approaches

Cognitive approach assumptions

The mind is an information processor

Behaviour is influenced by schemas

The mind is like a computer

What’s assumption 1 of the cognitive approach? A poo May leak

information flows through our minds as a sequence which affects our behaviour

Attention

Perception

Memory

Language

What’s assumption 2 of the cognitive approach?

Schemas- packages of ideas and information developed through experience, such as expectations of what we are supposed to do.

What’s assumption 3 of the cognitive approach?

The mind works like a computer- input, process, output

Input- takes in info from surroundings

Processes-info is encoded and stored in memory by schemas

Output- form of observable behaviour is shown

Cognitive neuroscience

Scientific study of the influence of brain structures on mental processes.

Can use fMRI scans and PET scans.

Brain regions

Broca’s area- important for speech

Prefrontal Cortex- episodic and semantic memory

Parahippocampal gyrus- processes unpleasant emotions

What are the 3 assumptions of the psychodynamic approach?

Unconscious mind has influence on our behaviour

Tripartite personality

Psychosexual stages determine our adult personality

What’s assumption 1 of the psychodynamic approach?

The conscious- amount of metal activity we know about

The pre conscious- things we could know about if we try, eg memories

The unconscious/subconscious- things we are unaware of, and can not become aware of

What’s assumption 2 of the psychodynamic approach

ID- pleasure principle, responsible for self urges, aggression and urges

EGO- reality principle, control of the demands of ID and SUPEREGO

SUPEREGO- responsible for feelings of guilt and our sense of right and wrong

Defence mechanisms of the EGO

Denial- arguing against an anxiety provoking situation by saying it doesn’t exist

Displacement- taking out impulses on a less threatening target

Repression- anxiety provoking thoughts are pushed to the unconscious mind

What’s assumption 3 of the psychodynamic approach?

Sexual energy is present from birth, but we are unconscious of it.

What are the psychosexual stages of development?

ORAL- 0-2

ANAL-2-3

PHALLIC- 3-7

LATENCY- 7-11

GENITAL- 11+

old age pensioners love Guinness

What’s the Oedipus complex?

Children in the phallic stage begin to have unconscious sexual desires for their opposite sex parent.

To resolve this, children identify with their same sex parent, and adopt their personality and behaviour, so they are no longer seen as a threat.

What are the 3 assumptions of the humanistic approach?

Everyone has free will

Maslow hierarchy of needs and self actualisation

Conditions of worth

What’s assumption 1 of the humanistic approach?

Free will- humans are entirely free to act as they choose and bear responsibility for the outcome of their behaviour

Holism- human behaviour is too complex to be reduced to single explanations. There are too many factors contributing to behaviour.

What’s assumption 2 of the humanistic approach?

Maslow hierarchy of needs

Bottom-

Physiological

Safety

Love/belonging

Esteem

Self actualisation

Top.

What’s assumption 3 of the humanistic approach?

Conditions of worth- personal growth will only occur if you have congruence between your actual self and your ideal self.

What’s the 2 assumptions of the behaviourist approach?

Behaviour is shaped through classical conditioning

Behaviour is maintained through operant conditioning

What’s assumption 1 of the behaviourist approach?

Classical conditioning is where behaviour is learnt via association.

Pavlovs dog

Connection between and unconditioned stimulus and a neutral stimulus, to produce a response.

What's assumption 2 of the behaviourist approach?

Operant conditioning- a form of learning in which behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences

What’s positive reinforcement? (Behaviourist appproach)

Receiving a positive consequence for your behaviour, increasing the likelihood of repetition

What’s negative reinforcement? (Behaviourist approach)

Carrying out a behaviour to avoid something unpleasant, increasing the likelihood of repetition.

What’s punishment? (Behaviourist approach)

Involves receiving a negative consequence for behaviour, decreasing the likelihood of repetition.

What’s the 3 assumptions of the Social Learning Theory (SLT)

Behaviour is shaped through identification and imitation

Behaviour is shaped through vicarious reinforcement

Mediations factors influences our behaviour

What’s assumption 1 of SLT?

Identification- observer related to role model, and therefore are more likely to imitate behaviour

Role Models- knowingly or unknowingly inspiring others to imitate positive/ negative behaviour

Overall idea- process of copying the behaviour of a role model; ore likely if it’s a role model they identified with

What’s assumption 2 of SLT?

vicarious reinforcement- indirect learning, where behaviours are learnt through observing the consequences of seeing others being rewarded or punished for their behaviour.

What’s assumption 3 of SLT?

There is thought, prior to imitation, called meditational processes.

Attention- noticing behaviour

Retention- remembering behaviour

Motor reproduction- ability to actually perform behaviour

Motivation- will/desire to perform behaviour

What’s the 3 assumptions of the biological approach?

Behaviour has a genetic basis

Behaviour is influenced by evolution

Behaviour is due to the effects of our neurochemistry

what’s assumption 1 of the biological approach?

Genetics- not only codes for physical features, but also psychological features

Transferred through inheritance

Twin studies can be used to determine if a behaviour is due to genetics or not

What’s concordance rate? (Twin studies, assumption 1 of the biological approach)

Extent to which both twins have the same characteristics, expressed as a %

What’s assumption 2 of the biological approach?

Evolution- changes that take place in the inherited characteristics of a population over time

What’s assumption 3 of the biological approach?

Neurochemistry- refers to chemicals in the brain that regulate psychological functioning, such as hormones and neurotransmitters.

Testosterone# aggression, competitiveness, visiospatial abilities

What are the positives and negatives of the psychodynamic approach?

Positive – uses case studies (little hans)

Positive – useful in treating mental health disorders (depression)

Negative– uses case Studies (little Hans)

Negative - reductionist

Negative- determinist

What’s the positives and negatives of the humanistic approach?

Positive – resulted in the development of PCT (person centred therapy) Which leads to a better quality of life and improved economy as the person can go back to work

Negative– culturally bias, some cultures may frown upon this as it focuses On individualism when some prioritise community

Negative– unscientific due to lack of empirical evidence as it is difficult to test on as it is vague

What are the positives and negatives of the behavioural approach?

Positive – scientific(rats) Can be tested on

Positive – phobias (little Albert) can be understood leading to understanding and treatments of phobias effectively

Negative– reductionist (oversimplified and ineffective treatment)

Negative– determinist criminals can claim that their behaviour was due to a predetermined factor and therefore wasn’t their fault leading to wrongful convictions or sentences

What are the positives and negatives of the cognitive approach?

Positive – useful in treatment as PET and MRI scans can be used

Positive – useful in treating depression due to more understanding meaning better quality of life

Negative– lax ecological validity as the tests are unrealistic(remember words in order) and therefore can’t be generalised to real life

negative– reductionist as of a factors such as biological are ignored

What’s the positives and negatives of the biological approach?

Positive- it is scientific as lab and quasiexperiments are used meaning high control over extreme variables (twin studies used, measured by concordance rate)

Positive – effective treatment of mental health disorders for example that have been linked with depression and low serotonin leading to effective treatment and better quality of life

Negative– reductionist doesn’t include factors such as environment or upbringing needs to adopt an interactionist approach

Negative– criminals may be able to claim their behaviour was predetermined by their genes and therefore not their fault leading to wrongful convictions and sentences

What’s the positives and negatives of SLT?

Positive – useful in understanding the effects of media on children for example PG-13 PG 18 or U (Bandar’s bobo doll)

Negative – lies on lab studies (bobo doll) Meaning it lacks ecological validity and can’t be generalised to real life

Negative – it is reductionist as hormones and upbringing are forgotten ( bobo doll) Behaviour is assumed to be due to visual learning

negative– determinist criminals can claim that the crime was due to their upbringing, as they were brought up viewing others doing the same action, and praised for it