Conclusions

Question 1

Biological approach

Answer 1

Findings from this study does provide preliminary evidence that murders pleading NGRI have different brain functions than normal individuals. However, these differences can’t be reduced to a single brain mechanism as there are complex processes behind it. Also disruption in the network of interacting brain mechanisms would not cause violence but would predispose an individual to violent behaviour.

Confounding variables-> Head injury and IQ have not been ruled out as contributing factors

Warning-> 1. violent behaviour is not determined by biology alone (social cultural, psychological factors too).
2. Does not show brain dysfunction causes violence, it may be that brain dysfunction is an effect of violence
3. Results relates only to criminal behaviour.

Question 2

Psychodynamic approach

Answer 2

Conclusions drawn is that children would not have become offenders if not had experiences that were harmful to their development. He proposed the the damage between a mother and child relationship would affect the development of the superego and thus leading to a reduced sense of right and wrong. However there are also factors like poverty, bad housing etc that contribute to delinquency.

Implications for treatment-> If the findings are accurate then treatment to these children should be offered or prevention of such behaviour arising.

Question 3

Behaviourist approach

Answer 3

Study showed the ease at which a fear response can be created, just two joint stimulations created a conditioned emotion response in the first week, and after 7 rounds of joint stimulation it had generalised to other furry objects. Watson and Rayner suggests that its probable that many phobias are obtained this way.

Freud-> freud perspectives were favoured in psychology at that time and they noted that Alberts reaction to sucking his thumb when scared was possibly a form of sexual stimulation, W + R suggests that Freud may have been wrong and instead it may be a form of compensation to block fear.

Question 4

Cognitive approach

Answer 4

The findings suggest that the form of a question will affect a witnesses answer. There is two proposed explanations, Response bias factors: the critical word influences a persons response. Memory representation is altered: The critical word alters the persons memory so that their perception of the accident is affected.

the findings from experiment 2 suggests that the effect of leading questions is not the result of response-bias factors but because leading questions actually alter the memory.

Question 5

Positive approach conclusions:

Answer 5

Three elements that can be identified that are a part of a theory of happiness:

1. The importance of adaptation, Positive and negative effects of life will fade overtime. for example with someone winning the lottery only experience short-term increases because as humans we adapt to life circumstances
2. Cultural attitudes predispose people to interpret life events differently
3. people with high sense of SWB have goals, ambitions and things they want to achieve. All other factors like money only matter when they are relevant to your goal.