, Paper 2: Section A: Approaches
Origins of Psychology Wundt opened the first psychology lab in Leipzig to study + Scientific and controlled
psychology as a science through scientific methods.
● Used standardised procedures (observations of - Subjective data (introspection) has no general laws
objects and sounds recorded)
● Structuralism: consciousness consists of thoughts, + Contribution as the founder of modern psychology
images and sensations
Introspection → tried to break down consciousness
into structures by asking about thoughts, images,
and sensations in response to stimuli.
Psychodynamic approach Unconscious → Freud compared the mind to an + Real world application: psychoanalysis therapy
iceberg, whereby consciousness is just the tip - Not suitable for schizophrenia
Structure of personality: + Explanatory power: influential thoughts of personality,
● Ego → reality principal, defence mechanisms moral development and gender identity
● Superego → formed at age 5, moral principal,
sense of right and wrong - Untestable: psuedoscientific, unfalsable and uses case
● Id → pleasure principal, primitive needs studies
Defence mechanisms → used by the ego to control - Psychic determinism: no free will, unconsciousness
the Id and reduce anxiety explaining all behaviour
● Repression → out of consciousness
● Denial → refusal
● Displacement → transfer
Psychosexual stages
1. Oral (0-1 years)
● Pleasure source: mother’s breasts for milk
- Results in an oral fixation (smoking,
biting nails)
2. Anal (1-3 years)
● Pleasure source: Withholding and expelling
, poo
- Anal retentive: obsessive, perfectionist
- Anal expulsive: messy thoughtless
3. Phallic (3-6 years)
- Phallic personality: narcissistic
4. Latency (repression)
5. Genital
● Sexual desires become conscious
- Homosexuality
, Behaviourist approach Assumptions: observable behaviour is all that is needed to + Controlled: stimulus-response
be studied, basic processes are the same in all species - Reductionist
Pavlov's classical conditioning: research on salivation in + Real world application: token-economy system in prison
dogs
● Unconditioned response + neutral stimulus = - Environmental determinism: past experience shapes
conditioned stimulus + conditioned response behaviour
Skinner’s operant conditioning: rats and pigeons in Skinner’s - Ethics: animal-testing
box
● Behaviour shaped by consequences in the form of
positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement and
punishment
Humanistic approach Free will → people are active agents and are self- + Holistic
determining - Lacks empirical evidence
Self actualisation → an innate tendency to want to + Optimistic approach: people are good and in control
reach your full potential
- Cultural bias: individualism
The self, congruence, conditions of worth → Personal
growth requires congruence between the ideal and - Limited application: claim little impact
actual sense + Revolutionaised therapy
Counselling → genuine, empathetic, unconditional
positive regard (Rogers)
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs:
1. Self actualisation
2. Self esteem
3. Love and belonging
4. Safety and security
5. Physiological needs
Origins of Psychology Wundt opened the first psychology lab in Leipzig to study + Scientific and controlled
psychology as a science through scientific methods.
● Used standardised procedures (observations of - Subjective data (introspection) has no general laws
objects and sounds recorded)
● Structuralism: consciousness consists of thoughts, + Contribution as the founder of modern psychology
images and sensations
Introspection → tried to break down consciousness
into structures by asking about thoughts, images,
and sensations in response to stimuli.
Psychodynamic approach Unconscious → Freud compared the mind to an + Real world application: psychoanalysis therapy
iceberg, whereby consciousness is just the tip - Not suitable for schizophrenia
Structure of personality: + Explanatory power: influential thoughts of personality,
● Ego → reality principal, defence mechanisms moral development and gender identity
● Superego → formed at age 5, moral principal,
sense of right and wrong - Untestable: psuedoscientific, unfalsable and uses case
● Id → pleasure principal, primitive needs studies
Defence mechanisms → used by the ego to control - Psychic determinism: no free will, unconsciousness
the Id and reduce anxiety explaining all behaviour
● Repression → out of consciousness
● Denial → refusal
● Displacement → transfer
Psychosexual stages
1. Oral (0-1 years)
● Pleasure source: mother’s breasts for milk
- Results in an oral fixation (smoking,
biting nails)
2. Anal (1-3 years)
● Pleasure source: Withholding and expelling
, poo
- Anal retentive: obsessive, perfectionist
- Anal expulsive: messy thoughtless
3. Phallic (3-6 years)
- Phallic personality: narcissistic
4. Latency (repression)
5. Genital
● Sexual desires become conscious
- Homosexuality
, Behaviourist approach Assumptions: observable behaviour is all that is needed to + Controlled: stimulus-response
be studied, basic processes are the same in all species - Reductionist
Pavlov's classical conditioning: research on salivation in + Real world application: token-economy system in prison
dogs
● Unconditioned response + neutral stimulus = - Environmental determinism: past experience shapes
conditioned stimulus + conditioned response behaviour
Skinner’s operant conditioning: rats and pigeons in Skinner’s - Ethics: animal-testing
box
● Behaviour shaped by consequences in the form of
positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement and
punishment
Humanistic approach Free will → people are active agents and are self- + Holistic
determining - Lacks empirical evidence
Self actualisation → an innate tendency to want to + Optimistic approach: people are good and in control
reach your full potential
- Cultural bias: individualism
The self, congruence, conditions of worth → Personal
growth requires congruence between the ideal and - Limited application: claim little impact
actual sense + Revolutionaised therapy
Counselling → genuine, empathetic, unconditional
positive regard (Rogers)
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs:
1. Self actualisation
2. Self esteem
3. Love and belonging
4. Safety and security
5. Physiological needs
