APPROACHES IN PSYCHOLOGY Flashcards
(30 cards)
What are some assumptions of the social learning theory?
Learning can occur indirectly
vicarious reinforcement - learning related to consequences of behaviour.
Mediational (cognitive) processes play a crucial role in learning.
Identification with role models is important.
Explain vicarious reinforcement?
children and adults observe others behaviour and its consequences, behaviour that’s rewarded is more likely to be copied then that, that is punished.
Explain the mediational processes that play a crucial part in learning?
Attention - whether behaviour is noticed
Retention - whether behaviour is remembered
Motor production - being able to do it
Motivation - the will to preform the behaviour
Explain Banduras first research?
Children watched an adult behaving aggressively to bobo doll or adult behaving non aggressively to bobo doll, children who saw aggression were more aggressive.
Explain Bandura’s second research?
children saw an adult rewarded, punished or no consequence, children who saw aggression rewarded were more aggressive.
What were the conclusion of Banduras research?
Children are likely to imitate violence if observed from a role model, more likely if aggressive behaviour is rewarded.
What is an evaluation of the social learning theory? (strength)
SLT emphasizes the importance of cognitive factors in learning, neither classical or operative conditioning can give a comprehensive account of human learning, more complete explanation of learning then the behaviorist approach due to role of mediational processes.
What is another evaluation of the social learning theory? (strength)
SLT can account for cultural differences in behaviour as it says how children learn from others explaining how cultural norms transmit, useful for understanding behaviour eg gender role by imitating role models.
What is another evaluation of the social learning theory? (weakness)
Underestimates the influence of biological factors as boys showed more aggression due to difference in testosterone levels, Bandura under played biological factors effect on social learning.
What is imitation?
Copying of observed behaviour
What is modeling?
Copying the behaviour of a specific person or role model
What is identification?
A connection between a child and a role model often based on similarity eg age gender
What are the assumptions of the cognitive approach?
Internal mental processes.
schemas.
use of computer models.
use if theoretical models
Explain theoretical models in relation to explaining mental processes?
information flows through a sequence of stages (input, storage, retrieval) eg multi store model.
Explain computer models when explaining mental processes?
suggests similarities in how computers and human minds process information eg use of central process, changing info to usable code and stores
Explain schemas in relation to the central of the cognitive approach?
schemas are packages of information developed through experience, mental framework, born with innate schema for sucking and grasping. allows us to process info quickly prevents us being overwhelmed by environmental stimuli.
What is a limitation of schemas?
May distort our interpretations of sensory information = perceptual errors
Explain cognitive neuroscience?
the influence of brain structures on mental processes, linking epi8sodic and semantic memory to opposite sides of prefrontal cortex, brain scanning helps establish the neurological base of some disorders.
What is a strength of the cognitive approach?
uses scientific and objective methods, they use controlled methods, credible scientific basis.
Limitation of cognitive approach?
It is based on machine reductionism, similarities between human mind and computer computer analogy has been criticized as emotion and motivation affect recall.
Another limitation of cognitive approach?
Lacks external validity, only infer mental processes from witnessed behaviour, artificial stimuli and list recall which doesn’t represent everyday experience.
What are internal mental processes?
thinking = perception, attention, memory, language, problem solving.
What are the key assumption of the behaviorist approach?
classical conditioning pavlovs research operate conditioning types of reinforcement skinners research
Explain classical conditioning?
an association between a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus to produce a response.
