Origins of psychology and wundt (1879):
He set up the world's first psychology lab in Germany and helped establish it as an
independent branch of science. He understood the importance of studying higher mental
processes ( learning,emotion etc) that couldn't be done in a controlled manner. Introspection
is the systematic analysis of your own conscious experiences by reflecting on your own
thoughts and feelings. He knew this was unreliable so encouraged people to create new
scientific methods.
1) Freud and the psychodynamic approach:
● The conscious mind is what we are aware of, the preconscious we can access and
the unconscious are too painful so they're locked away. The unconscious mind is the
driving force behind all behaviour and abnormal behaviour is caused by unconscious
conflicts.
● Our personality is split into Id ( unconscious pleasure principle), ego (conscious
reality principle does what's sensible ) and superego (part conscious part
unconscious morality) that are competing for libido
● Ego defence mechanisms save us from anxiety via repression (pushed out of
conscious recollection) denial (unconsciously pretending it doesn't exist) and
displacement (strong emotion unconsciously pushed onto a more acceptable target)
so unresolved traumas cause abnormal behaviours
● Psychosexual stages of development means a fixation will be made if they are over
gratified or deprived. Oral (dummy/feed) until 18 months, anal (potty) up to 3, phallic
up to 6.
2) Behaviourists
● We’re born a tabula rasa and learn everything from the environment, but they only
care about observable measurable behaviours that are scientifically measured.
● Classical conditioning is the idea that we learn by association. Neutral (produces no
response) stimulus is repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus which
produces an unconditioned response. The two become associated so they produce
the same response. Therefore, it becomes a conditioned stimulus and produces a
conditioned response. Pavlov's dogs with the food bell and saliva
● Operant conditioning is learning by consequence. Positive reinforcement is a
pleasant consequence so we repeat. Negative reinforcement is removing a bad thing
so we repeat. Punishment is giving bad consequences so we don't repeat. Skinner
boxes had levers for rats which gave food, turned off shocks or gave shocks
3) Humanistic approach
● Maslow's hierarchy of needs: physiological (food,water,sleep), safety (house, health
job), belonging/love (friends and family), esteem (confident, respected) , self
actualisation (an innate drive to meet your potential and feel complete which leads to
tolerance of uncertainty, creativity, accepting others and strong morals)
● Rogers says the three selves are self concept (how you see yourself via self
esteem), the ideal self (what you want to be) and the real self ( who you actually are)
and they need to integrate to self actualise. Congruence is when there's similarity
between selfs which leads to good mental health and self worth. Incongruence leads
to the use of defence mechanisms
He set up the world's first psychology lab in Germany and helped establish it as an
independent branch of science. He understood the importance of studying higher mental
processes ( learning,emotion etc) that couldn't be done in a controlled manner. Introspection
is the systematic analysis of your own conscious experiences by reflecting on your own
thoughts and feelings. He knew this was unreliable so encouraged people to create new
scientific methods.
1) Freud and the psychodynamic approach:
● The conscious mind is what we are aware of, the preconscious we can access and
the unconscious are too painful so they're locked away. The unconscious mind is the
driving force behind all behaviour and abnormal behaviour is caused by unconscious
conflicts.
● Our personality is split into Id ( unconscious pleasure principle), ego (conscious
reality principle does what's sensible ) and superego (part conscious part
unconscious morality) that are competing for libido
● Ego defence mechanisms save us from anxiety via repression (pushed out of
conscious recollection) denial (unconsciously pretending it doesn't exist) and
displacement (strong emotion unconsciously pushed onto a more acceptable target)
so unresolved traumas cause abnormal behaviours
● Psychosexual stages of development means a fixation will be made if they are over
gratified or deprived. Oral (dummy/feed) until 18 months, anal (potty) up to 3, phallic
up to 6.
2) Behaviourists
● We’re born a tabula rasa and learn everything from the environment, but they only
care about observable measurable behaviours that are scientifically measured.
● Classical conditioning is the idea that we learn by association. Neutral (produces no
response) stimulus is repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus which
produces an unconditioned response. The two become associated so they produce
the same response. Therefore, it becomes a conditioned stimulus and produces a
conditioned response. Pavlov's dogs with the food bell and saliva
● Operant conditioning is learning by consequence. Positive reinforcement is a
pleasant consequence so we repeat. Negative reinforcement is removing a bad thing
so we repeat. Punishment is giving bad consequences so we don't repeat. Skinner
boxes had levers for rats which gave food, turned off shocks or gave shocks
3) Humanistic approach
● Maslow's hierarchy of needs: physiological (food,water,sleep), safety (house, health
job), belonging/love (friends and family), esteem (confident, respected) , self
actualisation (an innate drive to meet your potential and feel complete which leads to
tolerance of uncertainty, creativity, accepting others and strong morals)
● Rogers says the three selves are self concept (how you see yourself via self
esteem), the ideal self (what you want to be) and the real self ( who you actually are)
and they need to integrate to self actualise. Congruence is when there's similarity
between selfs which leads to good mental health and self worth. Incongruence leads
to the use of defence mechanisms
