Summary Approaches - Psychology A Level (A*)

What are the 6 main approaches in Psychology?

Antwoord: Behaviourist, Social Learning Theory, Biological, Psychodynamic, Cognitive, Humanistic.

Behavourist Assumptions and Key Studies:

Antwoord: Assumptions: Behaviour is learned from environmental experiences. Psychology should be scientific and objective. It is valid to generalise from animals to humans. We are born as a blank slate for experience to write on. Key Studies: Pavlov\'s dogs (CC), Watson & Rayner Little Albert (CC). Thorndike\'s cats (OC), Skinner (OC).

Behaviourist Theories:

Antwoord: Classical Conditioning - learning by association. Key terms; unconditioned stimulus, unconditioned response, neutral stimulus, conditioned stimulus, conditioned response. Operant Conditioning - learning by consequence. Law of Effect - pleasant makes behaviour more probable. Positive and negative reinforcement increase behavioural response whereas punishment decreases it.

Behaviourist Evaluation:

Antwoord: Strengths: Controlled lab experiments increase reliability and can establish causality. Applied to real world through star charts for children (OC) and treatment of phobias (CC). Weaknesses: Can\'t explain spontaneous behaviour. Ignores biology and mental processes. Deterministic. No control over behaviour? Generalisation issues from animals.

SLT Assumptions and Theories:

Antwoord: Assumptions: Learning by observation and mental processes occur between stimulus and response which is essential for learning. Theories: Modelling with use of vicarious reinforcement - uses operant conditioning. Mediational processes - ARRM. Attention, retention, replication and motivation.

SLT Key Study - Bandura:

Antwoord: Bandura et al: If children witness aggressive behaviour = more likely to be aggressive? Lab, independent measures, 36 boys and 36 girls (3-6yrs). Same sex + aggression, same sex + no aggression, opposite sex + aggression, opposite sex + no aggression. Aggressive group had direct imitation, boys more physically aggressive and girls more verbally aggressive with same sex imitation higher.

SLT Evaluation:

Antwoord: Strengths: Scientific methods to study learning in people so can generalise, empirical supporting evidence, mental processes taken into account, applied to real world (media violence copied, can help with certifications), applied to research on how people acquire gender roles. Akers; increases criminal behaviour when exposed to criminal models. Weaknesses: Doesn\'t acknowledge biology and genetics, lab studies are artificial and can cause low validity and generalisability and doesn\'t account for all behaviour, e.g. criminal but no association/association but not criminal.

Biological Assumptions and Key Studies:

Antwoord: Assumptions: Human behaviour is influenced by our genes. Chemical processes are responsible for psychological functioning, imbalance suggests mental disorders. Key Studies: Gottesman; schizophrenia 48% concordance rate in MZ twins. Dr James Dawson; damage to myelin sheath on nerve cells correlates with multiple sclerosis and explains tremors and sensory problems. Darwin; evolution.

Biological Theories:

Antwoord: Evolution: Charles Darwin; inherited traits using natural selection to preserve our genes, leading to survival of the fittest. Aggression evolved from hunting males and mating females (competition). Genes: Hereditary makeup of organisms. Genotype; actual makeup. Phenotype; expression and characteristics. Dominant; dark hair/eyes, normal blood/sight. Recessive; light hair/eyes, night blind, blood disorders. OCD and Schizophrenia: OCD linked to variation of COMT gene, produces higher levels of dopamine. Lyme disease/influenza damages neural structures resulting in obsessions and compulsions.

Biological Evaluation:

Antwoord: Strengths: Scientific methods like scanning has led to advances in understanding behaviour. Development of drugs to treat mental disorders like depression/anxiety. Empirical supporting evidence from twin studies. Weaknesses: Difficulty explaining consciousness and self-awareness. Ignores role of environment. Raises ethical issues. Reductionist, reduces human behaviour to physical processes and neurons. Too simplistic, doesn\'t recognise importance of social factors, culture and society.