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AQA psychology paper 2 16 markers
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Contains every possible 16 marker question for pscyhology paper 2, approaches and Bio-psychology. Band 4 answers, a*.
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16 marker essay plans –Approaches –
Outline and evaluate the emergence of psychology as a science –
A01 –
Wundt (introspection)
A03 –
+scientific – controlled and systematic – forerunner for later scientific
approaches
-subjective – participants self-report.
A01 –
1900’s behaviourists – only study behaviour that could be observed.
1950s – cognitive
1980s – biological- EEGs, FMRI’s.
A03 –
Modern psychology can claim to be scientific.
-subjective – humanistic and psychodynamic = case studies.
The first stepping stone towards psychology becoming a science was
Wundt, he opened the first psychological lab called Leipzig. His aim was to
analyse the nature of the human consciousness, and thus represented the
first systematic attempt to study the mind under controlled conditions.
Known as introspection. Wundt used objective methods to try and develop
his theories such as language and perception. His procedure saw a stimuli
presented and the same orders given, then they would report there
thoughts, images and sensations.
One strength of Wundt and introspection is that he was the first to use
scientific methods, creating the name the ‘father of psychology’. These
methods were systematic and well controlled being conducted in a lab
ensuring that possible extraneous variables were not a factor. His focus on
scientific methods made him a forerunner to later scientific approaches in
psychology such as the behaviourist approach, and his pioneering set the
foundation for the approaches that were to come.
However, one limitation is that other aspects of Wundt’s research would
be considered unscientific today. Wundt relied on participants self-
reporting their mental processes. Such data is subjective and open to
confounding varibales. This includes aspects like social desirability bias
and hidden thoughts. It is disfficult to establish meaningful laws of
behaviour from such data. This means that the general laws found may
not be useful at predicting future behaviour as findings could be false.
This suggests that Wundts early research and efforts to study the mind
were flawed and woiuld not meet the scriteria of scientific enquiry.
, Psychology has continued to emerge as a science post-Wundt in 1900’ss
the behaviourist approach was introduced using highly scientific methods
such as only studying observable behaviour, this was clear in Watson and
Skinners research and theories. This later developed into cognitive
psychology in the 1950s, which saw a new generation of psychologists
studying the mind. They likened the mind to a computer and tested there
predictions about memory using experiments. This ensures that once
again the study of the mind was highly scientific and legitimate. Finally in
the 1980s we saw the emergence of the biological approach, this has used
scientific methods using technological advnaces to investigate. This
includes EEG’s and FMRI’s.
One strength is that the research in modern psychology can claim to be
scientific this is because psychology has the same aims as natural
sciences, to describe, understand, predict and control behaviour. The
learning approaches, cognitive approach and biological approach all rely
on the use of scientific methods for example lab studies to invcetsigate in
a controlled unbiased way. This suggests that throughout the 20th century
and beyond, psychology has established itself as a scientific discipline.
One limitation with psychology is that not all approaches use objective
methods. The humanistic approach rejects the scientific approach and
prefers to focus on individual experiences and the subjective experience.
Similarly, the psychodynamic approach makes use of case studies which
does not use representive samples. Finally the subject of study – humans
are active participants in research. They are vunerbale to demand
characteristics, therefore the scientific approach to study of human
thought may not always be desirable or possible.
Outline and evaluate the behaviourist approach in psychology –
A01 –
Watson – rejected introspection –
-only observable behaviour
-all behaviour is learnt
-pavolv and skinner
A03-
+real world value – token economys and phobias
+well controlled research – break down into cause and effect
Counter- too simple, ignores role of cognition
-environmental determinism – states that all behaviour is a sum total of
our reinforcement history. Ignores free will
The behaviourist approach is only interested in measuring observable
behaviour, early behaviourists like Watson rejected the theory of
introspection because of its vague nature. They inserted try to rely on
more controlled and objective method such as lab studies. Behaviourists
believe that all behaviour is learnt, an infant starts with a ‘blank slate’.
And further suggest that all behaviour is learnt the same in all species,
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