approaches

• Wundt adopted the use of introspection
• introspection is looking at our owns mental state and thoughts, and is a way of gaining knowledge about ourselves
• wundts lab was set up to investigate how we perceive things around us
• Wundts 3 conditions: mentality condition, first-person generation and temporal proximity condition
• Wundts isolated conscious thoughts into basic thoughts, processes and images in a process called structuralism
• Skinner disagreed with the subjective nature of introspection in which the findings differed greatly from individual to individual, making it hard to establish laws and unifying principles of behaviour and cognition.
• the learning approach- Behaviourist Approach - suggests behaviour is acquired and maintained through classical and operant conditioning.
• behaviourist approach- Watson and Skinner disagreed with the subjective nature of Wundts introspective methods, and the inability to formulate general laws and universal principles based on his observations.
• classical conditioning is a type of learning that occurs through association made between the unconditioned stimulus and the neutral stimulus.
• classical conditioning stages: unconditioned stimulus, unconditioned response, conditioned stimulus, conditioned response
• Pavlov dogs experimenting classical conditioning. They were conditioned to salivate when they heard a bell.

  -the unconditioned stimulus (food) produced an unconditioned response (salivation)

  -the unconditioned stimulus was repeatedly paired with a neutral stimulus (a bell) to produce the same unconditioned response of salvation.

  -an association between neutral stimulus and unconditioned stimulus

  -after conditioning, the neutral stimulus became the conditioned stimulus, producing the conditioned response of salivation.

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• extinction in classical conditioning, when the conditioned stimulus is not longer paired with the unconditioned stimulus
• generalisation occurs when slight changes in the conditioned stimulus, such as different pitches of the bell used in Pavolvs experiment
• operant conditioning is a type of learning where behaviour is acquired and maintained based on its consequences
• reinforcement increases the likelihood of the observed behaviour being repeated, whilst punishment decreases the likelihood.
• 2 types of reinforcement, positive and negative
• positive reinforcement occur when we carry out a behaviour to receive a reward e.g. a praise from a teacher when we complete our homework
• negative reinforcement is when a behaviour is rewarded when it is avoided. e.g completing homework to avoid getting a detention
• skinners box- used a rat, the mechanisms of positive and negative reinforcement. positive reinforcement was shown as the rat pressed the lever it was rewarded with food. negative reinforcement was shown when the rat learnt to press down on the lever to avoid the consequence of an electric shock
• the learning approach- social leaning theory suggests that learning occurs both classical and operant conditioning and indirectly through vicarious reinforcement.

  an observer identifies themselves with a desirable role model, the role model displays a specific behaviour, which is imitated by the observer.

  observed behaviour will be imitated if the role model is seen to be 'vicariously reinforced' or rewarded.
• role model is a person whom the observer identifies with. the role model is usually attractive, has high social status is of a similar age and the same gender of the observer.
• identification is the process by which an observer relates themselves with a role model and aspires to become more than like that role model
• vicarious reinforcement is a type of indirect learning which occurs when an observer sees their role model being rewarded for displaying a certain behaviour. the observer is then motivated to imitate this behaviour is they want to be rewarded themselves.
• meditational processes is cognitive processes which mediate between stimulus and response. the 4 meditational processes are: attention, retention, motor reproduction and motivation
• cognitive approach assumes that the scientific and objective study of internal mental processes is possible

  formulate conclusions of their workings, through making inferences based on observable behaviours.
• the cognitive approach sees mental processes as being separate from the brain.
• cognitive psychologists use computer models and theoretical models to better understand and model cognitive processes through the use of analogies.
• example of computer theoretical model would be the working memory model, which is a representation of short-term memory made up of central executive, phonological loop, visa-spatial sketchpad and episodic buffer.
• schemas are packages of ideas and knowledge about a certain person, place, object or time. they are generated through experience, becoming more detailed and specific over time.
• cognitive neuroscience is the scientific field concerned with the study of biological processes and aspects that underline cognition, with focus on neural connections in the brain which are involved in mental processes.
• cognitive neuroscience looks at brain mapping, brain localisation theory and cognitive neuroscience.
• the biological approach is the study of the mind and brain and how they influence behaviour
• biological approach looks at the genes, hormones, neurotransmitters and neuro-chemical mechanisms.
• heritability coefficient can be used to quantify the genetic or biological basis of certain characteristics. e.g. IQ said to have a heritability coefficient of 0.5 and so the influence of nature and nurture are equal
• behaviour genetics is the study of influences of an organism genetic composition on its behaviour and the interaction of heredity and environment as they affect behaviour
• an individuals genotype is their genetic make-up, where a gene is a short section of DNA coding for specific proteins
• an individuals phenotype is the physical expression of their genotype, and is influenced by the environment
• the interaction between the phenotype and the environment results in the individuals behaviour
• epigenetic is the change in gene expression, without altering an individuals genetic make-up.
• natural selection the mechanism of evolution, suggesting that any genetically-determines behaviour which gives the individual a selective advantage will be present in future generations