Key Approaches
,LT1
Origins of Psychology
WILHELM WUNDT (‘FATHER OF PSYCHOLOGY’) - separated psychology from
philosophical Psychology as a discipline: A timeline of events
- Set up first psych lab in Germany (1879) 1. 1596-1650: Rene Descartes suggested the mind and
- Structuralism - experimental methods
- Introspection → systematic method to study mind by breaking up conscious body are independent from each other - Cartesian
awareness into thoughts, images and sensations by recording their own dualism
conscious thoughts 2. 1632-1704: Locke proposed empiricism - experiences
can be obtained through senses humans inherit - later
CONTROLLED METHODS AND NOTION OF PSYCH AS A SCIENCE
- Stimulus → metronome formed basis of behaviourist approach - focus on
- Same standardised instructions = replication = accurate external events that are observed and measured
- Paved the way for later controlled research e.g. cognitive psychologists 3. 1809-1882: Darwin's revolutionary theory (adaptive
- Focus → psychological processes of perception and structuralism rather than genes survive and reproduce - survival of the fittest)
biological or philosophical
- Found it difficult and encouraged future brain scans etc
- Introspection used now in therapy 17th-19th century: Experimental Psychology
- HOWEVER introspection was subjective, not scientific 1879: Wundt opened first psych lab and psych emerges
1900: Freud psychodynamic approach - psychoanalysis and
MAIN FEATURES
- Focused on being objective; reflecting on sensations, feelings and images physical problems explained in terms of conflict in the mind
- Asked people to focus on everyday objects e.g. metronome, noticing 1913: Watson and Skinner Behaviourist approach
sensations, feelings and images 1950s: Rodgers and Maslow humanistic approach established
- Reporting of experience was systematic and controlled 1960s: Cognitive approach with digital age. Computer
EMERGENCE OF PSYCH AS A SCIENCE- John B Watson and early behaviourist analogy began and scientific studying introduced
- Behaviourist who questioned the process of introspection = too subjective 1960s: Bandura social learning theory - role of cognitive
and could not establish general laws for all to follow factors in learning
- Critical of focus which was on ‘private’ matters of the mind 1980s: Biological approach due to advances in tech
- Behaviourists want a systematic approach → general principles to follow
21st century: Cognitive neuroscience emerges bringing
SCIENTIFIC APPROACH- Watson and Skinner together the cognitive and biological approaches
- Controlled lab experiments for research and practice
- Now broadened to cognitive revolution in 1960s where study of mental
processes is seen as highly scientific
- Although mental pricesses are private matters, cognitive psychologists make
inferences about how they work based on lab tests
- Biological approach uses experimental data and use tech e.g. fMRI and EEG
, LT2
The Learning Approach - Behaviourism
Behaviourist approach- as way of explaining behaviour in terms of what’s observable and learning. Controlled, lab, born as a blank slate and
solely influenced by our environment and not innate processes
CLASSICAL CONDITIONING - IVAN PAVLOV OPERANT CONDITIONING - B.F. SKINNER
- Learning through association by building an association - Learning through consequence
between two stimuli to create a learned response Skinner box (1935)
- UCS produces a response without learning Positive reinforcement
- UCR is an unlearned response to an UCS - A desired behaviour is rewarded with something pleasant
- CS produces the target response after it has been paired with - Desired behaviour is likely to be repeated
the UCS - originally would not produce the natural response - E.g. giving a rat a food pellet for pressing a lever
- CR - learnt response to a stimulus when the CS is presented
Negative reinforcement
MAIN FEATURES - Something unpleasant is taken away for showing the desired
1. UCS e.g. biscuits → UCR e.g. mouth watering behaviour
2. NS e.g. tea → no response - Behaviour repeated to remove the unpleasant stimulus
3. NS e.g. tea + UCS e.g. biscuits → UCR e.g. mouth watering - E.g. giving the rat an elective shock until the lever is pressed
4. CS e.g. tea → CR e.g. mouth watering
Punishment discourages undesirable behaviour
PAVLOV’S DOGS
Food UCS and bell NS paired a number of times and the bell presented Positive punishment
alone. Pavlov found the dog salivated at the source of a bell which had - Something undesired is given as punishment for bad or
become a CS and produced the CR of salivation unwanted behaviour
- The behaviour is less likely to be repeated
Extinction is when a CS no longer leads to a CR and the UCS is no - E.g. when a rat presses the lever it gets a shock
longer presented with the CS so the CR no longer occurs. Dormant Negative punishment
behaviour - Something pleasant is taken away because undesired
Spontaneous recovery: if a dog is taken out of the experiment after behaviour has been shown
extinction and brought back later - Behaviour is less likely to be repeated
Stimulus generalisation: individual has acquired a CR to one stimulus - E.g. when a rat presses a lever a food pellet is not provided and
begins to respond to similar stimuli in the same way e.g. coffee the reward has been removed
,LT1
Origins of Psychology
WILHELM WUNDT (‘FATHER OF PSYCHOLOGY’) - separated psychology from
philosophical Psychology as a discipline: A timeline of events
- Set up first psych lab in Germany (1879) 1. 1596-1650: Rene Descartes suggested the mind and
- Structuralism - experimental methods
- Introspection → systematic method to study mind by breaking up conscious body are independent from each other - Cartesian
awareness into thoughts, images and sensations by recording their own dualism
conscious thoughts 2. 1632-1704: Locke proposed empiricism - experiences
can be obtained through senses humans inherit - later
CONTROLLED METHODS AND NOTION OF PSYCH AS A SCIENCE
- Stimulus → metronome formed basis of behaviourist approach - focus on
- Same standardised instructions = replication = accurate external events that are observed and measured
- Paved the way for later controlled research e.g. cognitive psychologists 3. 1809-1882: Darwin's revolutionary theory (adaptive
- Focus → psychological processes of perception and structuralism rather than genes survive and reproduce - survival of the fittest)
biological or philosophical
- Found it difficult and encouraged future brain scans etc
- Introspection used now in therapy 17th-19th century: Experimental Psychology
- HOWEVER introspection was subjective, not scientific 1879: Wundt opened first psych lab and psych emerges
1900: Freud psychodynamic approach - psychoanalysis and
MAIN FEATURES
- Focused on being objective; reflecting on sensations, feelings and images physical problems explained in terms of conflict in the mind
- Asked people to focus on everyday objects e.g. metronome, noticing 1913: Watson and Skinner Behaviourist approach
sensations, feelings and images 1950s: Rodgers and Maslow humanistic approach established
- Reporting of experience was systematic and controlled 1960s: Cognitive approach with digital age. Computer
EMERGENCE OF PSYCH AS A SCIENCE- John B Watson and early behaviourist analogy began and scientific studying introduced
- Behaviourist who questioned the process of introspection = too subjective 1960s: Bandura social learning theory - role of cognitive
and could not establish general laws for all to follow factors in learning
- Critical of focus which was on ‘private’ matters of the mind 1980s: Biological approach due to advances in tech
- Behaviourists want a systematic approach → general principles to follow
21st century: Cognitive neuroscience emerges bringing
SCIENTIFIC APPROACH- Watson and Skinner together the cognitive and biological approaches
- Controlled lab experiments for research and practice
- Now broadened to cognitive revolution in 1960s where study of mental
processes is seen as highly scientific
- Although mental pricesses are private matters, cognitive psychologists make
inferences about how they work based on lab tests
- Biological approach uses experimental data and use tech e.g. fMRI and EEG
, LT2
The Learning Approach - Behaviourism
Behaviourist approach- as way of explaining behaviour in terms of what’s observable and learning. Controlled, lab, born as a blank slate and
solely influenced by our environment and not innate processes
CLASSICAL CONDITIONING - IVAN PAVLOV OPERANT CONDITIONING - B.F. SKINNER
- Learning through association by building an association - Learning through consequence
between two stimuli to create a learned response Skinner box (1935)
- UCS produces a response without learning Positive reinforcement
- UCR is an unlearned response to an UCS - A desired behaviour is rewarded with something pleasant
- CS produces the target response after it has been paired with - Desired behaviour is likely to be repeated
the UCS - originally would not produce the natural response - E.g. giving a rat a food pellet for pressing a lever
- CR - learnt response to a stimulus when the CS is presented
Negative reinforcement
MAIN FEATURES - Something unpleasant is taken away for showing the desired
1. UCS e.g. biscuits → UCR e.g. mouth watering behaviour
2. NS e.g. tea → no response - Behaviour repeated to remove the unpleasant stimulus
3. NS e.g. tea + UCS e.g. biscuits → UCR e.g. mouth watering - E.g. giving the rat an elective shock until the lever is pressed
4. CS e.g. tea → CR e.g. mouth watering
Punishment discourages undesirable behaviour
PAVLOV’S DOGS
Food UCS and bell NS paired a number of times and the bell presented Positive punishment
alone. Pavlov found the dog salivated at the source of a bell which had - Something undesired is given as punishment for bad or
become a CS and produced the CR of salivation unwanted behaviour
- The behaviour is less likely to be repeated
Extinction is when a CS no longer leads to a CR and the UCS is no - E.g. when a rat presses the lever it gets a shock
longer presented with the CS so the CR no longer occurs. Dormant Negative punishment
behaviour - Something pleasant is taken away because undesired
Spontaneous recovery: if a dog is taken out of the experiment after behaviour has been shown
extinction and brought back later - Behaviour is less likely to be repeated
Stimulus generalisation: individual has acquired a CR to one stimulus - E.g. when a rat presses a lever a food pellet is not provided and
begins to respond to similar stimuli in the same way e.g. coffee the reward has been removed
