasises importance of subjective experience and each persons capacity for self-determination.
Maslow - 1954
self actualisation: everyone has the potential to be the best they can be.
All 4 lower levels must be met before top one can be reached.
can fluctuate up and down.
physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, self actualisation
rogers 1959 - the self, congruence and conditions of worth
how we perceive ourselves.
have 2 basic needs: positive regard from other people and a feeling of self-worth.
This develops in childhood due to interactions with parents.
For personal growth to be achieved, we must see ourselves having congruence with our ideal self.
If gap too big, incongruence and self actualisation not possible.
unconditional love can have an effect
evaluation of humanistic approach
Practical applications - counselling - overcome barriers preventing self actualisation.
Positive approach - promoting positive image of human condition
Unscientific - uses abstract terms - difficult to measure and test. no cause and affect relationship
Culturally biased, most concepts applicable to individual cultures
The cognitive approach
Focus on how people perceive process store and manipulate information received through our five senses and processed in brain.
use analogy of computer.
Input - processing - output
schema: cognitive framework that organises and interprets information
MSM
strengths of cognitive approach
helped our understanding of cause of mental disorders and led to effective treatments
Used scientific methods - use of a lab highly controlled not just based on common sense.
Weaknesses of the cognitive approach
lab experiments used tasks with little relevance to everyday life, unlikely they can be generalised - lacks ecological validity.
Can tell us how processes take place, but not what they do. emotions been ignored. can we generalise from computers to humans?
Social learning approach
suggest behaviour is learned via observation and imitation of role models.
Likely to imitate role model if person identifies with them in someway
Identification: a connection between observer and role model based on similarity
Vicarious reinforcement: observing the consequences of role models behaviour in terms of reward and punishment. if reward, imitate for them to get reward.
social learning theory - mental processes
attention: the model has to be attended to for the behaviour to then be imitated.
Retention: the behaviour is remembered and placed in LTM so it can be retrieved in the future
Production : observer has to be able to replicate the behaviour
Motivation: the process which initiates, guides and maintains goal orientated behaviours
bandura et al (1963)
lab experiment
3 conditions
3- 6-year-olds
2 groups exposed to adult models who behaved either aggressively/non-aggressively.
1/2 saw same-sex model, control didn’t see any model
aggressive attacked bobo doll.
children exposed to aggressive models imitated their exact behaviours, this affect greater with boys.
self efficacy : extent to which we believe our actions will achieve a desired goal
evaluation of social learning theory
Real world application - range of behaviours involved. people with role models who are criminals are more likely to be one
Practical application -treatment- led to effective treatments for phobias
Lab study - lacks ecological validity, can’t be generalised
Oversimplistic - ignores biological factors
