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In-depth notes for approaches in psychology, including content and evaluation from an A* student - includes exam questions for revision too.
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AQA A-level psychology HUMANISTIC APPROACH NOTES
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Approaches in PsychologyOrigins in Psychology:
Psychology What is psychology?
- The scientific study of the human mind, its functions and how it affects
behaviour in different contexts.
- The word comes from the Greek word ‘psyche’ meaning ‘mind’ and ‘logos’
meaning ‘study of’ = ‘study of the mind’ but this may be too narrow a
definition for the complexity of psychology.
Timeline of https://origins.bps.org.uk/
psychology Early philosophical roots:
- Rene Descartes
o Suggested that the mind and body are independent = known as
Cartesian dualism (has since been challenged).
o ‘I think therefore I am’ quote – the mind could be an object of study
in its own right.
- John Locke
o Empiricism – all experience can be gained through the senses;
humans cannot inherit knowledge or instincts.
o Later formed the basis of the Behaviourist approach – external events
being measured as the cause of behaviour.
- Charles Darwin
o Evolutionary theory – all human and animal behaviour has changed
over successive generations, with the successful/strong generations
going onto reproduce and pass on their adaptive genes = survival of
the fittest.
17th to 19th century:
- Psychology started to used experimental philosophy to investigated
processes.
- Wundt (1879)
o Opened the first lab dedicated to psychology and psychology emerges
as a distinct discipline.
- Sigmund Freud (1990’s)
o Published the ‘interpretation of dreams’ and established the
psychodynamic approach.
o Placed emphasis on the unconscious mind, arguing that internal
conflicts in the mind cause physical problems.
o Developed a person-centred therapy (psychoanalysis).
- John B. Watson (1913)
o Works with BF Skinner to establish the Behaviourist approach – which
dominated for 50 years.
- Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow (1950s)
o Humanistic approach – ‘third force’ in psychology as it rejected the
views of the Behaviourist and Psychodynamic approach.
o Emphasis on the importance of self-determination and freewill.
- 1960s
o Cognitive revolution – with the introduction of the digital computer
came computer metaphors for the operation of the human mind.
o Cognitive approach looks at the study of mental processes in a more
, scientific way.
- Albert Bandura (1960s)
o Proposes social learning theory – drawing attention to the role of
cognitive factors in learning.
o Provides a bridge between the cognitive and behaviourist approach.
- 1980s onwards
o Biological approach – dominant scientific approach in psychology –
increases understanding of the brain using technological advances
and insight into the inner workings of the brain.
- 21st century
o Cognitive neuroscience – bringing together the cognitive and
biological approaches – built on the computer models and the
biological structures that influence mental states.
Science Science:
- Means of acquiring knowledge using systematic and objective investigation to
discover general laws.
Introspection Introspection:
- Systematic attempt to study the mind by breaking up conscious awareness
into basic structures of thoughts, images and sensations.
- Discovered by Wilhelm Wundt, in the first lab dedicated to psychology (in
Leipzig, Germany, 1879).
- Came from him and his colleagues recording their conscious thoughts to
break it down into its different parts and meaning. Isolating the structure of
consciousness is called structuralism.
Emergence of Watson and early behaviourists:
Psychology as a - Argued that introspection produces subjective data as ‘private’ mental states
science are not observable. This questions the scientific credibility of Wundt’s work.
- In 1913, Watson, along with Skinner created the behaviourist approach.
- Scientific approach emerged:
o Brought in scientific language, rigour (being thorough and strict) and
methods into psychology.
o Began using carefully controlled lab experiments.
o Although it dominated for 50 years before other approaches took
over, the experimental method is still used in modern research and
practices. With the cognitive revolution, mental processes can now be
studied legitimately and scientifically and inferences about how they
work can be made from lab experiments. The biological approach has
used technological advances of scanning techniques to look at live
activity in the brain and is the most scientific approach.
EXAM 2 marks:
QUESTIONS Define what is meant by the term psychology.
3 marks:
Explain what Wundt meant by introspection.
Explain one criticism of Wundt’s introspection.
Explain one reason why psychology could be classed as a science.
4 marks:
Briefly explain the emergence of psychology as a science.
Outline and briefly evaluate the work of Wundt.
, 6 marks:
(AO2 question) Joyce was talking to her friend John about the A Level Psychology
course she had just started. 'I've never studied psychology', said John but 'I don't think
it's a science is it?' 'Perhaps not when it was first established', replied Joyce 'but it has
certainly progressed as a scientific discipline since'. Describe the emergence of
psychology as a science.
The Learning approach: Behaviourism:
The Behaviourist The behaviourist approach:
approach - A way of explaining behaviour in terms of what is observable and in terms of
learning.
Assumptions:
- Explaining behaviour as a result of learning.
- Studying observable and measurable behaviour.
- Learning is the same in humans and animals.
- Two forms of learning – classical and operant conditioning.
Classical Classical conditioning:
Conditioning - Learning by association – occurring when two stimuli are repeatedly paired
together and become associated with the same response.
Pavlov (1897):
- Conditioned dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell by associated the bell with
food to produce saliva. When food is not presented but the bell is, they
salivate as they associated the bell with food.
o Food (unconditioned stimulus, UCS) salivation (unconditioned
response, UCR).
o Food (UCS) + bell (neutral stimulus, NS) salivation (UCR).
Need to repeat this pairing for the neutral stimulus to elicit a
new learned response.
o Bell (conditioned stimulus, CS) salivation (conditioned response,
CR).
Operant Operant conditioning:
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