Approaches Flashcards
(27 cards)
What is the behaviourist approach?
▪A way of explaining behaviour in terms of what is observable and in terms of learning.
What is classical conditioning?
▪Learning by association. When two stimuli are repeatedly paired together a UCS and NS. The NS eventually produces the same response first produced by the unlearned stimulus alone.
What is operant conditioning?
▪A form of learning in which behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences. Example, positive, negative reinforcement and punishment.
What is reinforcement?
A consequence of behaviour that increases the likelihood of behaviour being repeated.
What was Pavlov’s research?
▪How dogs could be conditioned to salivate to the sound of a bell if that sound was repeatedly present at the same time as they were given food. Showing how a NS (the bell) can be associated with food and so forming a CS. (Classical Conditioning)
What was Skinner’s research?
▪In operant conditioning there are three types I’d consequences if behaviour:
▫Positive reinforcement - receiving a reward when a certain behaviour is performed.
▫Negative reinforcement - when you avoid something unpleasant.
▫Punishment - an unpleasant consequence of behaviour.
Give three evaluations of the behaviourist approach
▪Scientific credibility - behaviourism was able to bring the language and methods of the natural sciences into psychology by focusing on observable behaviour.
▪Real life applications - Example, in prisons a token economy system is placed meaning prisoners can trade these tokens for a privilege once being rewarded for particular behaviour.
▪Environmental determinism - the behaviourist approach sees all behaviour as determined by past experiences that have been conditioned. Skinner said that everything we do is due to force to history. Ignoring all possibilities of free will on behaviour.
What is social learning theory?
▪A way of explaining behaviour that includes both direct and indirect reinforcement, combining learning theory with the role of cognitive factors.
What is Vicarious reinforcement?
▪Reinforcement which is non directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced for a behaviour.
What are mediational processes?
▪Cognitive factors that influence learning and come between stimulus and response.
What is modelling?
▪Imitating the behaviour of a role model.
What is identification?
▪When an observer associates themselves with a role model and wants to be like that role model.
The roles of mediational processes?
▪SLT is often described as the ‘bridge’ between traditional learning theory and the cognitive approach because it focuses on how cognitive factors are involved in learning. 4 mediational processes were identified by Bandura:
▫Attention - the extent to which we notice behaviour.
▫Retention - how well the behaviour is remembered.
▫Motor reproduction - the ability of the observer to perform the behaviour.
▫Motivation - the will to perform the behaviour, often determined by if there is a reward or punishment.
Give two evaluations of social learning theory
▪Over-reliance on evidence from lab studies - Many of Bandura’s ideas we’re developed through observation of young children’s behaviour in lab settings, which are criticised as participants may have demand characterised. In relation to the bobo doll research that, because the main purpose of the doll is to strike it, the children were simply behaving in a way that they thought was expected. Thus research may tell us little about how children actually learn aggression in everyday life.
▪Underestimates the influence of biological factors - Bandura makes little reference to biological factors. One consistent finding was boys were more aggressive than girls. This may be explained due to boys having a higher level of testosterone (hormone) which links to aggression. This influence isn’t accounted for in SLT.
What is the cognitive approach?
▪How our mental processes (thoughts, perceptions) affect behaviour.
What is internal mental processes?
▪’Private’ operations of the mind such as perception and attention that mediate between stimuli and response.
What is a schema?
▪A mental framework of beliefs and expectations that influence cognitive processing, developed from experience.
What is cognitive neuroscience?
▪The scientific study if biological structures that underpin cognitive processes.
Give two evaluations of the cognitive approach
▪Lacks external validity - cognitive psychology suffers from being too abstract and theoretical in nature. Similarly, experimental studies of mental processes are often carried out using artificial stimuli (such as memory tests involving lists) that may not represent everyday memory experience.
▪Scientific methods - the approach has always employed highly controlled methods of study to enable researchers to conclude cognitive processes at work. This has involved lab experiments to produce reliable data. The development of cognitive neuroscience has allowed biology and cognitive psychology to come together, meaning the study of the mind has established a scientific basis.
What is the biological approach?
▪A perspective that emphasises the importance of physical processes in the body such as genetic inheritance and neutral function.
What is genotype and phenotype?
▪Genotype - the particular set if genes that a person possesses.
▪Phenotype - the characteristics of an individual determined by both genes and the environment.
What are twin studies for behaviour genetics?
▪Twin studies are used to determine the likelihood that certain traits have a genetic basis by comparing the concordance rates between pairs of twins, that is, the extent to which twins share the same characteristic. Monozygotic (identical) means the twins have a higher concordance rate than dizygotic (non-identical) twins - for any characteristic such as muscle ability.
Give two evaluations of the biological approach
▪Real life application - increased understanding of biochemical processes in the brain has led to development of psychoactive drugs that treat mental illnesses. They may not be affective for all patients, but the have revolutionised treatment. Meaning that suffered are able to manage their condition and live a relatively normal life.
▪Scientific methods - to investigate the genetic and biological basis of behaviour, the biological approach makes use of a range of precise scientific methods. These includes scanning techniques such as twin studies. With advances in technology, it’s possible to accurately measure biological and neural processes in ways not open to bias meaning that the approach is based on reliable data.
What is the nervous system?
▪Consists of the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.
