psych approaches

• Imitation


  Copying behaviour of others
• Identification


  When an observer associates themselves with a role model and wants to be like the role model.

  live models - e.g teaches, siblings, parents

  symbolic models - people in the media
• Modelling


  From the observer's perspective, its imitating behaviour of the role model. From the role model's perspective, its the precise demonstration of a specific behaviour that may be imitated by the observer.
• Vicarious Reinforcement


  Not directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced for their behaviour - key factor in imitation.
• Mediational Processes


  Cognitive factors that influence learning a behaviour and come between stimulus and response. for modelling to occur there must be attention, retention,motor reproduction, motivation.
• Attention


  noticing certain behaviours
• Retention


  remebering the behaviour
• Motor reproduction


  whether the behaviour is physically possible to carry out
• Motivation


  there has to be a reason to want to copy their beahviour
• Cognitive approach

  -Focused on how our mental processes affect behaviour

  - thinking causes behaviour

  - The mind actively processes information from our senses (touch, taste etc.).
• Internal mental processes


  'Private' operations of the minds such as perception and attention that mediate between stimulus and response
• Schema


  A mental shortcut of beliefs and expectations developed from experience.

  + mental shortcut -we don't have to rethink the same ideas- helps us to remember

  - a schemas can lead to phobias e.g about exams can cause panic attacks

  - can lead to prejudice and racism
• Inference


  The process whereby cognitive psychologists draw conclusions about the way mental processes operate on the basis of observed behaviour
• Cognitive neuroscience


  The scientific study of biological structures that underpin cognitive processes.
• Biological approach

  Sees all out behaviour is rooted for our biological structure and that everything psychological has a biological basis

  1) genes- specific genes and combinations of genes will have an influence on both the physical and psychological aspects of people. Genes that code for characteristics or behaviours that are beneficial to survival will be passed on to the next generation

  2) The biological structure-the behaviour of the individual is controlled and coordinated by the brain and the nervous system

  3) The chemistry of the body-hormones in the body and neurotransmitters in the brain have a much impact on our behaviour
• Genotype


  particular set of genes that a person possesses
• Genes


  Made of DNA which codes physical features of an organism and psychologogical features - inherited
• Biological structure


  Arrangement or organisation of parts to form an organ/system/living thing
• Evolution

  the chnages in inheristed characteristics in a biologicals poulation over successive generations
• Phenotype


  chracteristics of an individual determind by both genes and the environment
• Neurochemistry


  relating to chemicals in the brain that regulate psychological functioning
• Psychodynamic approach


  -Behaviour is influenced by early childhood experiances

  -behaviour is motivated by two instincts- sex and life
• The unconcious


  The part of the mind that we are unaware of but which continues to direct much of our behaviour.
• the concious

  the part of our mind we are aware of on a daily basis- can be influenced by the unconscious
• Id


  Entirely unconscious, the id is made up of selfish aggressive instincts that demand immediate gratification.
• Ego


  The 'reality check' that balances the conflicting demands of the id and superego.
• Superego


  The moralistic part of our personality which represents the ideal self: how we ought to be.
• Defence mechanisms


  Unconscious strategies that the ego uses to manage the conflict between the id and the superego.
• Repression


  forcing a distressing memory out of the concious mind
• Denial


  refusing to acknowledge some parts of reality
• Displacement


  transferring feelings from true source of distressing emotion onto a substitute target
• Psychosexual stages

  According to Freud, five developmental stages that all children pass through. At most stages there is a specific conflict, the outcome of which determines future development.
• Oral 1-0 years


  focus of pleasure is the mothers's breast - object of desire

  unresolved conflict leads to fixation
• Anal 1-3 years


  focus of pleasure is the anus. Child holds pleasure by withholding and expelling faeces. Unresolved conflict leads to anal retentive or anal expulsive
• Phallic 3-5 years


  focus of pleasure - genital area

  child experiences the Oedipus or electra complex

  Unresolved complex leads to phallic personality- narcissistic, reckless, possible homosexual
• Latent


  earlier conflicts are repressed
• genital


  sexual desires become conscious along onset of puberty
• Little Hans


  - 5 year old with a phobia of horses

  - freud thought the horse represented his father as he was scared his father would castrate him for desiring his mother - this is the Oedipus complex theory
• Psychodynamic therapy


  - Free association - client talking freely to the therapist - saying the first things that come to mind - allows for true thoughts and feelings to emerge

  - dream analysis
• Evaluation of the Psychodynamic Approach

  +influential - this theory started the debate in psychology and the behaviourists developed their ideas to challenge his view

  + led to effective treatment -lead to the treatment of many mental health issues

  - Untestable concepts for example we can't measure people superegos so can't know for certain if it is more powerful with people who have OCD- unscientific

  -based on case studies - unreliable ungeneralisable to other people in other situations