Approaches In psychology Flashcards
Define empiricism.
This is the belief that all knowledge is derived from observations and experience, rather than being innate. This is characterised by the use of the experimental scientific method in psychology.
Compare the behavioral and biological approaches.
•Behaviourists believe all behaviour is learned through your environment (through classical and operant conditioning) whereas biological psychology theorises that behaviour is determined by genes, hormones and neurochemistry.
Behaviourists take the side of nurture while biological psychologists favour nurture.
• Both are reductionist as they only focus on either environment or biology, rather than taking a more holistic approach and considering psychodynamic explanations, for example.
• Both have informed effective treatment methods, for example Classical conditioning has been applied to systematic desensitisation, and this has been helpful in helping people deal with phobias, while many medications have been developed to treat a whole range of mental illnesses.
Define schema.
This is a mental framework of beliefs and expectations that influence cognitive processing. Schemas contain our understanding of an object, a person or an idea.
Schemas become increasingly complex during development as we gain more information about each object/idea.
Which approaches are on the side of nature in the nature/nurture debate.
• Biological
• Psychodynamic (stance is a compromise between nature and nurture)
What is meant by introspection?
This is a technique devised by Wundt so a person can gain knowledge about their own mental and emotional states as a result of the examination of their conscious thought and feelings.
What is the role of reinforcement in behaviour?
This refers to things that strengthen and increase the likelihood that a behaviour will be repeated in the future.
Define conditions of worth.
These are conditions imposed on an individual’s behaviour and development that are considered necessary to earn positive regard from significant others.
Which approaches take the side of nurture in the nature-nurture debate?
Behaviourist
Humanistic
Social Learning Theory
Psychodynamic (stance is a compromise between nature and nurture)
Define vicarious reinforcement.
This refers to learning that is not the result of direct reinforcement, but rather through observing someone else being reinforced for that behaviour.
Define free will.
This refers to the ability to act at one’s on discretion, how to choose to behave without being influenced by external forces.
Define determinism.
This is belief that behaviour is determined by external or internal forces acting upon an individual that is out of their control.
List three types of determinism.
• Biological
• Environmental
• Psychic
Compare approaches that are on opposite sides of the free-will determinism debate.
Free will:
Humanistic and social learning
Determinism:
Biological (Genetic determinism)
Psychodynamic (Psychic determinism)
Behaviourist (Environmental determinism)
What is the difference between hard determinism and soft determinism?
Soft determinism is the concept that there are constraints on behaviour, but within these limitations, we are free to make our own choices. Hard determinism however, is the view that all behaviour is determined by factors out of our control.
Describe classical conditioning in Pavlov’s study.
• Pavlov paired the ringing of a bell with the arrival of dog food.
• The ringing of a bell was a neutral stimulus (it did not naturally produce salivation in the dogs) while the food was an unconditioned (innate) stimulus which naturally resulted in salivation.
• Through pairing of these stimuli, a conditioned response was formed.
• The bell became a conditioned stimulus - producing a conditioned response of salivation, even in the absence of the unconditioned stimulus, the food.
