Core studies section B

• What are the 5 areas

  Social

  cognitive

  developmental

  biological

  individual differences
• What are the two perspectives

  psychodynamic

  behaviourism
• What are the assumptions of the social area

  The social context impacts on how people behave. Example presence of others
• What are the assumptions of the cognitive area

  Explains behaviour in terms of how the mind works and processes information - concentrates on memory and perception

  mind works like a computer
• Assumptions of the developmental area

  People and behaviour develops and changes as we grow older

  behavioural and psychological changes that occur throughout life
• Assumptions of biological area

  Behaviour can be explained in terms on biology like genes and brain

  can be studied in a scientific manner with scans etc
• Assumptions of individual differences

  Individuals differ in their thinking and behaviou. to understand behaviour we need to look at differences

  psychometric testing
• Assumptions of psychodynamic perspective

  Structure of unconscious mind (ID, ego and superego) influence behaviour.

  personality is shaped by early experiences
• Assumptions of behaviourism perspective

  Mind is a closed black box that shouldn’t be studied, only observable behaviour should

  pure product of our environment
• What are the strengths of the social area

  1. Environmental determinism allows behaviour to be predicted
  2. theoretically useful as research allows us to understand real world events
• What are the weaknesses of the social area

  1. Many ethical guidelines are often broken like deception
  2. socially sensitive
• What are the strengths of the cognitive area

  1. Scientific as It favours scientific research methods
  2. important applications like interviews
• What are the weaknesses of the cognitive area

  1. Tends to lack ecological validity
  2. restricted
  3. Tends to lack ecological validity
  4. restricted samples
• Strengths of developmental area

  1. Holistic as it considers nature and nurture
  2. practical application
• Weaknesses of developmental area

  Measurement of behaviour might not always be valid

  ethical issues by studying children
• Strengths of biological area

  Scientific

  useful
• Weaknesses of biological area

  Lacks ecological validity

  reductionist
• Strengths of individual differences

  Led to useful applications

  allows insight into behaviours that are seen to be unique
• Weaknesses of individual differences

  Lack validity as case studies are used

  socially sensitive- stigma
• Strengths of psychodynamic perspective

  Favours use of case studies - gives detailed data

  practical appliactions
• Weaknesses of psychodynamic perspective

  Theories are difficult to test

  use of small samples so can’t generalise
• Strengths of behaviourism

  Theoretically useful
• Weakness of behaviourism

  Environmental determinism
• What is the applications of the biological area

  Drug therapies for those with mental disorders
• Applications of psychodynamic perspective

  Therapy for disorders - psychoanalysis dream therapy

  recovering repressed memories - hypnotherapy
• Applications of behaviourist perspectives

  Therapy for phobias - systematic desensitisation
• Applications of cognitive area

  Cognitive therapies - changing thought processes
• Applications of social area

  Preventing war crimes

  predicting genocide
• Applications of individual differences

  Client centred therapy

  Psychoanalysis
• Application of developmental

  Teaching and learning

  medical administration

  toy/ game design