approaches in psychology

Created by

freya maltman

Cards (48)

what is the behaviourist approach?
studying behaviour that can be observed and measured. and identified two forms of learning; classical and operant conditioning
pavlov's research = classical conditioning is learnt through association. revealed that dogs could be conditioned to salivate to the sound of a bell if sound was repeatedly presented at the same time as food. the dogs then learned to associate the sound of a bell with food and would produce salivation at every response given.
pavlov showed how a neutral stimulus (bell) can come to alert a new learned response (conditioned response) through association.
operant conditioning (Skinner's research) = suggested learning is an active process where humans and animals operate on their environment through consequences of behaviour
positive reinforcement = receiving an award when a certain behaviour is performed e.g. praise from a teacher when answering a question correctly
negative reinforcement = occurs when someone avoids something unpleasant e.g. a rat may learn through negative reinforcement that pressing a lever leads to avoidance of an electric shock
punishment = an unpleasant consequence of behaviour
A03 - behavioural approach
+ scientific credibility
was able to bring language and methods of natural sciences by focusing on measurement of observable behaviour with highly controlled setting
emphasising importance of scientific processes such as objectivity and replicability behaviourism was influential in development of psychology giving it greater credibility and status
A03 - behavioural approach
+ real world application
e.g. operant conditioning is the basis of token economy systems that have been successfully used in institutions such as prison
these work by rewarding appropriate behaviour with tokens that can be exchanged for privileges e.g. how classical conditioning has been applied for treatment of phobias
A03- behavioural approach
-mechanistic view of behaviour
from a behaviourist perspective animals are seen as passive and machine-like responders to the environment with little or no insight to their behaviour
where as other approaches have emphasised the importance of mental events during learning
therefore learning theory may apply less to humans than animal behaviour
social learning theory
bandura agreed with behaviourists that our behaviour is learned from experience
but his theory proposed we learn through observation and imitation of others
suggested learning occurs directly through classical and operant conditioning as well as indirectly
vicarious reinforcement = individual observes behaviour of others. the learner may imitate this behaviour but imitation only occurs if the behaviour is rewarded rather than punished. as well as observing the consequences.
role of mediational processes
attention = the extent too which we notice certain behaviours
retention = how well behaviour is remembered
motor reproduction = the ability of the observer to perform the behaviour
motivation = the will to perform the behaviour which is usually determined by whether punishment or reward is received
identification
people are more likely to imitate the behaviour of who they identify with e.g. role models
a person becomes a role model if they have similar characteristics to the observer and have a higher status
the role model may not be physically present in the environment but the observer will pick up characteristics they have learnt from them
A03 social earning theory
+ recognises cognitive factors in learning
provides a more comprehensive explanation of human learning by recognising the role of mediational processes
where as classical and operant conditioning don't offer an adequate account of learning on their own
A03 social learning theory
-lab study is over relied on
many of bandura's ideas o children were developed in a lab setting which is often criticised for participants responding to demand characteristics
the bobo doll study children therefore behaved in the way they were expected as the main purpose was to strike the doll
therefore the research may tell us little about children's aggression in everyday life
A03 social learning theory
-underestimates influence of biological factors
one consistent finding in the bobo study was that boys were more aggressive then girls regardless of the experimental situation
this could be explained by hormonal factors such as difference in levels of testosterone which is a hormone in boys linked to aggression
cognitive approach = investigated those areas of behaviour which was neglected by behaviourists such as memory, perception and thinking. these processes are 'private' and can't be observed. so psychologist study them indirectly by making inferences about what goes son in peoples minds for the basis of their behaviour.
cognitive approach - theoretical and computer models
information processing approach = suggests info flows through the cognitive system in stages that includes input, retrieval and storage
computer models = where the mind is compared to a computer by suggesting there are similar ways info is processed these models use concepts of the brain, coding and the use of stores to hold info
cognitive approach - the role of schemas
schema = package of ideas and info developed through experience which act as a mental framework for interpretation of incoming info received from the cognitive system
as we get older, our schema becomes more detailed and sophisticated
they enable us to process info quickly and helps us short-cut which prevents us from being overwhelmed
however, they can distort out interpretations of our sensory info leading to errors
A03 cognitive approach
+scientific and objective methods
always had highly controlled methods of studying including lab experiments to produce reliable, objective data
the emergence of cognitive science has enable biology and cognitive psychology to come together meaning the study of the mind has created a scientific basis
A03 cognitive approach
-machine reductionism
the computer analogy has been criticised as it ignores the human emotion and motivation of the cognitive system and how this may affect our ability to process information
e.g. research has found human memory may be affected by emotional factors such as influence of anxiety on eyewitnesses
A03 cognitive approach
-application to everyday life
cognitive psychologists are only able to infer mental processes from behaviour they observe in their research
as a consequence they occasionally suffer from being too abstract in nature
experimental studies of mental processes are usually carried out using an artificial stimulus that may not represent everyday life
therefore the research may lack external validity
biological approach = suggests that everything psychological is always biological first so to fully understand human behaviour we have to look at the biological structures and processes in the body such as genes, neuro chemistry and the nervous system.
behavioural approach = an understanding of our brain structure and function can explain our thoughts and behaviour. the mind lives in our brain meaning that all thoughts and feelings have a physical basis
the genetic basis of behaviour- biological approach
twin studies are used to determine the likelihood that certain traits have a genetic basis by comparing concordance rates between pairs of twins to the extent of which the twins share the same characteristics
if identical (monozygotic) twins are found to have higher concordance rate than non-identical twins (dizygotic) this would suggest a genetic basis
this is because MZ twins share 100% of each others genes where as DZ twins only share around 50%
genotype and phenotype- biological approach
genotype = the actual make up
phenotype = the way genes are expressed through physical, behavioural and psychological characteristics
the expression of genotype is influenced by environmental factors e.g. identical twins looking the same but one has dyed their hair
this illustrates that much of human behaviour depends on interaction between inherited factors (nature) and the environment (nurture)
evolution and behaviour - biological approach
Charles Darwin proposed the theory of natural selection
the main principle is that any genetically determined behaviour that enhances an individuals survival will continue in future generations to be naturally selected
in nature the selection takes place naturally, no one decides and it occurs because the traits gives the possessor certain advantages
A03 biological approach
+ scientific methods of investigation
makes use of a range of precise and highly scientific methods such as scanning techniques, FMRI's, twin studies and drug trials
with advances in technology it is possible to accurately measure biological and neural processes in ways not open to bias
this makes the approach based on reliable data
A03 biological approach
+real world application
increased understanding of biochemical processes in the brain has lead to development of drugs to treat serious mental disorders like depression
people with mental disorders are able to manage their condition and live a normal life rather than remain in hospital
A03 biological approach
-casual conclusions
offers explanations for mental disorders in terms of neurotransmitters in the brain, this evidence comes from studies that shows a particular drug reduces symptoms and is assumed the neurochemical in the drug causes the disorder
discovering an association between two factors does not mean that one is a cause
this is a limitation because approach is claiming to have discovered causes where only an association exists
psychodynamic theory: the role of the unconscious
Freud said most of our mind is made up of the unconscious = a fast storehouse of of biological drives and instincts that has significant influence on our behaviour and personality
it also contains threatening and disturbing memories that have been repressed or forgotten
under the surface of our conscious mind is the preconscious which contains thoughts and memories which are not currently in conscious awareness but we can access if desired
psychodynamic theory: structure of personality
the id = the primitive part of personality. operates on the pleasure principle, the id gets what it wants.
it is the mass of unconscious drives and instincts
the id is present at birth
throughout life the id is selfish and demands instant gratification of it's needs
psychodynamic theory: the structure of personality
the ego = works on the reality principle and is the mediator between the two other personalities
develops around the age of 2
its role is to reduced the conflicts between the id and the superego
it manages this by employing a number of defence mechanisms
psychodynamic theory: structure of personality
the superego = formed around the age of 5
our internalised sense of right and wrong
based on the morality principle
represents the moral standards of the child's same sex parent and punishes the ego for wrongdoing through guilt
psychodynamic theory: psychosexual stages
Freud claimed child development occurred in 5 stages
oral
anal
phallic
latency
genital
each stage apart from latency is marked by a different conflict that the child must resolve in order to progress into the next stage. any psychosexual conflict that is unresolved results in fixation where the child becomes stuck and carries certain behaviours into adult life
A03 psychodynamic theory
+ explanatory power
had a huge influence on psychology
the approach remained the dominant force and has been used to explain a wide range of phenomena including personality development, abnormal behaviour, moral development and gender
also significant in drawing attention to connection between adult and childhood such as relationship with parents and later effects into adulthood
A03 psychodynamic theory
-lacks scientific rigour
Freuds theory was based on individuals who were often in therapy
although his observations were detailed and carefully recorded critics have suggested it is not possible to make claims about human nature based on a small number of individuals who were psychologically abnormal
therefore can't be generalised to be who aren't abnormal
A03 psychodynamic theory
-untestable concepts
Philosopher Karl Popper argued this approach doesn't meet the scientific criteria of falsification or that it is not open to empirical testing and possibility of being disapproved
many of Freud's concepts are said to occur on an unconscious level making them difficult to test
according to Popper this affords the theory the status of 'fake science'
humanistic psychology:
claims that humans are self-determining and have free will
this does not mean we aren't affected by external or internal variables but we are active agents who have the ability to determine our own development
humanistic psychologists such as Rogers and Maslow reject scientific models that attempt to establish general principles of human behaviour
as active agents we are all unique and psychology should concern itself with the study of subjective experience rather than general laws = person-centred approach