Approaches Flashcards
(7 cards)
Discuss Wundt’s contribution to psychology as a science (8 marks)
A01:
Psychology = Study of human mind and behaviour
Science = acquiring knowledge through systematic and objective investigation
What did Wundt do?
1. Created first psychological lab in Germany
2. Separated psychology from philosophy by analysing the mind in a more structured way called structuralism (isolating the structure of consciousness)
3. His aim was top document nature of human consciousness and he developed a technique known as “INTROSPECTION” (examination into ones own thoughts)
Evaluation:
+ some methods considered scientific today, controlled lab environment, helped psychology be established as a scientific discipline
- Aspects of research not considered scientific, relied on self reporting from participants, would not have met the criteria of scientific enquiry
+ opened pathway for new approaches, produced first academic journal and textbook, made a significant contribution to psychology
Discuss the behaviourist approach in psychology (16 marks)
A01:
Classical conditioning
Pavlov = dogs salivate when bell rung as they thought it meant food
Neutral, unconditioned stimulus and response, combine neutral and unconditioned stimulus = produce conditioned stimulus and conditioned response (same as unconditioned response)
Operant conditioning
Skinner rats = put in ‘skinner’ box and when press leaver receive food = positive reinforcement, electrocute the ‘skinner’ box, when rat presses leaver shocks stop = negative reinforcement, punishment = outcome of behaviour is negative = behaviour less likely to be repeated
A03 Evaluation:
+ well controlled research - lab study, replicability, control of extraneous variables, cause and effect established
- Oversimplify’s human behaviour, learning is more complex than observable behaviour alone
+ real-world applications
- The approach suffers from ‘environmental determinism’, ignores the influence of conscious decision making processes on behaviour
- Ethical issues in animal experiments = housed in harsh conditions and kept deliberately below natural weight so they were always hungry
Discuss social learning theory in psychology (16 marks)
A01:
Albert Bandura
We learn through observing and imitating rule models
Vicarious reinforcement = learner sees model rewarded so copies behaviour to get same reward
Vicarious punishment = learner sees model punished for behaviour so does not copy the behaviour
Difference with operant conditioning is that you learn by rewards other people receive for their behaviour
Mediational processes:
A = Attention, notice certain behaviours
R = Retention, how well the behaviour is remembered
M = Motor Reproduction, ability of observer to perform behaviour
M = Motivation, The will to perform the behaviour - often determined by whether the behaviour was rewarded or punished
Identification = people are more likley to imitate people they identify with/see as role models
Study, BOBO DOLL
AIM:
See whether children will imitate aggressive behaviour after they have observed it, even if it was not rewarded
Procedure:
72 children, 36 Male, 36 Female
witnessed aggressive and non-aggressive model
same sex and opposite sex
taken to room and not allowed to play with toys
taken into another room with bobo doll and see whether they imitated behaviour of role models behaviour with the doll
Found:
witness aggressive behaviour from model = more likely to produce aggressive behaviour than those who didn’t witness aggressive behaviour
Boys showed more physical aggression
same sex role model produced most aggression - especially in boys
female if watched aggressive male more likely to produce physical aggression, if watched aggressive female then more likely to produce verbal aggression
Study supports theory of SLT
A03 Evaluation:
+ Recogises the importance of cognitive factors = provides more complete explanation of human learning than other approaches by recognising the role of mediational processes
- children display demand characteristics due to being in lab knowing they are participating in a study = research tells us little about how children actually learn aggression in everyday life
+ Reciprocal determinsim = we are not merely influenced by our external environment, but we also exert an influence upon it, through the behaviours we choose to perform - suggests there is some free will, contrasts with the behaviourist approach
+ Real world application = Can explain cultural differences in behaviour and demonstrate how children learn through modelling from others around them
Disucss the cognitive approach in psychology (16 marks)
Focuses on how people perceive and store information
Looks at internal mental processes
cognitive psychologists use inferences to study thoughts indirectly
Inference = making a conclusion based on the behaviour we can directly observe
Role of the schema = mental representations about the world learned through experience, allows us to quickly interpret new information and understand how we should behave
+ enable us to process lots of information quickly, stops us from being overwhelmed by environmental stimuli
- distort our interpretation, can lead to judgemental bias or irrational thinking
Theoretical computer models:
Cognitive process is like the same way computer processes information
Input, Processing, Output
Hardware = the brain
Software = internal mental processes
Cognitive neuroscience = the study of how brain structure affects internal mental processes, and therefore behaviour
Evaluation:
- based on machine reductionism
computer analogy criticised
doesn’t show importance of emotion and motivation
weakens the validity of the cognitive approach
+ less deterministic than other approaches
recognises we are free to make our own decisions
contrast to other approaches
more flexible and in line with our subjective sense of free will
+ scientific and objective methods
controlled study
uses field of biology and psychology to enhance the scientific base of the study
credible scientific basis
- relies upon inference
too abstract and theoretical
mental processes cannot be directly studied
could actually be incorrect inferences
therefore, not reliable
+ application to everyday life
applied to a wide range of practical and theoretical contexts
emotion and motivation have an effect on recall, factors aren’t considered within the computer analogy
this supports the value of the cognitive approach
Discuss the biological approach (16 marks)
A01:
Influence of genes on behaviour:
Monozygotic = share 100% DNA
Dizygotic = share 50% DNA
Concordance rate = how likely two people with shared genes will develop the same organic disease
- OCD = sert gene when mutated can cause OCD
- Schizophrenia = one of parents have it = 6x greater chance of developing
- Forensics and offending = chance of having criminal record is 50% higher if your mum had one even when raised by others
Genotype = genetic makeup
Phenotype = genotype + environment
Hormone = released by organ in bloodstream
Neurotransmitter = chemicals released in synapse in the brain
Parahippocampal gyrus can cause OCD = frontal lobe, processing of unpleasant emotions leads to anxiety and OCD
APD = anti peronsality disorder have 11% reduction in grey matter in there frontal lobes
Evolution and behaviour = Darwin proposed animals who were best adapted to their environment would survive better than those who were less adapted = more likely to mate, produce offspring, pass successful genes on to following generations
A03:
Evaluation
+ highly scientific
FMRI, PET scans, concordance rate testing, medication tested through drug trials
- Reductionist
too simplistic
doesn’t take human behaviour into account
+ real-world applications such as drug therapies
- Deterministic
states people have no control over their lives
would complicate legal system with discovery of ‘criminal gene’ if there was such a thing
Discuss the psychodynamic approach in psychology (16 marks)
A01:
Believed most of the mind was unconscious and inaccessible
Used an iceberg to represent the layers of the mind
Believed just under our conscious mind was our ‘pre-conscious’ = contains memories we are not currently thinking about but can become aware of/make an effort to recall them
- Conscious
- Preconscious
- Unconscious
The Tripartite personality
1. ID, born with, pleasure principle, unconscious mind
2. EGO, develop 2-3 years old, reality principle, mediate between ID and SuperEgo employs a number of defence mechanisms
3. SuperEgo, around age of 5, morality principle, internalised sense of right and wrong, feelings of guilt when rules are broken, represents the moral standards of the same sex parent
Defence Mechanisms:
1. Repression = blocks unacceptable thoughts and impulses E.g child abused by parents may have no recollection of it
2. Displacement = involves transferring thoughts and feelings away from the person or situation in which they should be directed towards = taken out on helpless victim E.g punching wall after being shouted at by your parents
3. Denial = refusal to accept reality, avoid having to deal with feelings that might be associated with that event, the person acts as if the event never happened E.g husband refuses to recognise his wife’s obvious signs of infidelity to prevent a relationship breakdown
Psychosexual stages:
1. Oral, Mouth, Breast feeding, causes oral fixation E.g smoking, biting nails, sarcasm
2. Anal, toilet training, Anally retentive E.g perfectionist, obsessive, Anally expulsive E.g thoughtless, messy
3. Phallic, Genitals, Oedipus or Electra complex, Phallic personality E.g narcissistic, reckless, possible homosexuality
4. Latency, none, represses earlier conflicts, defence mechanisms developed, N/A
5. Genital, Genitals - sexual desires, reaching sexual maturity - sexual desires become conscious, may struggle to form healthy heterosexual relationships
Oedipus: The case study of Little Hans
- loves mum, scared dad find out (rival) scared of castration
- to overcome he identifies with father as role model, acquire fathers superego, substitutes desire for mum with desire for other women
Electra:
- loves dad, believes she has been castrated in the womb, blames mother for this, has penis envy
- to overcome this she gives up love for father, identifies with mother -taking on her gender identity morals etc, develops her superego by resolving the electra complex
A03 Evaluation:
- suffers from psychic determinism
+ huge influence of contemporary psychology
- uses many untestable concepts
+ led to practical applications such as a type of therapy called psychoanalysis
- although it has led to psychoanalysis, it is often deemed an innapropriate therapy
Discuss the humanistic approach in psychology (16 marks)
Focus on what is right rather than wrong - about people, looks at free will and individual as a whole
emphasise importance of individual striving towards personal growth and fulfilment
Free Will:
humans make their own choices and are not determined by biological or external forces
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and Self-Actualisation
1. Base level = physiological needs
2. Second level = Safety needs
3. Third level = Love/Belonging
4. Fourth level = Self-Esteem
5. Fifth and final level = Self Actualisation - most people have an innate desire to achieve their full potential
Two selves:
1. Ideal self = person you wish to be - aims and ambitions
2. The self-concept/percieved self = the self you feel you are based on how people treat you
Congruence = in order to achieve self actualisation a person needs to achieve congruence. This means that a persons perceived self must be similar or identical to their ideal self = difficult to achieve
to fix it someone needs to have a more realistic ideal self or a more realistic/positive perceived self
parents can create conditions of worth = they will only love a child if they fulfil an expectation from the parent, Rogers believed issues in adulthood often stem from childhood experiences. Lack of unconditional love can cause low self esteem and negative feelings of self-worth
Shown in real world counselling = Client centred therapy
focuses on present problems not ones in the past
aims to achieve congruence and overcome mismatch between their perceived self, true self, and ideal self
A03 Evaluation:
+ not reductionist = holistic, considers whole person and their environment
- not scientifically measurable concepts
+ focuses on the good of a person and their potentials
- hierarchy of needs suffers from cultural bias = focuses on westernised ideas, collectivist cultures may not agree with the values stated that make up self actualisation, innapropriate to apply to all cultures
- little impact on psychology in the real world (only CCT client centred therapy) compared to other approaches
