APPROACHES

• What is a common misconception about psychology?


  That it is the same as psychiatry
• How is psychology defined in the study material?


  As the scientific study of the mind and human behavior
• What is the primary focus of psychiatry?


  The diagnosis and treatment of mental diseases and illnesses
• What is the general consensus among psychologists about psychology being a science?


  Most psychologists believe it is a science
• When did psychology begin as a distinct science?

  In the 19th century
• What are the hard sciences often compared to in the context of psychology?


  Biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics
• What are the main approaches in A Level psychology?

  • Behavioral approach
  • Psychodynamic approach
  • Cognitive approach
  • Biological approach
  • Humanistic approach
• What did Wilhelm Wundt contribute to psychology?


  He opened an institute for experimental psychology in 1879
• What method did Wundt use to study the mind and behavior?


  Introspection
• What is introspection?


  A method that encourages individuals to analyze their own feelings and thoughts
• What is reductionism in psychology?


  A theory that everything can be reduced to simple cause and effect relationships
• What are the common features that mark something as scientific?

  Objectivity, control, predictability, hypothesis testing, and replication
• Why is psychology considered a science by most people?


  It has features of scientific research, including evidence-based methods
• What is behaviorism also known as?


  The learning theory
• Who was a pioneering researcher in behaviorism?


  John Watson
• What did Watson believe about human behavior?


  That nearly all human behavior is learned
• What was Watson's view on the mind's relevance in psychology?


  He believed the mind is not relevant and only observable behavior matters
• What is the first principle of the behavioral approach?


  Nearly all behavior is learned
• What is the second assumption of behaviorism according to Watson?


  Animals and humans learn in basically similar ways
• What ethical issues arise from animal research in psychology?

  Concerns about informed consent and potential harm to participants
• What is classical conditioning?


  A learning process that occurs through associations between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus
• Who is associated with classical conditioning?

  Ivan Pavlov
• What is the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) in Pavlov's experiment?


  Food
• What is the conditioned response (CR) in Pavlov's experiment?


  Salivating at the sound of the bell
• What is generalization in classical conditioning?


  When stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus produce the conditioned response
• What is extinction in classical conditioning?


  When the conditioned response is no longer produced due to the absence of the unconditioned stimulus
• What is spontaneous recovery in classical conditioning?


  When a previously extinguished conditioned response reappears after a time delay
• What is higher order conditioning?


  When a new conditioned stimulus produces the conditioned response because it is linked to the initial conditioned stimulus
• What is operant conditioning?


  A learning process that relies on the consequences of actions
• What is positive reinforcement?


  When a pleasurable outcome is gained from an action
• What is negative reinforcement?


  When negative consequences are removed following a behavior
• What ethical concerns were raised about Skinner's experiments?


  They involved painful electrical shocks to rats
• What is a major criticism of the behavioral approach?


  It is considered reductionist, oversimplifying complex human behavior
• What unethical study is mentioned involving a baby?

  The Little Albert experiment
• What is social learning theory?


  An advancement on behaviorism that examines human social behavior through vicarious reinforcement
• Who conducted research on social learning theory?

  Albert Bandura
• What is vicarious reinforcement?


  Learning that occurs by observing the behavior of others and the consequences they receive
• What conditions must be met for learning through vicarious reinforcement to occur?


  Attention, retention, and reproduction
• What does the cognitive approach focus on?


  How we perceive, process information, and the outcomes in terms of behavior and emotions
• How does the cognitive approach relate to computers?


  It draws parallels between mental processes and computer functions