Approaches Flashcards
(35 cards)
Wundt
-first experimental psychology lab in Leipzig
-1st to apply scientific method to psychology
-used introspection
Introspection
ppts given a task and asked to report back on how they felt/ why they did what they did
Wundt’s aim
believed that with enough data he could create a plan of all human behaviour
Wundt AO3
✔Applied scientific method
-studies were standardised and replicable
-however results were inconsistent therefore lack reliability
✔ Formed basis for all future approaches. Therefore led to key changes that made Ψ a science
✔ Ahead of his time?
- his aim; to map human behaviour is seen in the current approach of cognitive neuroscience
Therefore his intentions are still relevant and finally matched by technology
Behaviourist approach assumptions
-should be based on observable behaviour only (empirical evidence)
-most behaviour is learned
-use of animal research
Behaviourist approach learning mechanisms
Classical and Operant conditioning
Classical Conditioning
when a neutral stimulus becomes associated with something that already causes a response
Operant Conditioning
Learning based on the consequences of your actions
Positive Reinforcemnt
where you are more likely to repeat a behaviour due to a reward
Negative Reinforcement
where you are more likely to repeat a behaviour because something negative has been taken away
Support for classical condtitioning
Pavlov’s dogs
Skinner’s rats
-studies rats’ behaviour to research operant conditioning
-placed rats in a box with a lever, food dispenser and an electrified floor
-found that if rats received food when pressing the lever, they learned to associate their action with a reward
Therefore supporting learning through positive reinforcement
-found that if pressing the lever temporarily stopped the current, they learned to associate their action with stopping the pain
Therefore supports negative reinforcement
Behaviourist approach AO3
✔ Very scientific
-extraneous variables controlled leading to validity and reliability
-empirical data means theories are falsifiable
-has led to replicable studies
✔Learning mechanisms can be used in psychological treatments
✘May be overly reductive as it ignores cognitive processes and bio factors in behaviour
✘Animal research results may not generalise to humans or could be unethical
Cognitive Approach assumptions
-Ψ must study mental processes scientifically
-mind is like a computer
why are theoretical models used?
used to make inferences about how mental processes work
tested by measuring behaviour
Schema
- a mental frameworks created based on our experiences
- provide us with mental shortcuts so we can process large volumes of info quickly
Bartlett
- English ppts read a Navejo folktale
-asked them to recall story
-found ppts changed parts of the story to match their own schemas
Cognitive Approach AO3
✔ Highly scientific;
-based on observable data and relies on empirical evidence
-high control over variable
-falsifiable
✔ Can be applied to understanding and treating mental disorders e.g CBT
✘ Lab studies lack ecological validity
✘Ignores individual differences between people’s mental processes
Biological approach assumption
we can explain behaviour in terms of biological factors
Genetic Inheritance
-when traits are passed down from parent to child
Genotype
genetic makeup of an organism
Phenotype
the observable characteristics of an organism determined by both the genotype and the environment
Natural Selection and Evolution
any genetically-determined behaviour that increases the chance of survival will be passed down generations
Twin Studies
-used to determine the likelihood that certain traits have a genetic basis by comparing concordance rates
-both MZ twins and DZ twins share some of their environment
-if the concordance rate of MZ twins > DZ twins; this would suggest a genetic basis
