approaches

• What are two key assumptions of the behavioural approach?

  • we are born as a blank slate; all behaviour is learnt
  • we learn through operant conditioning & classical conditioning
• What are two key assumptions of the social learning theory?

  • behaviour is learnt from experience
  • we learn through observation and imitation
• What are two key assumptions of the cognitive approach?


  • we use a schema to understand and organise information
  • internal mental processes can and should be studied scientifically
• What are two key assumptions of the biological approach?

  • everything psychological is at first biological
  • human behaviour can be explained through evolution
• What are two key assumptions of the psychodynamic approach?

  • childhood experiences have significant importance in determining our adult personality
  • our personality is comprised of the ID, ego and superego
• What are two key assumptions of the humanistic approach?

  • humans can make their own choices, i.e. have free will
  • humans have an innate drive to reach self-actualisation
• What is vicarious reinforcement?

  • form of indirect learning
  • an individual observes the behaviour of someone else, but most importantly, the consequences of the behaviour to determine whether or not they imitate it
• What is the role of mediational processes?

  • focuses on how cognitive factors influence learning and become important for response
  • Bandura identified four processes: attention, retention, motor reproduction, motivation
• What is identification?

  • children are more likely to imitate those they identify with - model
  • a role model is seen to possess attractive qualities
  • however, models may not be physically present
• What is a schema?

  • a 'package' of ideas & information developed through experience
  • they act as a mental framework for the interpretation of incoming information
  • as we get older, our schema becomes more detailed
• What is cognitive neuroscience?

  • the scientific study of the influence of brain structures on mental processes
• What is neurochemistry?

  • action of chemicals in the brain
  • occurs using neurotransmitters
  • an imbalance of neurochemicals is a possible cause of mental disorders such as OCD & schizophrenia
• What is a genotype?

  • genetic makeup of an organism
• What is a phenotype?

  • characteristics of an individual determined by both genes and the environment
• What is evolution?

  • process by which living organisms change & develop over time
• What is natural selection?

  • theory that states any genetically determined behaviour that enhances a species' chance of survival will continue into future generations, i.e. be naturally selected
• What is the role of the unconscious?

  • part of the mind that we are unaware of but which influences much of our behaviour
• What does the tripartite personality consist of?

  • ID
  • ego
  • superego
• What is the role of the ID?

  • it operates on the pleasure principle
  • it is made up of selfish, aggressive instincts
• What is the role of the ego?

  • it operates on the reality principle
  • its role is to reduce conflict between the ID & superego
  • it manages this by employing a number of defence mechanisms
• What is the superego?

  • it operates on the morality principle
  • it is our internalised sense of what's right and wrong
• What are the psychosexual stages?

  • Oral - focus on pleasure from oral activities like sucking & biting
  • Anal - focus on pleasure from playing with faeces
  • Phallic - focus on pleasure from the genital area
  • Latent - focus on developing social skills and relationships
  • Genital - focus on mature sexual relationships with intimacy
• What are defence mechanisms?

  • unconscious strategies that are used to protect oneself from anxiety or distress
• What is free will?

  • the idea that humans can make choices and are not determined by internal or external forces
• What was Maslow's hierarchy of needs?

  • self-actualisation - realising one's full potential
  • self-esteem - recognition and respect: confidence, achievement
  • love & belongingness - emotional relationships: friendship, family
  • safety - protection from harm and security
  • physiological needs - basic survival needs: food, shelter
• What is self-actualisation, and how is it reached?

  • the desire to grow psychologically and fulfil one's full potential
  • all four lower levels of the hierarchy must be met before the individual can work towards self-actualisation and fulfil their potential
• What was Pavlov's procedure (classical conditioning)


  • Pavlov measured the dogs' salivation response to food (UCS)
  • salivation was recorded as the UCR
  • NS, such as a bell, was paired with the presentation of food
  • when the bell rang - food was presented immediately afterwards
  • this pairing was repeated multiple times
  • Pavlov then rang the bell without presenting the food
  • he then measured the dogs' salivation response to the bell alone
  • over time, dogs learned to associate the sound of a bell with food
• What was Skinner's procedure (operant conditioning)

  • Skinner designed a controlled environment known as the 'Skinner Box', containing a lever for the rats
  • the rats were then placed in the box, and their natural behaviour was observed without any reinforcement
  • when the rat pressed the lever, it received a reward - food pellet
  • the rat learned to press the lever to avoid an unpleasant stimulus such as an electric shock
  • behaviour was monitored to see how often it pressed the lever
  • they found that the frequency of pressing the lever increased with positive & negative reinforcement.
• What was Bandura's procedure (social learning theory)

  • children were separated into three groups: one observing an aggressive adult, one observing non-aggressive, control group
  • aggressive: adult physically & verbally attacked Bobo doll
  • non-aggressive: adult played calmly or ignored Bobo doll
  • control group: no model present
  • children were then allowed to play with the doll and various toys
  • they found that children exposed to the aggressive model were more likely to imitate aggressive behaviours, whereas children in the other two groups showed less aggression towards the doll
• (+) Evaluation of the 'Behavioural Approach'

  • well-controlled research
  • focused on observable behaviour in a highly controlled setting
  • all possible extraneous variables were removed
  • this means that cause and effect can be established
  • therefore, it is seen to have scientific credibility
• (-) Evaluation of the 'Behavioural Approach'

  • Skinner's research on operant conditioning raised several ethical concerns, particularly regarding the treatment of animals
  • animals were housed in harsh conditions and kept below natural weight, and so they were always hungry
  • moreover, animals cannot provide informed consent and were exposed to conditions they wouldn't naturally encounter
• (+) Evaluation of the 'Social Learning Theory'

  • SLT principles have been applied to lots of real-world behaviours
  • it can explain cultural differences in behaviour
  • with principles like modelling, imitation and reinforcement accounting for how children learn from others around them
  • this has proved useful in understanding a range of behaviours
  • and therefore increases the value of the approach as it can account for real-world behaviour
• (-) Evaluation of the 'Social Learning Theory'

  • evidence was gathered through lab studies
  • lab studies are often criticised for their contrived nature, as PP's may have shown demand characteristics in Bandura's experiment
  • PP's might have hit the doll as they thought it was expected
  • this suggests that research tells us little about how children learn aggression
• (+) Evaluation of the 'Cognitive Approach'

  • it uses objective, scientific methods
  • cognitive psychologists employ highly controlled methods of study, including the use of lab studies, to produce reliable data
  • in addition, it is put together with cognitive neuroscience to enhance the scientific basis of the study
  • this means that it can be said to have scientific credibility
• (-) Evaluation of the 'Cognitive Approach'

  • it can be argued that it's based on machine reductionism
  • there are similarities between the human mind & computer
  • however, computer analogy is criticised for ignoring the influence of human emotion and how this may affect our ability to process information.
  • therefore, the cognitive approach can be argued to lack validity
• (+) Evaluation of the 'Biological Approach'

  • it uses scientific methods of investigation
  • the biological approach makes use of a range of precise and highly objective methods such as fMRI's and EEG's
  • with advanced technology, it's possible to accurately measure neural processes in ways that are not open to bias
  • this means that much of the data produced is reliable
• (-) Evaluation of the 'Biological Approach'

  • the biological approach is quite deterministic
  • it sees human behaviour as governed by genetic causes that we can't necessarily control
  • this suggests that the biological view is often too simplistic and ignores the mediating effects of the environment
• (+) Evaluation of the 'Psychodynamic Approach'

  • has real-world application with an introduction of psychotherapy
  • this was a way of treating mental disorders psychologically rather than physically, and it helps clients bring their repressed emotions into their conscious minds
  • this shows that the psychodynamic approach has value
• (-) Evaluation of the 'Psychodynamic Approach'

  • it's far too deterministic
  • Freud sees infant behaviour as being determined by innate forces and adult behaviour as being determined by childhood experiences
  • this is a limitation because it highlights that we have no free will in who we become or how we behave
• (+) Evaluation of the 'Humanistic Approach'

  • takes a holistic perspective
  • it considers the whole person, emphasizing individual experiences, feelings, and full potential
  • furthermore, it promotes personal growth and self-actualization, acknowledging the uniqueness of each individual