Approaches

Approaches

Origins:

• Wundt - noted psychology as a science. Emphasis on objective measurement and control.
• Introspection - the examination of one's own conscious thoughts and feelings.
• Psychology as a science - it is a science as it now uses the scientific method so is obe=jective and more reliable. It isn't as it still relies on interpretation which can be biased.

Learning approaches:

• Behaviourist - how the environment affects the observable behaviour. 
  
• Classical conditioning - based on Pavlov. Unconditioned stimulus (UCS) produces unconditioned response (UCR). Neutral stimulus (NS) has no effect. NS becomes conidtioned conditioned stimulus (CS) that has a conditioned response (CR).
• Operant conditioning - consists of positive reinforcement (strengthens a behaviour by using reward) and negative reinforcement (weakens a behaviour by having undesirable consequences for an action). Skinner's rats and food pellets and electric current.
• Social learning theory - human behaviour explained through observation and modelling, cognitive factors (attention, retention, reproduction and motivation) play an important role in observational learning, vicarious reinforcement (tendency to repeat or duplicate behaviours for which others are being rewarded) and most research involves lab experiments.

Cognitive approach:

• Study of internal mental processes - perception, attention, language, memory, thinking and cosciousness.
• Role of schema - a cognitive framework or concept that helps organise and interpret information and understand the world.
• Computer model - describes the mind as a computer in terms of the relationship between incoming information to be encoded (from the senses), manipulating this mentally (e.g. storage, a decision), and consequently directing an output (e.g. a behaviour, emotion). 
• Cognitive neuroscience - the scientific field that is concerned with the study of the biological processes and aspects that underlie cognition, with a specific focus on the neural connections in the brain which are involved in mental processes.

Biological approach:

• Genes influence people's behaviours. Can be genetically predisposed to certain behaviours such as agression. Use twin studies as they have the same DNA.
• Genotype - the genetic makeup of a person.
• Phenotype - the displayed observable behaviour.
• Evolution - behaviours have evolved like genes. Based on Darwin's naturals selection.

Psychodynamic approach:

• Role of the unconscious - Freud said teh unconscious mind affects behaviour more than suspected. 
• Structure of the personality - ID (primitve and instinctive component of personality, consists of inherited components of personality present at birth, is impulsive, operates on pleasure principle which is that every wishful impulse should be satisfied), Ego (decision-making component, works by reason, compromises, postpones satisfaction to avoid negative consequences, no concept of right and wrong), superego (the component of personality composed of our internalised ideals we have required from our parents and society. Provides the moral standards by which the go operates).
• Defnce mechanism 1 - repression - an unconscious mechanism employed by…