AQA Psychology Revision – Topic Summary Classical conditioning:
Paper 2 – Approaches (except Cognitive)
The origins of Psychology:
Empiricism – all knowledge is obtained and
derived through sensory engagement with stimuli
William Wundt: 1879
- First psychologist
- Introduced scientific approach
- Opened first lab in Germany
- Invented introspection
Introspection: Generalisation – when stimuli similar to the CS
- Looking inward to examine one’s mind, produce the CR
behaviour, and reactions
Discrimination – when stimuli similar to the CS
- Participants reported how certain stimuli
does not produce to CR
made then react and feel
- Behaviourism rejects introspection, uses Extinction – when the CR isn’t produced as a
carefully controlled experiments instead result of the CS
Evaluations of Wundt’s methods: Spontaneous Recovery – when an extinct CR is
- One of the earliest methods used, formed produced in response to a CS
the foundations of current methods like High Order Conditioning – when as new CS is
therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy
associated with an old CS producing a CR
- Used standardised procedures, same
stimuli, metronome Pavlov’s research: 1927
- Objective, difficult to measure and report,
- Dog meat causes dogs to salivate
thoughts cannot be seen, relying on
participants, self-report - UCS = food, UCR = salivate
- Not everything is observable, morals and - A tone does not cause dogs to salivate,
justice used tone with the food
- Introspection not accurate, other factors - UCS + CS (bell) = UCR
could be responsible instead, biology - Repeated several times, CS (bell) = CR
The Behaviourist Approach: Operant conditioning:
Assumptions: - Consequences of behaviour, gaining
rewards, receiving punishments
- Focuses on observable behaviour, as
- Positive = add, Negative = take away
opposed to internally
- Reinforcement = to repeat, Punishment =
- Measured in highly controlled
to stop a behaviour
environments
- When born, mind blank, ‘tabula rasa’ Skinner’s research: 1953
- Little difference between behaviour
- Rats, box, lights, electric shock floor, pellet
learning in animals and humans, can use
dispenser, lever
animals for testing
- Operant conditioning
- Behaviour is a result of associations
Paper 2 – Approaches (except Cognitive)
The origins of Psychology:
Empiricism – all knowledge is obtained and
derived through sensory engagement with stimuli
William Wundt: 1879
- First psychologist
- Introduced scientific approach
- Opened first lab in Germany
- Invented introspection
Introspection: Generalisation – when stimuli similar to the CS
- Looking inward to examine one’s mind, produce the CR
behaviour, and reactions
Discrimination – when stimuli similar to the CS
- Participants reported how certain stimuli
does not produce to CR
made then react and feel
- Behaviourism rejects introspection, uses Extinction – when the CR isn’t produced as a
carefully controlled experiments instead result of the CS
Evaluations of Wundt’s methods: Spontaneous Recovery – when an extinct CR is
- One of the earliest methods used, formed produced in response to a CS
the foundations of current methods like High Order Conditioning – when as new CS is
therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy
associated with an old CS producing a CR
- Used standardised procedures, same
stimuli, metronome Pavlov’s research: 1927
- Objective, difficult to measure and report,
- Dog meat causes dogs to salivate
thoughts cannot be seen, relying on
participants, self-report - UCS = food, UCR = salivate
- Not everything is observable, morals and - A tone does not cause dogs to salivate,
justice used tone with the food
- Introspection not accurate, other factors - UCS + CS (bell) = UCR
could be responsible instead, biology - Repeated several times, CS (bell) = CR
The Behaviourist Approach: Operant conditioning:
Assumptions: - Consequences of behaviour, gaining
rewards, receiving punishments
- Focuses on observable behaviour, as
- Positive = add, Negative = take away
opposed to internally
- Reinforcement = to repeat, Punishment =
- Measured in highly controlled
to stop a behaviour
environments
- When born, mind blank, ‘tabula rasa’ Skinner’s research: 1953
- Little difference between behaviour
- Rats, box, lights, electric shock floor, pellet
learning in animals and humans, can use
dispenser, lever
animals for testing
- Operant conditioning
- Behaviour is a result of associations
