Psychological Approaches: Psychodynamic, Behaviourist, and Social Learning Theory

Vocabulary terms and direct definitions covering the Psychodynamic Approach, Behaviourist Approach, and Social Learning Theory.

Psychodynamic Approach

An approach explaining that behaviour is influenced by unconscious conflicts, childhood experiences, and instinctive drives.

Conscious

Thoughts that we are aware of.

Preconscious

Memories that can be brought into awareness.

Unconscious

Hidden thoughts, memories, and desires that influence behaviour without conscious awareness, and store repressed memories and unacceptable desires.

Id

The part of personality structure that seeks immediate pleasure.

Ego

The part of personality structure that balances desires with reality.

Superego

The part of personality structure that represents morality and internalised rules.

Oral fixation

Fixation during the psychosexual stages manifested through behaviours such as smoking or nail-biting.

Anal fixation

Fixation during the psychosexual stages manifested through being excessively tidy or messy.

Oedipus complex

A conflict at ages 3–6 where boys experience unconscious attraction to their mother and rivalry with their father, resolving it through identification with their father.

Electra complex

A proposed conflict in girls similar to the Oedipus complex, associated with Carl Jung.

Defence mechanisms

Unconscious strategies used by the ego to reduce anxiety and protect against unacceptable thoughts.

Repression

A defence mechanism involving pushing distressing thoughts into the unconscious.

Denial

A defence mechanism involving refusing to accept reality.

Displacement

A defence mechanism involving redirecting emotions towards a safer target.

Little Hans

A five-year-old boy with a fear of horses, interpreted by Freud as reflecting an unconscious Oedipus complex.

Behaviourist Approach

An approach arguing that behaviour is learned through environmental experiences.

Tabula rasa

A concept meaning "blank slate", suggesting that humans begin life without learned behaviours.

Classical conditioning

Learning through association between two stimuli.

Extinction

The weakening of the conditioned response when the conditioned stimulus is no longer paired with the unconditioned stimulus.

Spontaneous recovery

The return of the conditioned response after a rest period.

Generalisation

When stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus produce the conditioned response.

Discrimination

Learning to distinguish between stimuli.

Operant conditioning

Learning through consequences.

Positive reinforcement

Adding a reward to increase behaviour.

Negative reinforcement

Removing something unpleasant to increase behaviour.

Punishment

An operant consequence that reduces the likelihood of behaviour.

Systematic desensitisation

A practical application of classical conditioning to treat phobias using gradual exposure to feared stimuli alongside relaxation.

Token economies

A practical application of operant conditioning in settings like schools or psychiatric units that rewards desirable behaviour with tokens exchangeable for rewards.

Social Learning Theory (SLT)

An approach stating that people learn behaviour by observing and imitating others, particularly role models, without requiring direct reinforcement.

Imitation

Copying another person's behaviour.

Modelling

Learning by observing another person's behaviour.

Identification

Occurs when someone relates to a role model and wants to be like them, influenced by similarity, status, attractiveness, and perceived success.

Vicarious reinforcement

Learning by observing someone else being rewarded for a behaviour.

Attention

A mediational cognitive process that involves noticing the behaviour.

Retention

A mediational cognitive process that involves remembering the behaviour.

Motor reproduction

A mediational cognitive process that involves being able to perform the behaviour.

Motivation

A mediational cognitive process that involves having a reason to imitate the behaviour.