AQA A level psychology approaches questions and answers passed with 100%

AQA A level psychology approaches questions and answers passed with 100% Humanistic approach: Free will and self actualisation understands behaviour that emphasises importance of subjective exp and capacity for self determination Free will: notion that humans can make choices r not determined by external forces. Active agents Self-actualisation: desire to grow psychologically and fulfil ones full potential, innate Humanistic Approach Maslows hierachy of needies 1) physiological needs 2) safety and security 3) love and belongingness 4) self esteem 5) self actualisation • Hum psychs regard personal growth as essential, its developing n changing as a person to become fulfilled satisfied n goal orientated • However psych barriers preventing person from reaching potential Humanistic approach Self Congruence Conditions of worth Self: the way they see themselves Congruence: when self concept and ideal self match Conditions of worth: when a parent places limits or boundaries on their love of their child • Rogers: for personal growth to be achieved, self and congruence has to happen • If too big of a gap then person experiences incongruence n self act wont be possible • Client centre therapy: people with unconditional positive regard from childhood so therapist needs to give this now +AO3: Humanistic approach More holistic more validity bcs considers meaningful human behv within its real life context compared to all other approaches +AO3: Humanistic approach Positive approach offers a refreshing and optimistic alternative to E.G Freud - seeing humans as slaves to their past. H.A sees people as good and free to work towards achievement of their potential and in control of their lives -AO3: Humanistic approach Cultural bias: ideas such as individual freedom, autonomy, personal growth more associated with individualist cultures in west. Collectivist such as India emphasises on needs of the group, community, interdependence may not identify with values of H.A -AO3: Humanistic approach untestable concepts: vague ideas which are difficult to test - self actualisation and congruence useful therapeutic tools but hard to assess under experimental conditions so its ANTI SCIENTIFIC and short on empirical evidence to support its claims Behaviourist Approach Assumptions: • All behv is learnt from the environment • Focuses on observable behv • Animals and humans learn behv in the same way so psychs carry out exps on animals and extrapolate results to humans Behaviourist Approach Classical conditioning • Pavlov: showed that dogs can be conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell if it was repeatedly present at the same time food was given. • Food - UCS unconditioned stimulus • Salivation- UCR unconditioned response • Bell (before association made): NS neutral stimulus • Bell (after association made): CS conditioned stimulus • Salivation: CR conditioned response • Food UCS = UCR Salivation • Bell NS = NR No response • NS+UCS= UCR • CS=CR Behaviourist Approach Operant