Summary
APPROACHES AQA SUMMARY NOTES
- Module
- A level Psychology
- Institution
- A Level Psychology
Covering all A01, A02 and A03 that could possibly come up in your exams! Approaches
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9Approach Behaviourist Social learning Cognitive Biological Psychodynamic HumanisticViews on The processes that Same as Stage theories of Genetically determined Most coherent theory of Development of the self is
development underpin learning behaviourist development, maturational changes developmental, tying ongoing throughout life.
are continuous and approach. particularly the idea influence behaviour eg concepts and processes Childhood is particularly
occur at any age. of increasingly cognitive development. to age related stages. important period and
complex schemas No change after genital parents provide
as the child gets stage. unconditional positive
older. regard.
Nature Vs Nurture Babies are born Similar to Many of our Behaviour stems from the Much of our behaviour is Parents, friends and wide
with blank slates at behavioural except information- genetic blueprint we inherit driven by biological society have a critical
birth. All behaviour additional processing abilities from our parents drives and instincts but impact on the person’s
comes about processes with and schemas are (genotype) through also a child’s self-concept.
through learned observation and inate, constantly expression of this it is relationships with its
associations and imitation. refined by influenced by the parents are crucial.
reinforcements. experience. environment (phenotype).
Reductionism Reduces complex Recognises how Use of the Reduces and explains Reduces behaviour to Anti-reductionist, based
learning into cognitive factors computer analogy, human behaviour at the the influence of on holistic investigation of
stimulus – interact with the which ignores the level of the gene or neuron. biological drives, all aspects of the
response units for external role of human although also sees individual.
ease of tested in a environment. emotion (machine personality as a
controlled lab reductionism) dynamic, holistic
experiment. interaction between ID,
superego and ego.
Determinism All behaviour is Influenced by our Suggests we are Much of our behaviour is Unconscious forces Human beings have free
environmentally environment and the choosers of our directed by innate drive our behaviour will and are active agents
determined by also exert some own behaviour but influences (genetic (psychic determinism) who determine their own
external forces that influence upon only within the determinism). and these are development.
we cannot control others (reciprocal limits of what we rationalised by our
eg operant determinism). know (soft conscious minds.
conditioning. determinism)
Explanation and Abnormality arises Principles such as Cognitive therapies Psychoactive drugs that Anxiety disorders Humanistic therapy or
treatment of from faulty learning. modelling have such as CBT are regulate chemical emerge from counselling, is based on
abnormal behaviour Behavioural been used to used in the imbalances in the brain unconscious conflicts the idea that reducing
therapies aim to explain and reduce treatment of have revolutionised the and overuse the incongruence will
condition new more for example depression and aim treatment of mental defence mechanisms. stimulate personal growth
healthy behaviours. aggressive to eradicate faulty disorders. Psychoanalysis aims to
behaviour. thinking. put people in touch with
their unconscious
, thoughts.
Wundt + Origins of Psychology (1879) Psychodynamic Approach (Freud – 1900s) Behaviourism (Learning Theory) 1920s Humanist Approach 1950s
Introspection: Wundt used introspection to Unconscious: Freud suggests that the mind is made up of the Perspective believes that we are born a blank slate, and we Maslow: believes humans are motivated by needs beyond
investigate the human mind. Introspection comes unconscious, conscious and preconscious. It controls our learn our behaviour as a result of experiences in our those of basic biological survival. Developed as a hierarchy
from Latin and means looking in too. Asked ptps to behaviour known as psychic determinism. environment. Nurture explanation. for emolyers to get the best out of their emloyees
reflect on their cognitive processes and describe 1. Unconscious = biological drives and instincts that influence
them. our behaviour.
2. Conscious = what we are aware of Studying behaviour that can be observed and measured. Hierarch of needs: a five levelled hierarchical sequence in
3. Preconscious = thoughts through dreams or slip of the Rejects introspection and relied on lab studies to maintain which basic physiological needs (hunger) must be satisfied
Science: first systematic experimental attempt to tongue. control and objectivity. before higher psychological needs (self-actualisation) can be
study the mind. Same standardised instructions achieved.
were given to all ptps and stimuli were presented in
the same order. Ticking metronome and they Psychosexual stages: Behaviourists suggest the processes govern learning are the
would report thoughts and feelings as they were Oral (0-1 years) – pleasure focused in the mouth, mothers breast same in all species, so animals can replace humans as Self-actualisation: the desire to grow psychologically and fulfil
recorded. is the object of desire. experimental subjects. one’s potential becoming what you are capable of. On top of
1. All behaviour is seen as being caused Anal (1-3 years) – pleasure focused in the anus, child gains Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
(determined) pleasure from withholding and eliminating faeces. Classical Conditioning: learn through association.
2. If behaviour is determined it should be Phallic (3-6 years) – (Oedipus and Electra) here you identify with Before Conditioning: Congruence: Rogers argued that personal growth requires an
possible to predict it same sex parent as (for males you fear castration/ females fear UCS > UCR – UCS = food and UCR = salivation individuals concept of self to be congruent with their ideal self. If
of love) NS > no response – NS = bell too big a gap, a person will experience a state of incongruence
Latency – earlier conflicts are repressed, and libido is dormant. During Conditioning:
Structuralism: Identifying and isolating the structure Genital – sexual desires become conscious and puberty process.
of consciousness by breaking it up into thoughts, NS + UCS – bell and food occur at the same time
After Conditioning: Self: refers to the ideas and values that characterise I and Me
images, and sensations. Marked the beginning of and includes perception of what I am and what I can do.
scientific psychology, separating it from its broader Tripartite Personality: CS > CR – CS = bell and CR = salivation
philosophical roots. Id – primitive part of the personality operates on the pleasure
principle, demands instant gratification. Operant Conditioning: learn through consequences. Conditions of worth: when a parent places limits or boundaries
Ego – works on the reality principle and is the mediator 1. positive reinforcement: receiving a reward when positive on their love of their children. Eg a parent saying to a child I will
between the ID and superego. behaviour is performed only love you if you study medicine.
Superego – internalised sense of right and wrong. Punishes the 2. negative reinforcement: unpleasant feedback towards a
ego through quilt and appears age 5. negative behaviour Unconditional positive regard: being positive no matter what.
3. punishment: unpleasant consequence of behaviour
Defence mechanisms:
Repression – forcing a distressive memory out of the conscious Acknowledges Free Will: Free will is the idea that we are able
Schedules of reinforcement: to have some choice in how we act and assumes that we are
mind. 1. continuous reinforcement = the desired behaviour is reinforced
Denial – refusing to acknowledge reality. free to choose our behavior, in other words we are self-
every single time it occurs, may result in a stronger response determined
Displacement – transferring feelings from their true source onto a 2. partial reinforcement = the response is reinforced only part of
substitute target. the time, weaker effect.
For example, Griffiths (1994) used introspection to Little Hans/Freud’s case study – had a phobia of horses but Operant Conditioning: Skinner 1953, rats. When a rat activated a Stephenson (1996) Q sort cards to determine congruence in
study the cognitive processes of fruit machine Freud analysed this to show he had projected this fear of lever, it was rewarded with a food pellet. A desirable client centred therapy. Quickly adopted into Client Centered
gamblers. He asked them to think aloud whilst castration from his father onto horses. He said ‘father don’t trot consequence led to behaviour being repeated. If they did not therapy by Carl Rogers.
playing. away from me” press the lever an electric shock would be given.
Osikzentmilyi and Hunter (2003) used Classical conditioning: Little Albert. Watson 1920 used classical
introspection to study happiness in their area of work conditioning to demonstrate origins of fears and phobias. Rats
positive psychology. and noise.
- Introspection produced data that was subjective: + Real world application: Psychoanalysis was the first attempt + Scientific credibility: Measured behaviour in a controlled + Anti-reductionist: Humanist psychologists rejected any
Wundt relied heavily on ptps self-reporting their to treat mental disorders psychologically rather than physically. laboratory settings. This approach was important in giving attempts to break up behaviour and experience into smaller
private mental processes. Ptps may have hidden Claims to help clients deal with everyday problem, by providing psychology more credibility and status as a scientific discipline. components. Advocate holism – the idea that subjective
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