Psycology - Approaches: Behavioural, Social Learning, Cognitive

What does the Behaviouralist Approach focus on?

The study of observable and measurable behavior.

Who created the Behaviouralist Approach?

John B. Watson in 1913.

What is the concept of a 'blank slate' in the Behaviouralist Approach?

It suggests that individuals are born without built-in mental content and that all behavior is learned from experiences.

What is Classical Conditioning?

A learning process where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response.

Who conducted the famous experiment on Classical Conditioning with dogs?

Ivan Pavlov.

What is Operant Conditioning?

A learning process where behavior is shaped by reinforcement or punishment.

What are the four types of operant conditioning?

Positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment.

What is positive reinforcement?

Receiving a reward when a desired behavior is performed.

What is negative reinforcement?

Removing an unwanted stimulus to increase a desired behavior.

What is positive punishment?

Adding an undesirable stimulus to decrease a behavior.

What is negative punishment?

Removing a wanted stimulus to decrease a behavior.

What is a real-world application of the Behaviouralist Approach?

Token economies in institutions like prisons and schools.

What is a limitation of the Behaviouralist Approach regarding contextual dependency?

Behaviors learned in one context may not translate to another context, limiting the approach's validity.

What does Environmental Determinism imply in the Behaviouralist Approach?

All behavior is learned from past conditioning experiences, suggesting no free will.

What is a criticism of the Behaviouralist Approach regarding oversimplification?

It oversimplifies human behavior by equating it to that of animals.

What does Social Learning Theory (SLT) suggest about learning?

Behavior is learned through observation and imitation of others.

Who developed the Social Learning Theory?

Albert Bandura.

What is vicarious reinforcement?

Learning that occurs by observing the rewards or punishments of others' behaviors.

What are the four mediational processes in SLT?

Attention, retention, motor reproduction, and motivation.

What is the role of attention in SLT?

The extent to which a behavior is noticed.

What is the role of retention in SLT?

How well a behavior is remembered.

What is the role of motor reproduction in SLT?

The ability of the observer to perform the behavior.

What is the role of motivation in SLT?

The will to perform the behavior, influenced by whether it was rewarded or punished.

What is identification in the context of SLT?

The process where individuals are more likely to imitate behaviors of those they identify with, called role models.

What was the focus of Bandura's Bobo doll experiment?

To observe if children would imitate aggressive behavior after watching an adult behave aggressively towards a Bobo doll.

What did Bandura and Walters' research demonstrate?

Children imitated behaviours they observed, especially if they saw the role model being rewarded or punished.

What experiment did Bandura and Walters conduct with children and a bobo doll?

They showed videos of adults behaving violently towards a bobo doll, with varying consequences for the adults.

What was the outcome for children who saw adults praised for aggressive behavior?

They showed significantly more aggression than those who saw adults punished or ignored.

What is a strength of the social learning theory (SLT)?

It recognizes the importance of cognitive factors in learning, unlike classical or operant conditioning.

What role do mediational processes play in SLT?

They allow humans to store information about others' behaviors and make judgments about when to perform certain actions.

What is a criticism of SLT regarding biological factors?

SLT makes little reference to biological factors, despite Bandura acknowledging their influence on learning.

What is the 'wannabe effect' in social learning?

It describes how young people identify with attractive and similar heroic movie stars, influencing their behavior.

What limitation is associated with Bandura's lab studies?

They are criticized for their contrived nature, which may not accurately reflect real-life aggression learning.

What does reciprocal determinism mean in SLT?

It suggests that individuals influence their environment through their behaviors, indicating a degree of free will.

What does the cognitive approach argue about internal mental processes?

It states that these internal mental processes can and should be studied scientifically, unlike behaviourists approach.

What is a schema in cognitive psychology?

Schemas are mental frameworks developed through experience that help interpret incoming information.

How do schemas affect cognitive processing?

They can enable quick processing of information but may also distort interpretations, leading to errors.

What analogy is used to describe cognitive processes?

The analogy of a computer, where inputs are received, processed by the CPU (brain), and outputs are produced.

What is a strength of the cognitive approach regarding research methods?

It uses objective scientific methods, including controlled lab studies, to infer cognitive processes.

What is a limitation of cognitive psychology in terms of external validity?

It often relies on artificial stimuli that may not represent everyday experiences, making it less applicable to real life.

How does the cognitive approach treat depression?

It challenges negative thoughts through cognitive therapy, focusing on the negative triad: views of self, world, and future.

What is machine reductionism in cognitive psychology?

It is the oversimplification of human behavior by comparing it to computer operations, ignoring emotional influences.

What is soft determinism in the context of the cognitive approach?

It suggests that behavior is influenced by internal and external factors, but individuals can exert free will at times.

What does the negative triad in Beck's cognitive therapy refer to?

It refers to a person's negative views of themselves, their world, and their future, which can lead to depression.

What is the significance of observational learning in SLT?

It highlights how individuals can learn behaviors by watching others, rather than through direct experience.

What did Bandura's studies reveal about the influence of media on behavior?

They showed that media can shape social learning and behavior through identification and imitation of admired figures.

What is the role of cognitive neuroscience in the cognitive approach?

It enhances the scientific basis of cognitive psychology by linking biological processes with cognitive functions.

How do cognitive psychologists study mental processes?

They make inferences about thoughts based on observable behavior, as mental processes cannot be directly observed.

What criticism is leveled against the cognitive approach regarding its theoretical nature?

It can be too abstract and theoretical, lacking direct observation of behavior.

What is the impact of emotional factors on human memory according to cognitive psychology?

Emotional factors, such as anxiety, can negatively affect memory processing.

What is the difference between soft determinism and hard determinism?

Soft determinism allows for some free will, while hard determinism asserts that behavior is entirely determined by external factors.

8/16 marker on behaviouralist approach to explaining behaviour:

1. Well controlled research in larb setting (highly scientific)

2. Real world application in prisons or schools (token economy) also relevant in explaining and treating phobias

3. CA is that it does not translate to other situations e.g home life, limiting its real world application

4. Environmental determinism, there is no free will meaning society is built on a fake notation e.g judicial system doesn’t work

5. Over simplification, humans are more intelligent than rats or pigeons 

8/16 marker on social learning theory for explaining behaviour:

1. Cognitive factors, it adds to the behaviouralist approach thro mediational process 

2. CA, has very little reference to biological factors, resent studies suggest mediational approaches are memory neurons

3. Wannable effect (Proud Arunrangsiwed) college students and school children identified with move stars that they related to, and copied their behaviour

4. Contrived lab studies, it is based upon lab studies which had may extraneous variable flaws

8/18 marker cognitive approach in explaining behaviour:

1. Scientific method, uses highly controlled studies to produce objective data including biological factors

2. However still involves inferences from mental process which are very abstract and ‘guess work’ so little external validity

3. Real life application for treating depression using CBT and Beck research of the negative triad

4. Machine reductionism, it breaks behaviour down into a model mirroring a computor, simplifying behaviour to something a human isn’t