Approaches in psychology Part 1

Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920)
1. Opened institute for experimental psychology in Germany, separated psychology and philosphy by study mind in more scientific way
2. Introspection: analysing own thoughts and feelings internally, Wundt used to study sensation and perception - patients describe experiences when presented stimuli and reaction recorded
  1. Doesn't explain how mind works, relies on self report which isn't objective
  2. Data can't be used reliably
3. Reductionism
  1. Wundt believed things can be reduced to cause and effect processes, used introspection to measure broken down parts
  2. idea influenced beginning of behavioural, cognitive and biological approaches
Psychology a science?
1. Features that make something a science
  1. Objectivity
  2. Control
  3. Predictability
  4. Hypothesis testing
  5. Replication
2. Allport (1947) psychology has same aims as science - to predict, understand and control
3. Behaviourist, cognitive & biological approaches use scientific procedures
4. Some approaches don't use objective methods. e.g. interviews which can be biased and interpreted differently
5. Hard to get representative study, so findings can't be generalised
6. Experiments can be influenced by extraneous variables and demand characteristics
Behaviourism
1. Assumptions
  1. All behaviour is learned except a few inborn reflexes and instincts
  2. Animals and humans learn in the same ways - conditioning, although humans use social learning as well
  3. the mind can't be directly observed and measured so can only study behaviour to get measurable data
    1. Only observe quantifiable behaviour
2. Classical Conditioning
  1. Pavlov (early 1900s)
    1. Rung bell when gave dog food repeatedly, dogs salivate at sound of bell before any food is presented
      1. Later made dogs associate with light and other abstract stimuli
    2. Unconditioned stimulus (UCS) + Stimulus = unconditioned response (UCR)
      1. Conditioned stimulus (CS) = Conditioned response (CR)
  2. Principles
    1. Generalisation - similiar stimuli to CS produces CR
    2. Discrimination - similar stimuli to CS doesn't produce CR, can be achieved by withholding UCS
    3. Extinction - when CR isn't produced when CS is presented, due to CS repeatedly presented without UCS following
    4. Spontaneous recovery - previously extinct CR produced due to CS, presented again after period of time
    5. Higher order conditioning - new CS produces CR as associated with CS
3. Operant Conditioning
  1. Reinforcement
    1. Positive reinforcement - something desirable is obtained in response to doing something
    2. Negative reinforcement - Something undesirable is removed when something happens
    3. Skinner (1938)
      1. 'Skinner Box' range of stimuli rats put in and recorded how long they took to learn pressing lever = food (pos. reinforcement)
        Also varied study to show rats could learn to avoid electric shock by pressing lever when light comes on (neg. reinforcement)
        Hugely influential promoting behavioural psychology
        Sample was rats so can't be generalised to humans
        Sample was small reduces reliability of results
4. Lot of evidence supporting conditioning, but doesn't explain all human behaviour e.g. observation (social learning theory)
5. Most research on animals so difficult to generalise
6. Different species have dif. learning capacities, some may only learn by observation
7. Genetics influence & limit what can be learnt by conditioning
8. Some animal studies were unethical, nowadays cost-benefit analysis has to be carried out, + animals well looked after
9. Watson & Raynor (1920)
  1. 11 month old 'Albert' showed white rat then banged metal bar behind his head, repeated until Albert cried whenever white fiuffy object presented
  2. Support classical conditioning
  3. Very unethical
  4. Not everyone develops a fear/phobia after negative situation so doesnt fully explain
  5. Lab study - low ecological validty
Social Learning theory
1. Modelling- observe & imitate someone
2. Identification - like qualities & characteristics of someone so copy and learn behaviour
3. Vicarious reinforcement - see certain behaviour is rewarded so imitate it
4. behaviour is also Mediated through cognitive processes
  1. Attention
  2. Retention
  3. Reproduction -ability
  4. Motivation - evaluate results of behaviour
5. reductionist - explains everything as cause & effect mechanisms, e.g. explains all to learning ignores bioogical explanations
6. Bandura et al (1961)
  1. 36 boys & 36 girls (mean age 52 months) matched pairs on aggressiveness at nursery
    1. 1: observe adults playing aggressively with bobo doll e.g. hitting with mallet
    2. 2: observed non-aggressive adults play with other toys and ignore bobo doll
    3. 3: No models, children left for 20 mins to play with aggressive toys (e.g. bobo doll, mallet) and non-aggressive toys (e.g. tea set, crayons)
  2. 1 = aggressive behaviour, 2 = barely any aggressive behaviour, 3 = slightly more aggressive behaviour
  3. evidence for SLT, strict control variables = reliable and replicable
  4. low ecological validity - not natural situation
  5. can't generalise as small sample all from same school
  6. Ethical issues
7. Evaluation
  1. Bandura's study shows reinforcement isn't needed, but reinforcement model recieves may have an effect
  2. Bobo dolls are meant for aggressive play + children showed how to play with it, so may be test of obedience not observationall learning
  3. Behaviourism & SLT (nurture) emphasise learning as cause of behaviour = implications on society e.g. children may imitate media role models. Although genetic influences not taken into account
  4. Difficult to conclude SLT has taken place, behaviour may be repeated a while after observation

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