PSYCH - APPROACHES

• Wundt aimed to describe human mind in a carefully controlled scientific environment by using structuralism. breaking up conscious awareness into basic structures of thoughts, images and sensations
• behaviourisms main assumptions are that we should only study observable and measurable behaviour to maintain control and objectivity
• behaviourists suggest that the processes that govern learning are the same in all species s animals can replace humans in experiments
• classical conditioning is learning through association
• operant conditioning is learning through reinforcement and punishment
• pavlovs study conditioned dogs to salivate when hearing the bell ring
• skinners study displayed operant conditioning. the rats earnt that pushing a lever would drop food for them, but also that when a certain light is on that it would shock them
• positive reinforcement increases the frequency of behaviour through reward
• negative reinforcement increases the frequency of behaviour when removed
• punishment decreases the frequency of behaviour
• social learning theory agrees with behaviourists that learning occurs through experiences but takes place in a social context through observation and imitation
• mediational processes is defined as the mental events that determine if the individual perceives behaviour as worth imitating
• attention refers to whether the behaviour is noticed. retention is whether the behaviour is remembered. motor reproduction is about the ability to do it. motivation is whether they have the will to perform.
• bandura's bobo doll study - adults displaying aggressive or non aggressive behaviour, they found that the children always imitated them.
• cognitive approach states that behaviour is controlled by internal mental processes and is explained through computer and theoretical models
• theoretical models refers to MSM and WMM to explain how information flows through cognitive systems
• computer models are compared to cognitive processes. reflects the mental processes of how humans carry out behaviours
• schema are packages of information developed through experience
• non invasive scientific methods can be used to research the mind through PET scans or fMRI. this allows researchers to see which areas of the brain are active during certain activities . this helps associate parts of the brain to cognitive functions
• the biological approach believes that everything psychological has a biological basis
• genotypes are our genetic makeup such as eye colour whereas phenotypes are how the genes are expressed
• nestadt et al conducted twin studies for concordance rates on inheriting CD between monozygotic and dizygotic twins. MZ had a 68% concordance rate while DZ had 31% concordance rate. sharing genes increases the likeability of mental disorders developing
• darwinism believes that traits that help with survival will get passed onto the offspring
• psychodynamic approach states that the early unconscious mind influences behaviour
• there are three parts of the mind, conscious - what we are aware of. re conscious - thoughts from dreams or slip of the tongue. unconscious - a vast storehouse of biological drives and instincts
• the tripartite structure of personality refers to ID - operates on the pleasure principle. ego - works on the reality principle. super ego - based on the morality principle
• there are three defence mechanisms. repressing is forcing the memories out of the mind. displacement is substituting the source of the memory. denial is refusing to acknowledge reality
• the 5 psychosexual stages are oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital