approaches in psychology Flashcards
(62 cards)
1
Q
origins of psychology
when did wundt open the worlds first psychology labatory?
A
1879
2
Q
origins of psychology
what was the purpose of using introspection
A
to investigate the nature of awareness and consciousness
3
Q
origins of psychology
what is introspection?
A
- recording conscious thoughts by noting them down, then attempting to break these thoughts down into structures of basic thoughts, images and sensations
- used scientific methods- same procedure, instructions and tried to mnimise the impact of extraneous variables
4
Q
origins of psychology
what did john b. watson criticise introspection about?
A
- for being subjective and varying too much from person to person
5
Q
origins of psychology
17th - 19th century
A
psychology is seen as a part of philosophy
6
Q
origins of psychology
1879:
A
- wundt opens the first lab dedicated to psychological enquiry
7
Q
origins of psychology
early 1900’s:
A
- sigmund freud proposes psychodynamic/ psychoanalytic theory, emphasising the role of the unconscious mind
8
Q
origins of psychology
1913:
A
watson and skinner establish the behaviourist approach, emphasising the role of learning
9
Q
origins of psychology
1950’s:
A
rogers and maslow devise the humanistic approach, emphasising the “whole person, their subjective experience and role of free will”
10
Q
origins of psychology
1950’s pt2
A
- digital computers give psychologists a metaphor for human mind
- cognitive approach emerges
11
Q
origins of psychology
1960s:
A
bandura proposes the social learning theory, emphasising the role of observation and imitation
12
Q
origins of psychology
1980’s:
A
the biological approach becomes popular, emphasising the role of the brain and physical processes
13
Q
origins of psychology
end of the 20th century
A
cognitive neuroscience emerges, combining elements of cognitive and biological approaches, emphasising the role of biological structures in determining thought processes
14
Q
origins of psychology
key moments in the emergence of psychology as a science
A
- 1900’s behviourists- john B watson criticsed introspection, proposed that a true psychology should only study phenomena that can be observed and objectively measured
- 1950’s cognitive approach- digital revolution acted as a metaphor for the mind, ensured the mind was a legitimate and scientific aspect of the discipline
- 1980’s biological approach- using technology to examen physiological processes as they happen e.g. through brain scanning teqniques and genetic testing (which has allowed us to tell the difference between genes and behaviour)
15
Q
origins of psychology
strength: why can psychology claim to be a science
A
- has the same aims as natural sciences
- all approaches use scientific methods e.g. lab
16
Q
origins of psychology
limitation: ehy is a scientific approach to human thought not be desirable or possible
A
- humanistic approach- individual experiences and subjective
- psychodynamic approach- uses unrepresentative case studies
- humans are active participants in research, e.g. demand characteristics
17
Q
the behaviourist approach
when did the behaviourist approach emerge?
A
beginning of the 20th century
18
Q
the behaviourist approach
behaviourism is mainly concerned with …. behaviour that can be ….
A
- observable
- objectively and scientifically measured
19
Q
the behaviourist approach
when we are born our mind is a … so..
A
- blank slate
- there is no genetic influence on behaviour
20
Q
the behaviourist approach
humans and … are alike so…
A
- animals
- we can conduct studies on them
21
Q
the behaviourist approach
behaviour is the result of … – ….
A
stimulus – response
22
Q
the behaviourist approach
we learn new behaviour from which types of conditioning?
A
- classical
- operant
23
Q
the behaviourist approach
pavlovs process on classical conditioning
A
- noticed dogs salivated on hearing sound of door so decided to investigate
- rang bell (neutral stimulus) when giving dogs food (unconditioned stimulus)
- dogs salivated (unconditioned respnse) at food
- unconditioned and neutral stimulus associated- dog salivated (conditioned response) at sound of bell (conditioned stimulus)
24
Q
the behaviourist approach
skinners process of operant conditioning
A
- in the skinner box, rats were placed with a lever, light and electrified floor
- light on + lever pressed = electric shock
- light off + lever pressed = recieved a food pellet
- rats learnt to push leaver inly when the light was on
25
# the behaviourist approach
strengths of the behaviourist approach
* enhances replicability and validity of the conclusions drawn
* real world application - e.g systematic desensitisation for treating phobias
*
26
# the behaviourist approach
criticisms of the behaviourist approach
* too mechanistic, discounts the role of thought processes in behviour, sees humans as passive to the environment (over- simplistic)
27
# the cognitive approach
what are the 2 key assumptions of the cognitive approach?
* must study mental processes scientifically (stimuli- mental processes- response)
* the mind works like a computer (imput- processing- output). the information processing model
28
# the cognitive approach
what is Schema theory
- a mental framework we form from our experiences
29
# the cognitive approach
when an experience matches our schema it is...
assimilated into our experience
30
# the cognitve approach
when an experience doesnt match our schema we...
- accommodate schema to make sense of new experience
31
# the cognitve approach
support for schema theory
Bartlett had british participants read out American folk tale- changed details to match their own schemas
32
# the cognitive approach
why may machine reductionism reduce the validity of the cognitve approach
reducing human personality and behaviour to the level of a computer, neglecting the role of emotion on actions, is a problem as it does not recognise how much more complex humans are than machines.
33
# the biological approach
two assumptions of the biological approach
* we can explain behaviour in terms of biological factors
* the biological approach has been happening in parrallel with the experimental history of psychology
34
# the biological approach
2+ nucleotides joined together=
dna
35
# the biological approach
DNA tightly wound up=
chromosomes
36
# the biological approach
eaxh cell has how many pairs of chromosomes?
23
37
# the biological approach
what is a gene?
* a section of DNA which controls the production of a specific protein
38
# the biological approach
what are alleles?
different variations of the same gene
39
# the biological approach
genotype
a particular set of genes a person posseses
40
# the biological approach
phenotype
characteristics of a person determined by both genes and the environment
41
# the biological approach
who do we use to investigate if personality traits are inherited in the same way as physical traits?
twin studies
42
# the biological approach
if a characteristic is genetic, we would expect:
* all monozygotic twins to be concordant
* compared to only 50% of dizygotic twins
43
# the biological approach
how do evolution and behaviour link?
if a characteristic is helpful for survival the characterstic becomes naturally selected and unuseful characteristics die out and characteristsics more desired for survival will thrive
44
# the biological approach
evaluation: how does the biological approach have real world application?
due increased understanding of neurochemical processes in the brain- biological approach has assisted the treatment of clinical depression using antidepressant drugs
antidepressants- increase levels of serotonin at the synapses in the brain
people with depression can better manage their life due to this.
45
# the biological approach
evaluation: how may the biological approach not have real world application (antidepressants)
* not all depression can be treated by antidepressants suggesting that their is more reason for depression other than chemical imbalances in the brain
46
# the biological approach
evaluation: the biological approach uses scientific methods and is therefore...
* supported by strong evidence
* e.g. scanning techniques which show physiological and neural processes
47
# the biological approach
evaluation: biological determinism
* suggests there is little or no free will over behaviour
* this could have serious consequences, e.g. not taking responsibility for crimes as it is "out of their control"
* this is usually not the case.
48
# social learning theory
social learning theory assumptions
* behaviour is conditioned through classical and operant conditioning
* learning also takes place through observation and imitation
49
# social learning theory
what is vicarious reinforcement?
* learning through watching someone else be rewarded or punished for a behaviour
* the person then learns that such behaviours are worth/not worth repeating
* may imitate behaviour
50
# social learning theory
what 4 **mediational processes** in learning did **bandura** identify?
1. attention- noticing a behaviour
2. retention- being able to remember it
3. motor reproduction- the ability to imitate the action
4. motivation- the desire to imitate action, linked to percieved likelihood of reward
51
# social learning theory
what happened in bandura's bobo doll study?
* children were shown a film of an adult attacking a bobo doll
* then coppied the agressive actions when in the room with the same bobo doll
* the children who hadn't been exposed to agression didn't show agression
* children who watched an adult be punished for agressive behaviour were less likely to copt the agression in comparison to those who saw the adult being rewarded for what they did
52
# social learning theory
what is the role of identification?
* children are more likely to imitate the actions of those they identify more closely with a "role model" who has similar characterstics to them or attractuve qualities
53
# social learning theory
evaluation: strengths of social learning theory
* a more holistic model of learning- accounts for the role of mediational processes in learning
* real world application of identification- e.g. want to model good behaviour in schools needs role models
54
# social learning theory
evaluation: limitations of social learning theory
* research may lack internal validity- bandura couldn't match participants for every participant variable (e.g. fear of clowns or not)
* can't use scientific methods to study mediational processes- bc they aren't directly observable- cant make any reliable predictions about observational learning
55
# the psychodynamic approach
freud describes the conscious mind as the ...
tip of the iceburg
56
# the psychodynamic approach
what does the unconscious mind contain?
* biological drives and instincts
* threatening and disturbing memories that have been, repressed, locked away or forgotten
57
# the psychodynamic approach
when might disturbing or threatening memories that have been locked away be accessed?
* paraprxes
* through dreams or slips of the tongue
58
# the psychodynamic approach
what sits between the conscious and the unconscious?
the preconscious
59
# the psychodynamic approach
what is the personality made up of?
* it is tripartite
* Id
* Ego
* Superego
60
# the psychodynamic approach
what is the role of the Id?
* primitive part of our personality
* entirely unconscious
* made up of selfish and agressive instincts that demand immediate gratification
61
# the psychodynamic approach
what is the role of the Ego?
* reality check
* balances Id and Superego
* has defence mechanisms
62
# the psychodynamic approach
what is the role of the Superego?
* moralistic part of our personality
* represents the ideal self
* formed at the end of the phallic stage
* punishes ego for wrong doing
