approaches in psychology

Wundt

Germany 1879

wanted to describe the nature of human consciousness

introspection

Breaking down conscious thoughts into its constituent parts = structuralism

Separated psychology from its philosophical roots

Bandura

he believed we could learn in a social context

People observe others behaviour by looking at the consequences, if it is reinforced they imitate that behaviour.

cognitive factors like mediational processes are involved.

Attention, Retention, Motor reproduction, Motivation

whether are the behaviour is noticed?

whether they can remember the prosocial behaviour

Whether they can perform the prosocial behaviour

Whether the perceived rewards outweigh the perceived cost

we identify with role models, people of a higher status who we share something with.

A person becomes a role model through modelling

1961

Children saw adults, aggressive, or playful to Bobo doll, Their behaviour was ever, rewarded or punished

Children who saw the aggressive behaviour rewarded also behaved aggressively, Children who saw them be punished, were the least aggressive

vicarious reinforcement

Acknowledges cognitive factors that influence behaviour - mediational processes. it is well documented that animals absorb each other and imitate. Bandura also states that classical/operant conditioning, alone would be too dangerous to influence or behaviours plus in addition, this may explain cultural differences in behaviour as learning is based in a social context

Heavily reliant on lab studies. participants in bobo doll study could have been responding to demand characteristics. Children may have only hit the door because that’s what they thought they were there to do. Towers little about learning in the day to day context., social learning theory may underestimate biological factors. In all conditions of the bobo doll study boys were always more aggressive than girls. This could be explained by the higher levels of testosterone. Factors beyond social and cognitive factors may play a part in influencing behaviour.

Pavlov and Skinner

That behaviour is learned from experience, Only observable behaviour is measured scientifically, Animal research is a valid as they share the same principle of learning as humans

Pavlov

learning through association

food

bell

salivation

Conditioned stimulus = bell, Conditioned response = salivating to bell only

Skinner

learning through consequences

Behaviour can be reinforced both positively and negatively

might have an electric shock, turn off if they press a lever and should learn to press the lever off more often

Receives a food palette every time it presses lever and should learn to press the lever more often

It is rewarding a behaviour to encourage it to happen again

Encourages specific behaviours by removing negative consequences or stimul

Heater turned off when it press, the lever would receive negative punishment and should learn to avoid the lever

A consequence that aims to reduce or stop an undesired behaviour from happening

Operant conditioning has contributed to the token economy system in mental health. Hospitals special needs schools and prisons. Encouragement of positive behaviour.

Strongly scientific credibility. Focuses on empirical details (only what is observable) highly controlled setting reputation is possible, reliability. Increases the scientific credibility of the discipline of psychology.

A very mechanistic view on human behaviour. Findings of animals extrapolated onto humans passive recipients of the environment. The cognitive approach and the social learning theory look at cognitive factors. A more appropriate view of human behaviour. Also, the behaviourist approach has also led to worries on how human behaviour can be easily manipulated.

Internal mental processes studied scientifically inferences are made on human behaviour, Explain mind using theoretical and computer models information process approach (input-storage-retrieval), schemas, packages of ideas developed about things, allowing mental shortcuts to be made based on experiences, Cognitive neuroscience, studying mental processes e.g. Broca’s area. Scanning techniques for mental processes e.g. parahippocampal gyrus and OCD

Links to human mind to computer program. Research into eyewitness testimony has shown the effect of anxiety on our ability to process information. Also soft determinism as it looks at how we operate within the limits of what we know. Little application to real life as theoretical models are abstract and lack external validity.

Limited application to everyday life. To abstract in explanation. E.G computer models cannot be directly observed. Lacks external validity.

TCA Uses scientific and objective methods. Very controlled, e.g. brain scanning techniques which allows replication. Cognitive neuroscience allows biology and psychology to come together.

genetic bias of behaviour locks out what is inherited, and concordance rates between monozygotic and dizygotic twins, Compares genotype with phenotype e.g PKU, looks at the role of evolution in producing beneficial behaviour

Identical twins

Fraternal twins

A person is genetic make

An individuals observable traits

Has led to the development of psychoactive drugs to treat disorders like depression, has revolutionised treatment for many as their condition can be managed beyond the hospital setting

TBA assumes to have reached causal conclusions. Explains disorders by looking at neurotransmitters in the brain. Derives from a particular drug relieving the disorder, then assuming that the neurstransmitter causes the disorder. Only coronation between the two, TBA uses scientific method of investigation. Scanning techniques, drug trials and family studies. Technology enables objective study Biological approach based on reliable data

Freud

Freud believe human behaviour is influenced by the unconscious, disturbing thoughts dealt with via defence mechanisms repression, denial and displacement, we all have a tripartite personality

the ID, the Ego, the superego

pleasure principle that we have from birth

reality principle, employs defence mechanisms

moral principle, punishes ego with guilt, moral principle of ss parent

oral stage, anal stage, phallic stage, latency stage, genital stage

0 to 1

2 to 3

3 to 6

6 to puberty

beyond puberty

son loves their mother and wants to have sex with her and is envious of his father because he has her love but he is scared of his father so wants to kill him for this but knows that he can’t as he is stronger and bigger than him. So if he does anything with his mother his father will castration (take of tsetse) so son becomes like the aggressor (dad) so that he can get some similar to his mum

daughter wants to have sex with dad so hates mum as she gets dads love and attention but is also angry that she doesn’t have a penis envoy and see this as mums fault. But over time she realises that they are never going to have a penis, so displaces (desire to have children)so the develop weaker morals.

Focus of pressure in the mouth. Fixation leads to orally obtained behaviours, smoking/nailbiting/chattiness.

pleasure is in expelling/withholding faeces. Fixation could lead to an anally retentive or expulsive personality

Oedipus complex for boys and electra complex for girls

attraction to the opposite sex

Freud’s ideas, have a strong impact on modern western contemporary thoughts. It is now typical for psychologists to understand, abnormalities and issues by focusing on a persons childhood experiences.

Freud employed a case study method. his Oedipus complex was provided with the case study of little hans boy with a phobia of horses. He compares the horse too little hans farther linking it to a fear of castration Hans had actually seen a horse collapse before him when he was much younger. Freud himself conducted all the interviews. It is inappropriate to make universal claims on unique individuals., unscientific. Freud proposed that we all have a tripartite personality within the unconsciousness. this is not a subject to the scientific criteria of a falsifiability- cannot be proven wrong

Try to understand behaviour that puts emphasis on the importance of subjective experience, feelings and thoughts of a person., It focuses on each person being unique and good. It is a person centred approach., claims that humans are self, the timing and have free will -make choices that are not determined by biological or external forces. we are active agents who have the ability to determine our own development., Everyone has an innate tendency to fulfil their potential and back on what they are capable of this is known as self actualisation

Each person can exercise free will where a science focuses on determination, each person is rational and conscious being, and not dominated by unconscious, primal instincts where is science, focuses on determination and reductionism, Humans should be viewed as a whole and not just reduced to conponent parts where is science focuses on reductionism to establish cause-and-effect, every person is unique, where is science, focuses on development, general, and universal laws

every person has a tendency to achieve their full potential, and Maslow developed the hierarchy. Self actualisation represents the most level of Maslows hierarchy of needs. This means that you have fulfilled your desires to grow physiologically and fulfil one’s full potential