PSYC 360 L2: Paradigms

paradigm

provides guiding set of assumptions, theories, and methods

fall of a paradigm

When a paradigm fails to explain phenomena, a period of crisis occurs. Eventually the paradigm falls/ is replaced by a new paradigm. The new paradigm emerges and guides all thinking in that area. This paradigm will remain dominant until a new crisis occurs.

Paradigm shift

not just new knowledge but tranformationn that makes it difficult to directly compare old and new paradigms

The types of paradigms

• psychodynamic/freudian

• behavioral

• cognitive

• biolgogical

Psychodynamic: The zeitgiest before the rise of freud

• darwinism and churches = dark view of humanity

• freud has dark view that people struggle with urges as well as innate biological drives

• freud confronted with hysteria and intrigued by past reports of hypnosis in treatment that focus on subconcious

Freud’s Psychodynamic Perspective

a hydraulic model with life energy (libido flowing between different structures battling for control of energy)

• id

• ego

• superego

according to freud, battle betwen the 3 structures dixates on developmental stages- oral, anal. etc

The id

• there from moment you are born

• emerges early in development

• ruled by pleasure, does not tolerate frustruration

• engages in primary process thinking

EX: women mad at man for not wanting a relationships with her

the ego

• develops in second 6 months of life

• reality focused, mediates impulse between id and demands of situation

• says there is consequence for this action

EX: suggest studying more for exam instead of trying to cheat

the superego

• last structure to develop

• continues to develop through childhood (wrong bc children have a sense of right and wrong)

• moral consciousness

EX: your conscience- voice that says cheating is dishonest

role of subconcious process in psychodynamic theory

conflicts occur between drives of the id at each stage of development and if not resolved energy is fiated and psychopathology cna occur from individuals anxiety regarding subconcious id impulses

neurosis

the anxiety from the id, ego, super ego due to unresolved fonclit in the unconcious that interferes with daily living

psychosis

when axiety from the id, ego, superego gets so bad they are not in touch with reality

Pros of freudian psychodynamic paradigm

• focus on important of childhood in determining later outcomes

• helps psychology think about subconcious motivations

• emphasis on instinct

cons of freduian psychdynamic paradigm

non scientific and does not lead to therapies that work

The behavioral paradigm

• classical conditioning

• operant conditioning

• reinforcement

• the law of effect

• observational learning

zeitgeist before behaviorism

• psych moves to university settings

• john locke and empiricist

• scientific method development

• says freud method unobservable/untestable

classical conditioning- behavioral paradigm

when 1 stimuli predicts another/ learning relationship between 2 pieces of info

• US- food

• UR- salivation

• NS- bell

• CS- bell

• CR- salivation

  • NS becomes CS (when presented without US)

  • UR becomes CR

operant conditioning- behavioral paradigm

• when we learn behavior has an outcome

• stimuli evokes response

• if response has the right consequence it will be repeated

reinforcement- behavioral paradigm

increase likelihood of behavior

+= administer good stimulus

_= removal of bad stimulus

punihsment- behavioral paradigm

decreases/ reduceslikelihood of behavior

+= administration of bad stimulus

-= removal of good stimulus

ecape conditioning- behavioral paradigm

behavior that allows invidiual to escape from - situation

the law of effect (behavioral paradgim)

• behavior that is followed by consequences satisfying to the organism will be reepated

• behavior that if followed by consequences that are unpleasant to the organism will be discontinued

observational learning behavioral paradigm

• Bandura’s bobo doll

• danger bc kids learn internally/actively organize the world

• children learn to learn

pros of behavioral paradigm

• lends itself well to research/scientific validation

• leads to therapies that work well

• helps us to understand learning/change

cons of behavioral paradigm

• ignores all internal processes

• does not explain developmental change

the cognitive paradigm

• cognitive/behavioral theory are not antagonistic- many behaviorists became cognitive theorists

• assumption: humans are not blank slates we actively organize information

• learning guided by schedule,as

schemas- the cognitive paradigm

rules/heuristics that guide our interpretation of science

• schema activated that’s maladaptive that produces dsorder

EX: republicans only see things their way from their schema

how schemas are formed - cognitive paradigm

sensory information-→ nonconcious activation of schema—> automatic processing of info—> involuntary cognitions, emotion, behavior

Pros of cognitive paradigm

• lends itself well to research/scientific validation

• like behaviorism leads to therapies that work

cons of cognitive paradigm

• focus on the unobservable

• correlation causality issue

The biological paradigm

cognitive paradigm did not integrate technology and pharmacological treatments thus biological paradigm emerges- mri, firm, fuctioning of cns

includes:

• behavior genetics

  • family method

  • adoption studies

  • twin method

behavior genetics-bio

the % of variants in disorder that can be accounter for by relatedness

family method- bio

compare members of family and see if behavioral similarity is related to genetic similarity

adoption studies- bio

find related individuals that have not lived together/ given up for adoption and see how similar they are in terms of diagnosis

twin method- bio

Compare genetically indentical monozygotic and dizygotic twins and see if they produce same disorder

biological paradigm states that psychopathology exists due to

flow of electricy in brain not conducting well. chemical communication between neurons leads to therapies that work

Pros of Biological paradigm

• uses new tech/modern science to expand understanding of human behavior

• leads to effective interventions

cons of biological paradigm

• reductionistic: cannot see whole bc looking at parts (neurons, axons)

• negate human free will- say you are born with predisposition to disorder

the diathesis stress model

abnormal behavior is a product of an interaction between a diathesis and a stressor

• diathesis: vulnerability

• both vulnerability and stresor must both be present in order for indvidiual to experience an abnormal outcome

EX:

• diathesis= genetically transmitted vulnerability

• stressor= negative life event

  • individual will become depressed only if he hs both genetic risk factor and is exposed to negative life event

  • - life without vulnerability= no depression

  • vulnerability without - life event= no depression

• this model is integrative and can be concieved using different paradigms

  • genetically vulnerable= biological

  • reinforcement history= behavioral