psychology - approaches

introspection

analyzing ones own thoughts and feelings

Briefly explain operant conditioning

• learning through consequence

• Skinner’s box had a rat where it pressed a button and was positively reinforced with food. If it didn’t press the button it was punished with a shock which lead to negative reinforcement where it presses the button to avoid being shocked

Explain classical conditioning using research

• learning through association

• Pavlov pairs the bell (NS) with the food (UCS) which causes the dog to salivate (UCR)

• After conditioning, the bell is the conditioned stimulus and the dog’s salivating in the conditioned stimulus

What approaches did Wundt use?

Structuralism → breaking down human thoughts into its most basic and simple components

Reductionism → concepts can be broken down into a cause and effect process

Introspection AO3

• scientific → controlled(lab) & standardised

• real world application

• self report data → subjective

what are the key assumptions of the behaviourist approach

• the mind is a blank slate at birth and behaviour is learnt

• they only care about behaviour that can be objectively measured and observed

• learning through classical and operant conditioning

Outline AO3 of behaviourist approach

• scientific

• research support on classical conditioning → Watson’s research on Little Albert’s fear of white rats

• can’t be generalised to humans cause it uses animals

• environmentally determinist (behaviour is because of internal/external forces rather than their will to do smth)

key assumptions of SLT

• behaviour is learnt through observation and imitation (vicarious reinforcement)

• which is when you observe an individual do a behaviour and if they are rewarded, you imitate that behaviour

What is the difference between operant conditioning and SLT

operant → individual themself is being reinforced

SLT → individual watches someone else be reinforced

Explain link between modelling , identification and imitation

Live or symbolic model performs behaviour and if individual indentifies (relates) with them then they imitate that behaviour

Mediational processes

Attention , Retention , Motor reproduction and motivation determine if a new behaviour is required or not

SLT Case Study

• Bandura et al

• Adult beats up inflatable clown as child watches, if adult is rewarded, child copies behaviour and if adult is punished, child doesnt copy behaviour

Outline SLT AO3

• scientific → highly controlled

• research support for identification

• overreliance on lab studies

• underestimates role of biology

Key assumptions of cognitive approach

• behaviour is based on cognitive processes: perception, attention, language, memory

What is the schema

mental framework of beliefs and expectations

What is inference

Logical conclusions on thought processing based on evidence

What is machine reductionism

• When analogies of computers are used to explain human behaviour

• This ignores the complexity of human behaviour and influences like emotion

Outline AO3 for cognitive approach

• real world application → explains OCD is linked to faulty thought processes

• scientific → neuroimaging in labs

• artificial stimuli

• machine reductionist → uses theoretical models

Key assumptions of biological approach

• everything psychological is first biological

• the mind is inseparable from the brain

• takes into account genes

Genes definition

Hereditary definition

• Carry information about psychical and psychological characteristics in the form of DNA

• Passing characteristics from one generation to another through genes

Monozygotic vs dizygotic

Monozygotic twins share 100% DNA

Dizygotic twins share 50% DNA

Define genotype and phenotype

G → genetic makeup

P → the way genes are expressed through physical and behavioural characteristics

Outline biological approach AO3

• scientific twin studies

• real world application → show how neurotransmitters effect behaviour

• reductionist

• negative connotations on society

Key assumptions of psychodynamic approach

• Different forces act on the mind that direct human behaviour

AO1 for psychodynamic approach

• mind is made up of the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious which affects behaviour the most

• tripartide personality (Freud) → id (pleasure principle), ego (reality principle), superego (morality principle)

• ego uses defence mechanisms → denial, displacement & repression to protect us from unresolved conflict which causes stress & anxiety

• Oedipus Complex (Freud) → boys are jealous of their fathers because they have romantic feelings towards their mother

• Oedipus Complex is resolved in phallic stage of psychosexual stages

• Psychosexual stages → oral, anal, phallic, genital, latency

AO3 for psychodynamic approach

• real world application → Freud’s dream analysis and ink splatter therapy

• androcentric → male centered

• subjective research support → Little Hans

• negative view on human behaviour ( say we have no free will)

Key assumptions of humanist approach

• Rogers and Maslow state that humans are active agents so psychology should be subjective

Humanist approach AO1

• Maslow’s hierarchy of needs → psychological needs, safety, belonging, esteem need to be achieved to reach self actualization

• Congruence and Incongruence

• Roger’s client centered therapy→ requires genuineness, empathy and unconditional positive regard, aimed to reach self actualisation, clients and therapist are equal.

Humanist approach AO3

• real world application → client centered therapy

• positive view on human behaviour

• cultural bound → doesnt take collectivist cultures into account

• unscientific