APPROACHES

BEHAVIORIST APPROACH

  • Behaviorism is concerned with observational behavior rather than internal events.

  • Psychology is a science = behavior must be measured in highly controlled environments to establish cause and effect.

  • When born, our mind is a blank state = behavior is learnt.

  • New behavior is a result of a stimulus and is learnt through classical or operant conditioning.

Classical conditioning- learning through an association. A natural stimulus is consistently pored with an unconditioned stimulus so eventually it takes on the properties and can produce a conditioned response.

→Timing- if a NS cannot be used to predict the UCS, then conditioning cannot take place.

→Extinction- CR doesn’t become permanent established as a response.

→Spontaneous recovery- is CS and UCS are paired, a link between them is made quicker.

→Stimulus generalization- once conditioned, responses to other stimuli’s that are similar to the CS will also take place.

Operant conditioning- learning through reinforcement or punishment. If behavior is followed by a desirable consequence it is more likely to happen again.

Skinners box:

  • Rat moved around a cage and when it presses a lever on the side of the cage, a food pellet falls (Reinforcer).

  • If food pellet then stoped falling, rat will press the lever a few more times then stops (Extinction).

Positive reinforcement- occurs by adding something pleasant = pleasant consequence

Negative reinforcement- occurs when removal of something unpleasant = pleasant consequence

Positive punishment- adding something unpleasant as a consequence (eg. Issuing a speeding ticket)

Negative punishment- taking something pleasant away (eg. Grounding a naughty child)

Reinforcement→ encourages behavior

Punishment→ stops behavior

NEUROCHEMISTRY

  • When a nerve impulse reaches the end of a neuron, a Neurotransmitter is released.

  • It travels from one neuron to another across a synapse.

  • Neurotransmitters keep the body in a state of homeostasis.

  • Different levels of neurotransmitters impact behavior.

EXAMPLE: serotonin is a neurotransmitter which maintains a stable mood (low serotonin levels have been associated with aggression).

Genotype- made out of DNA and determines potential for characteristics

Phenotype- observable characteristics. Can change depending on the interaction of genetic and environmental factors

SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY

  • Learning occurs indirectly from observing and imitating others.

  • Learning occurs directly through classical and operant conditioning.

Attention + retention = learning

Motor reproduction + motivation = performance

→ Identification- people are more likely to imitate behavior with those of similar characteristics.

→ Imitation- behavior that can be observed and later replicated.

→ Vicarious reinforcement- for learning to take place, an individual has to observe. They may imitate, but only if behaviour is rewarded.

→ Meditational processes- mental processes mediate in learning to determine whether a new response is required.

→ Attention- have to pay attention to new behaviour

→Retention- remember observations in order to replicate the same bahviours

→Reproduction- judge yourself whether you have the ability to reproduce to

→Motivation- if results are positive, you’re more likely to imitate

BANDORA:

AIM: See whether children would imitate aggressive behavior.

Procedure:

  • Half the children were exposed to adult models interacting aggressively with a life size bobo doll, whereas the other half were observing an adult playing fairly with all the toys.

  • Children were then put into the same room and observed.

Findings:

  • Children who observed the aggressive behavior reproduced the same physical and verbal behaviour.

  • 1/3 repeated the same aggressive verbal response of “POW”

  • Non of the children who observed non-aggressive behavior made any verbally aggressive remarks.

BIOLOGICAL APPROACH

  • Tries to explain how we think, feel and behave in terms of physical factors in the body.

  • Investigate how biological structures/ processes within the body impact on the brain.

  • The mind lives in the brain.

COGNITIVE APPROACH

  • How people perceive, store, manipulate and interpret information.

  • Study Mental processes indirectly by making inferences and how they affect our behavior

  • Eg. MSM

Schemas:

→ cognitive frameworks which help us organize and interpret information.

→ knowledge built up from previous experiences to help us make sense.

Help us take short cuts when interpreting information and help us fill in gaps of absences in information.