Download Approaches Revision Session

What do you need to know?
Approaches in psychology
• Origins of psychology: Wundt, introspection and the
emergence of psychology as a science.
The basic assumptions of the following approaches:
• Learning approaches: the behaviourist approach, including
classical conditioning and Pavlov’s
• research, operant conditioning, types of reinforcement and
Skinner’s research; social learning
• theory including imitation, identification, modelling, vicarious
reinforcement, the role of mediational processes and
Bandura’s research.
• The cognitive approach: the study of internal mental
processes, the role of schema, the use of theoretical and
computer models to explain and make inferences about
mental processes. The emergence of cognitive neuroscience.
• The biological approach: the influence of genes, biological
structures and neurochemistry on behaviour. Genotype and
phenotype, genetic basis of behaviour, evolution and
behaviour.
Origins of psychology
The emergence of psychology as a science:
• Psychology had its roots in philosophy and biology, but
when German doctor and psychologist William Wundt
opened the world's first experimental laboratory at the
university of Leipzeg in1879, it marked a turning point:
psychology's emergence as a separate and distinct
scientific discipline.
• Wundt showed that empirical methods could be applied to
the study of mental processes.
• Empirical methods of research are based on actual
experience rather than on theory or belief. It involves
gathering data in an objective way so that researchers’
preconceptions cannot influence the data. It also measures
quantitative details so that patterns can be examined and
inferences from the result are credible.
Origins of psychology - Wundt
• Wundt
• Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920) is generally considered the
father of experimental psychology.
• After studying medicine, he worked as a physiologist at
Heidelberg University and later at Leipzig University.
While at Heidelberg, he delivered the first university
course on scientific psychology and went on to write the
first textbook on psychology, “Principles of Physiological
Psychology” (Wundt, 1873-4). In 1875, at Leipzig
University, he set up the first laboratory dedicated to
experimental psychology.
• In doing so, he separated psychology from philosophy
and biology and became the first person to be called a
psychologist.
Introspection
• Introspection gained a new lease of life when the
cognitive approach realised that it could give
reliable insight into higher mental processes if
controlled very carefully.
• Valuable inferences have been made from diary
studies, where people have been asked to report
specific details at regular intervals during a day or
whenever a specific event such as forgetting a
name takes place.
• Similarly, almost all laboratory experiments
conducted within the cognitive approach involve
some introspection, even if it is only reporting
which words you remember from a list you have
learned.
“Outline and evaluate
the social learning
theory approach”
(12 marks)
Social learning approach plan
AO1
• Assumptions – we learn through
experience
• Vicarious reinforcement
(learning through consequence)
• Bandura’s research – what does
this tell us about SLT?
• Mediational processes –
cognitive factors in learning
(ARRM)
- Attention (learning), retention
(learning), motor reproduction
(performance), motivation
(performance)
• Identification
- Role models, modelling, factors
which make someone more likely
to be a role model
AO3
+ provides a deeper insight into
cognitive factors in learning by
recognising mediation processes
involved in learning
- over-reliance from lab studies,
demand characteristics, artificial,
lacks ecological validity
- nature/nurture debate? Ignores
biological factors in learning. Link
to Bandura – could have been
differences in hormones/bio
factors which played a role.
“Outline and evaluate
the behaviourist
approach in psychology”
(12 marks)
Behaviourist approach plan
AO1
Assumptions
- beh. that can be
observed/measured
- Relied on lab experiments
- Classical/operant conditioning
Classical Conditioning
- Pavlov’s dogs, learning through
association
- UCS, UCR, NS, UCR, CS, CR
Operant conditioning
- Learning through consequence
- Positive/negative/punishment
- Skinner’s box
AO3
+ scientific credibility, due to
nature of experiment easy
replication, development of
psychology as a scientific
discipline
+ real life application – token
economy systems (schools and
prisons) treatment of phobias
- Ethical issues using animals in
research, ignores biological
factors in learning
“Outline and evaluate
the cognitive approach in
psychology”
(12 marks)
Cognitive approach plan
AO1
Assumptions
- Internal mental processes can
and should be studied
scientifically
- Make inferences about
behaviour about what’s going on
inside people’s minds on the
basis of their behaviour
Theoretical and computer models
- Information processing
approach, info flows through a
cognitive system
- Computer models – similarities
in the way info is processed
The role of schema
- How we use schema to make
sense of the world
- Respond to our environment
quickly and efficiently.
AO3
+ highly controlled methods
including experiments which
produce highly reliable objective
data
+ the emergence of cognitive
neuroscience has enabled the two
field of biology and cognitive
psychology to come together to
enable the study of the mind to
have an established credible
scientific basis
+Comparing a human mind to a
machine or computer is
problematic, we have emotions
and motivations involved in
behaviour which the cognitive
approach ignores
“Discuss the contribution of
the biological approach to
our understanding of human
behaviour”
(12 marks)
AO1
AO3
Assumptions
- Biological structures
- Genes
- Neurochemistry & nervous
system
Genetic basis of behaviour
- Twin studies MZ/DZ
concordance rates
Genotype and Phenotype
- Genotype – genetics
- Phenotype – way genes are
expressed through physical,
environmental
- Interaction between genes and
environment
Evolution & behaviour
- Natural selection
- Survival
+ scientific methods, twin studies,
FRMRis, family studies enable us
to accurately measure behaviour –
based on reliable data
+ real life application, we can use
our knowledge of the biological
approach to treat serious mental
illnesses such as depression.
-
-
Determinist view of behaviour,
behaviour is caused by internal,
biological causes of which we
have no control. Is this the
case?
Hard to separate
nature/nurture e.g. twins.