APPROACHES
ORIGINS OF PSYCHOLOGY:
Describe Wundt’s role in the development of psychology
-He is the father of psychology studying the mind in a controlled setting
-In 1879 he opened the first psychology laboratory in Germany
-His objective was to document and describe the nature of human consciousness
-The idea of introspection in controlled research
What rules does the process of introspection follow?
1. Controlled-strictly controlled conditions using the same stimulus every time
2. Standardised-same standardised instructions were issued to all participants
3. Scientific-created a new scientific psychology distinct from philosophy
Evaluation of Introspection:
-The reports may be distorted deliberately and may have to pretend to have positive thoughts
-There will always be a delay between the conscious experience and reporting the existence we may forget
parts of it
-Subjects reports from introspection could not be replicated therefore it is not reliable
THE BEHAVIOUSIST APPROACH:
What does ‘Tabula Rasa’ mean?
-Translated it means ‘Blank Slate’
-We are all born ‘blank’ and it’s the environment that shapes us
What does environmental determinism mean?
-All that we are is because of the environment
-Our personalities and behaviours are determined by the environment
What do Behaviourists focus on?
-They focus on observable behaviour (measurable)
-They do not believe in studying thoughts, emotions and similar things which cannot be measured
What are the two forms of learning identified by behaviourists?
-Classical conditioning=learning through association
-Operant conditioning=learning through consequences
, Classical conditioning case study:
-Ivan Pavlov applied the process of classical conditioning in an experiment
-This consisted of a dog being observed in a scientific environment as it was being conditioned to salivate to
the sound of a stimulus (bell)
1. The dog sees food (unconditioned stimulus) and starts salivating (unconditioned response)
2. When a metronome occurs (neutral stimulus) no response in produced
3. Before food is presented in front of the dog, the metronome is played alongside and saliva is produced
4. A response is produced without the presence of food
5. The unconditioned stimulus is the metronome, and the conditioned response is the salvation in response to
the metronome
Operant conditioning case study:
-In 1953, BF Skinner conducted a series of experiments once of which was conducted on rats
-Every time the rat activated the lever it was rewarded with food pellet and after repeating this behaviour a
few times the rat was able to adopt the behaviour
Evaluation of Behaviourist Approach:
One strength of the Behaviourist Approach is that it is based on well controlled research. Behaviourists
focused on the measurement of observable behaviour within highly controlled lab settings this was done by
breaking down behaviour into basic stimulus response units. This meant that possible extraneous variables
were removed allowing cause and effect relationships to be established. For example, skinner was able to
demonstrate how reinforcement influenced animal behaviour. Therefore, this is a strength because it suggests
that behaviourists have scientific credibility making evidence more objective.
Another strength of the Behaviourist Approach is that it can be applied to a range of real-world behaviours and
problems. For example, the token economy system is based on operant conditioning and is used in prisons and
psychiatric wards. Therefore, this is a strength because it provides evidence of several practical approaches
using this technique of classical conditioning.
A weakness of the Behaviourist Approach is that it sees all behaviour as being conditioned to experiences and
ignores any possible influence that free will may have on our behaviour. An example of seen in Bf Skinners
experiment whereby every time the rat activated the lever it was rewarded with food pellet and after
repeating this behaviour a few times the rat was able to adopt the behaviour. Therefore, this is a weakness
because it may pose long-term mental health effects on the rat which could impact the future.
THE SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY:
What is Social Learning through?
-Observation
-Imitation
-Modelling
ORIGINS OF PSYCHOLOGY:
Describe Wundt’s role in the development of psychology
-He is the father of psychology studying the mind in a controlled setting
-In 1879 he opened the first psychology laboratory in Germany
-His objective was to document and describe the nature of human consciousness
-The idea of introspection in controlled research
What rules does the process of introspection follow?
1. Controlled-strictly controlled conditions using the same stimulus every time
2. Standardised-same standardised instructions were issued to all participants
3. Scientific-created a new scientific psychology distinct from philosophy
Evaluation of Introspection:
-The reports may be distorted deliberately and may have to pretend to have positive thoughts
-There will always be a delay between the conscious experience and reporting the existence we may forget
parts of it
-Subjects reports from introspection could not be replicated therefore it is not reliable
THE BEHAVIOUSIST APPROACH:
What does ‘Tabula Rasa’ mean?
-Translated it means ‘Blank Slate’
-We are all born ‘blank’ and it’s the environment that shapes us
What does environmental determinism mean?
-All that we are is because of the environment
-Our personalities and behaviours are determined by the environment
What do Behaviourists focus on?
-They focus on observable behaviour (measurable)
-They do not believe in studying thoughts, emotions and similar things which cannot be measured
What are the two forms of learning identified by behaviourists?
-Classical conditioning=learning through association
-Operant conditioning=learning through consequences
, Classical conditioning case study:
-Ivan Pavlov applied the process of classical conditioning in an experiment
-This consisted of a dog being observed in a scientific environment as it was being conditioned to salivate to
the sound of a stimulus (bell)
1. The dog sees food (unconditioned stimulus) and starts salivating (unconditioned response)
2. When a metronome occurs (neutral stimulus) no response in produced
3. Before food is presented in front of the dog, the metronome is played alongside and saliva is produced
4. A response is produced without the presence of food
5. The unconditioned stimulus is the metronome, and the conditioned response is the salvation in response to
the metronome
Operant conditioning case study:
-In 1953, BF Skinner conducted a series of experiments once of which was conducted on rats
-Every time the rat activated the lever it was rewarded with food pellet and after repeating this behaviour a
few times the rat was able to adopt the behaviour
Evaluation of Behaviourist Approach:
One strength of the Behaviourist Approach is that it is based on well controlled research. Behaviourists
focused on the measurement of observable behaviour within highly controlled lab settings this was done by
breaking down behaviour into basic stimulus response units. This meant that possible extraneous variables
were removed allowing cause and effect relationships to be established. For example, skinner was able to
demonstrate how reinforcement influenced animal behaviour. Therefore, this is a strength because it suggests
that behaviourists have scientific credibility making evidence more objective.
Another strength of the Behaviourist Approach is that it can be applied to a range of real-world behaviours and
problems. For example, the token economy system is based on operant conditioning and is used in prisons and
psychiatric wards. Therefore, this is a strength because it provides evidence of several practical approaches
using this technique of classical conditioning.
A weakness of the Behaviourist Approach is that it sees all behaviour as being conditioned to experiences and
ignores any possible influence that free will may have on our behaviour. An example of seen in Bf Skinners
experiment whereby every time the rat activated the lever it was rewarded with food pellet and after
repeating this behaviour a few times the rat was able to adopt the behaviour. Therefore, this is a weakness
because it may pose long-term mental health effects on the rat which could impact the future.
THE SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY:
What is Social Learning through?
-Observation
-Imitation
-Modelling
