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Flashcards in approaches to psychology Deck (38)
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1
Q

what is classical conditioning

A

when a neutral stimulus is consistently paired with an unconditioned stimulus so that it eventually takes on the properties of this stimulus and is able to produce a conditioned response

2
Q

What is operant conditioning?

A

Learning through reinforcement or punishment. If a behaviour is followed by a desirable consequence then that behaviour is more likely to occur again in the future.

3
Q

what is modelling

A

a form of learning where individuals learn a particular behaviour by observing others

4
Q

what is imitation

A

the action of using someone or something as a model and copying their behaviour

5
Q

what is vicarious reinforcement

A

learning through observing someone else being reinforced for a behaviour

6
Q

what is a behaviourist?

A

someone who believes that human behaviour can be explained in terms of conditioning.

7
Q

what is social learning theory?

A

learning through observing others and imitating behaviours that are rewarded

8
Q

What is introspection?

A

the process by which a person gains knowledge about his or her mental and emotional state

9
Q

What is Empiricism?

A

The belief that all knowledge is derived from sensory experience.

10
Q

What is Punishment?

A

involves the application of an unpleasant consequence following a behaviour, with the result that the behaviour is less likely to occur again in the future.

11
Q

What is inference?

A

reaching a logical conclusion on the basis of evidence and reasoning

12
Q

What is positive reinforcement?

A

It’s when a behaviour produces a consequence that is satisfying or pleasant for the organisms

13
Q

What is negative reinforcement?

A

When something “unpleasant” is removed to restore the organism to it’s “pre-aversive”

14
Q

Define the term mediational processes.

A

refer to the internal mental processes that exist between environmental stimuli and the response made by an individual performing that behaviour.

15
Q

What is reinforcement?

A

Anything that strengthens a response and increases the likelihood that it will happen again

16
Q

What is Extinction?

A

If a behaviour that is being reinforced stops being reinforced then it will gradually stop happening

17
Q

Name and describe the Mediational Processes

A
  1. Attention - To learn behaviour from others, you have to pay attention. Once you notice your role model, you have to give your full attention and attend to their behaviour.
  2. Retention - Not only do you need to pay attention at the time, but you need to remember what you observed to be able to model it.
  3. Reproduction - Then you judge if you’re capable of reproducing that behaviour. If you think you can you’re far more likely to do it.
  4. Motivation - You evaluate the direct or indirect results of imitating the behaviour. If the behaviour results in a good reward, you’re more likely to imitate it.
18
Q

What is an unconditioned stimulus?

A

Is the natural stimulus to any reflex. i.e a natural thing or event that cause a specific functional reaction

19
Q

What’s identification?

A

It’s the extent to which an individual relates to a model and feels that he or she is similar to that person.

20
Q

What are defence mechanisms?

A

Unconscious strategies that protect our conscious mind from anxiety.

21
Q

What is Psychoanalysis?

A

A term used to describe the personality theory and therapy associated with Sigmund Freud.

22
Q

Define the term Psychodynamic.

A

Refers to any theory that emphasises change and development in the individual, particularly those theories where “drive” is the central concept in development.

23
Q

Define the term Unconscious.

A

That part of the human mind that contains repressed ideas and memories, as well as primitive desires and impulses that have never been allowed to enter the conscious mind.

24
Q

What is Self-actualisation?

A

Rogers used it as the drive to realise one’s true potential. Maslow used it to describe the final stage of his hierarchy of needs.

25
Q

Define the term Humanistic.

A

Refers to the belief that human beings are born with the desire to grow, create and love, and have the power to direct their own lives.

26
Q

What is Congruence?

A

If there is similarity between a person’s ideal self and self image, a state of congruence exists,

27
Q

What are conditions of worth?

A

Conditions imposed on an individual’s behaviour and development that are necessary to earn positive regard from significant others.

28
Q

Define the term Hierarchy of needs.

A

The motivational theory proposed by Abraham Maslow, often displayed as a pyramid. The most basic needs are at the bottom and the higher at the top.

29
Q

What is Self?

A

Our personal identity, used synonymously with the terms “self-image” and “self-concept”.

30
Q

Name the all the defence mechanisms?

A
  1. Repression - bottling it up
  2. Denial - pretending there’s no problem
  3. Displacement - taking it out on another, usually similar object/ person
  4. Minimisation - telling yourself it’s not as big a deal as it really is
31
Q

What are the psychosexual stages of development?

A
  1. Oral
  2. Anal
  3. Phallic
  4. latent
  5. genital
32
Q

Describe the psychosexual stages of development.

A
  1. Oral - the mouth - sucking, swallowing etc (EGO develops)
  2. Anal - the anus - withholding or expelling faeces
  3. Phallic - the penis or clitoris - masturbation (superego develops)
  4. Latent - little or no sexual motivation present
  5. genital - the penis or vagina - sexual intercourse.
33
Q

describe the id

A

It operates solely in the unconscious. It contains the libido, the biological energy created by the reproductive instincts. It operates according to the pleasure principle.

34
Q

Describe the ego.

A

it mediates between the impulsive demands of the id and the reality of the external world (the reality principle)

35
Q

Describe the superego

A

this is divided into the conscience and the ego-ideal. This conscience is the internalisation of societal rules. It determines which behaviours are permissible and causes feelings of guilt when rules are broken

36
Q

Evaluate the behaviourist approach.

A
  1. over reliance non-human animal research - humans have “free will” but skinner argue that free will is merely an illusion and what we believe are behaviours chosen through free will are actually the product of external influences that “guide” our behaviour on a daily basis.
  2. classical conditioning has been applied to therapy - phobia treatment - systematic desensitisation - found to be effective for a range of phobias e.g arachnophobia and aerophobia.
37
Q

evaluate social learning theory

A
  1. has useful applications - e.g criminal behaviour (CM) - Akers (1998) suggests that the probability of someone engaging in CM increases when exposed to models etc.
  2. research support for identification - fox and bailenson (2009) virtual humans exercising or loitering. participants (Ps) who watched their virtual selfs exercising engaged in more exercise within 24 hours of the experiment.
  3. a problem of complexity - devel of gender role behaviour. a child is exposed to many different influences. all of them interacting in complex ways. difficult to show on particular thing being the main influence.
  4. a problem of establishing causality - young people who possess social deviant attitudes (e.g low self- control) would seek out peers as they’re more fun to be around with than their less reckless counterparts
38
Q

evaluate the humanistic approach.

A
  1. research support for conditions of worth - harter el al. (1996) discovered that teenagers who feel that they have to fulfill certain conditions in order to gain their parents’ approval frequently end up not liking themselves.
  2. cultural differences in the hierarchy of needs - some people needs may appear in a different order or may be absent all together