Approaches

Wilhelm Wundt, father of psychology, opened the Institute for Experimental Psychology in Germany in 1879.

Belived all aspects of nature could be studied scientifically.

He separated psychology from philosophy.

Led to psychology as a distinct science.

He believed in structuralism which was about analysing the mind in terms of simple components and finding a way that they work in together to form something complex.

Introspection is a method in which you analyse your own thoughts internally.

He came to realise that higher mental processes could not be strictly controlled.

Bad as it relies on the subjective opinion, difficult to replicate, can't be used to understand all behaviour eg. language and can't uncover unconcious thoughts and behaviours

Introspection - process by which a person gains knowledge about their mental and emotional states as a result of the examination or observation of their conscious thoughts or feelings

Empiricism - the belief that all knowledge is derived from sensory experience

Scientific Method - refers to the use of investigative methods that are objective, systematic and replicable and the formulation, testing and modification of hypothesis based on the methods

All behaviour can be learned from the environment; normal and abnormal

Behaviour can be learnt as a response to the environmental changes and consequences of behaviour i.e. stimulus and response

Only observable behaviour is measurable scientifically so these should be studied

Classical conditioning - Pavlov - Learning through association

Pavlov - Dogs could be conditioned to salivate to a bell, associated with food

Operant conditioning - Skinner - Learning an active process

Positive reinforcement - receiving a reward for a certain behaviour e.g. a star chart for cleaning

Negative reinforcement - avoids something unpleasant e.g. doing homework to avoid getting detention

Punishment - unpleasant consequence of behaviour e.g. being shouted at for talking in a lesson

Insistence on objectivity and precise measurement makes the studies more reliable and sticks to the scientific method

Supplied practical solutions like systematic desensitisation as a treatment for people with phobias

Uses animals and genetic differences may mean we cannot generalise findings

Ignores the influence of mental processes when other studies show this is important e.g. Bandura shows observation is key to learning

This is also a reductionist approach as it does not look at the complexities

Classical and operant conditioning cannot explain how humans problem solve

Imitation – copying behaviour of someone or something e.g. a girl copies her mother putting on lipstick

Identification – association with a particular person or group and being influenced by their choices 

Modelling – learning a particular behaviour when you are watching someone perform it

Vicarious Reinforcement – when someone observes another person’s behaviour being rewarded or punished and this affects the likelihood of them doing the same

Mediational Processes – Cognition is considered as we may pay attention to some things and not others, some stick in our memory more than others and motivation can also influence behaviour

Bandura investigated if social behaviour like aggression can be acquired by imitation 

Group 1: 12 girls and 12 boys were shown a model hitting the doll with a hammer and shouting

Group 2: 12 girls and 12 boys were shown a non-aggressive model

Group 3: 12 girls and 12 boys were not shown a model, they were the control group

All children were then taken in a room containing bobo dolls, non-aggressive toys like pencils and plastic farm animals and aggressive toys like a hammer and a pistol.

The children who had observed the aggressive model were more aggressive than the other children

Group 1 imitated specific aggressive acts that were displayed by the model

This supports SLT as it shows that children imitate behaviour of role model even if the behaviour is aggressive and seems wrong

Lab experiment which means extraneous variables were controlled and results can be replicated

Has applications to real life e.g. children who witness domestic abuse are more likely to abuse later in life as they have seen it modelled

Lab experiment means that it lacks ecological validity and may not be able to be applied to social settings

Parents will have to give full informed consent for them as they cannot give consent themselves

May be psychologically harming as they are witnessing aggression so parents must be aware fully of the procedure and risks

Does not account for aggression from other sources as it only explains it from modelling

Insistence on objectivity and precise measurement makes the studies more reliable and sticks to the scientific method

Useful applications as it can be used to explain role models to younger children and can be used to change the behaviour of offenders who model their behaviour to children who go on to offend

Hard to establish cause and effect as humans are complex and there may be more influencing factors than just imitation

Deterministic as it argues that humans do not have a say in their own actions 

Explanations are based around the ways in which people process information and how that may affect their way of acting

Indirectly measured by inferring what is happening and using internal mental processes

Schemas allow our minds to take shortcuts when interpreting amounts of information and they are based on expectations. It excludes anything that does not conform to pre-existing beliefs but we may develop stereotypes as a result. For example, being afraid to go to school because there is an expectation of bullying is a schema

Theoretical models are simplified representations of current research evidence that may be incomplete and need to frequently be changed. They are usually represented with boxes and arrows to visually explain a theory

Computer models use technical terminology and computer analogies to explain the human brain but it assumes that the mind processes information identically to the way computers does

Cognitive neuroscience is dedicated to the underlying neural bases of cognitive functions and give objective evidence to show changes in the brain that can occur

Non-invasive scans include PET and fMRI which show which parts of the brain are active in different circumstances

E.g. Burnett found that when people feel guilty, several different areas are active including the prefrontal cortex which is associated with social emotions

E.g. Paul Broca identified how damage to an area of the frontal lobe could permanently impair speech production

The focus of cognitive neurosciene has expanded recently to include the use of computer-generated models that are designed to 'read' the brain which has led to mind mapping techniques.

One possible future application of this could be to analyse the brain wave patters of eyewitnesses to determine whether they are lying in court.

Scientific method with controlled lab experiments that could be replicated

Range of practical applications and can quickly treat psychological disorders like eating disorders without the side effects associated with drugs

Interactionist as says our behaviour can be influenced by learning (nature) and also our brain’s information processing methods (nature)

Lacks ecological validity because of the artificiality of the lab environment so it might not reflect the way people process information in their everyday life

However it does not take into account the genetic factors which seem to be involved in mental disorders such as schizophrenia. Furthermore this approach has lead to cognitive behavioural therapy which is an effective way to deal with depression and unlike drugs has not side-effect

Reductionist as it says all behaviour can be explained through biological processes and does not take into account emotions 

The psyche is presumed to be made up of conflicting parts

Id – demands immediate gratification regardless of consequences and looks for our basic instincts

Superego – conscious of society’s rules, strives for morality and guilty if rules are broken

Ego – a realistic balance of both demands and needs which compromises the superego and id

Suggested that psychological abnormalities are a result of an unsuccessful mediation of the id and superego by the ego e.g. an overdeveloped superego can result in neurotic, anxiety disorders and an overdeveloped id may cause a psychotic psyche

The unconscious mind actively prevents traumatic memories from unconscious reaching awareness

Memories may cause anxiety so some are buried to avoid this using defence mechanisms

Conscious mind – awareness at the given moment e.g. being aware of the environment or the chair when you sit down

Sub-conscious – information that we could be accessible if we tried e.g. remembering the route home but not actively thinking about it

Unconscious – instincts and information that we cannot access e.g. a traumatic experience may be forgotten but it still exists unconsciously

The mind may use defence mechanisms to reduce feelings of anxiety that comes with bad experiences

Repression – unconscious blocking of unacceptable thoughts and impulses that may continue to influence behaviour instead of staying quietly e.g. a child who is abused by a parent may have no recollection but has trouble forming relationships

Denial – refusal to accept reality so to avoid dealing with it, they act like it never happened e.g. an alcoholic may deny being arrested for drunk and disorderly 

Displacement – redirection of thoughts in situations where an innocent object or victim may get it “taken out” on e.g. an alcoholic will fight their parents even when they are trying to help

Oral – 0-1 years- focus on mouth - infants explore with their mouth - unresolved conflict can lead to pleasure gained from oral activities such as biting and eating or chewing

Anal – 1-3 years- anus - pleasure gained from defecation when they learn to control impulses and develop their ego - anal retention can result in obsessive tidiness, anal expulsion can cause disorganisation

Phallic – 3-5 years - genitals - aware of the gender differences and identity - oedipus/electra complex - men: guilt and anxiety - women: envy and inferiority

Latent – 5-puberty - Mastery of the world and adjusting with repression of previous events- fixation cannot happen at this stage

Genital – puberty-death - genitals - sexual drive - fixation is normal

Promoted therapies other than drugs and introduced psychological therapies which are useful e.g. CBT is effective for depression

Freud was first person to highlight the importance of childhood in mental health, which is used extensively today still

Concepts are abstract and difficult, if not impossible, to test experimentally so unscientific

Cannot explain the biological symptoms observed in some disorders e.g enlarged ventricles in schizophrenics

Determinist, rejecting free will and only drives and experiences change behaviour

Interactionist as it recognises our innate, biological instincts and our social environment

Based on his own culture of Western Germany which may create culture bias

Outdated as he views femininity as failed masculinity and makes males the superior gender which is alpha gender bias

Emphasises the importance of subjective experience

Concerns itself with the explainations of healthy growth in individuals

Free Will: Humans are self-determining and have free will. This means that people are not affected by external or internal influences but we are active agents who have the ability to determine our own development.

Self-Actualisation: Every person has an innate desire to achieve their potential and become the best they can possibly be. Humanistic psychologists regard personal growth as an essential part of what it is to be human.

Self Congruence: It is argued that for personal growth to be achieved, our self (the way we see ourselves) must have congruence (be similar to) with our ideal self (the person we want to be). If too big of a gap occurs, the person will be in a state of incongruence and self-actualisation will not be possible due to negative feelings of self-worth.

Rogers developed Client Centered Therapy

Aims to help people cope with the problems of everyday living

Many of the issues we experience as adults, such as low self-esteem, has roots in our childhood and can be explained due to a lack of unconditional positive regard (unconditional love).

A parent who sets boundaries or limits on love for their child (conditions of worth), such as saying "I will only love you if.." is storing psychological problems for that child in the future.

Self-Actualisation: achieving one's full potential, including creative activities

Esteem Needs: prestige and feeling of accomplishment

Belongingness and Love Needs: intimate relationships and friendship

Safety Needs: security and safety needs

Physical Needs: food, water, warmth, rest

Maslow states a person must fully achieve one level before you can move up to the next level.

Self-Actualisaion is only achieved if the person has self-congruence also.

Supported by

Not reductionist as it rejects any attempt to break up behaviour and experience into smaller components. They think subjective experience is only understood by considering the whole person.

Positive approach as humanists promote a positive image of the human condition. It offers a refreshing and optimistic alternative and sees all people as good.

Limited by

Limited application as it has very little real life application and not much impact within the discipline of psychology as a whole.

Untestable concepts like the vague, abstract ideas about congruence and self-actualisation

Cultural bias as many of the central ideas only relate to individualistic cultures, and do not relate to collectivist cultures who emphasise the need of a group and not the individuals