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Summary Revision notes for Approaches in AQA a level psychology
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Approaches in psychologyWundt & introspection
1873 – Wilhelm Wundt published first book on psychology ‘principles of physiological
psychology’
1879 – Wundt opened the first psychology lab in Leipzig, Germany
He’s often considered to be the ‘father of psychology’. His approach to psychology
was to study the structure of the human mind by breaking down behaviours into
their basic elements – his approach became known as structuralism.
Introspection = means ‘looking into’ & refers to the process of observing & examining
your own conscious thoughts/emotions. Wundt used introspection to investigate the
human mind – participants were asked to reflect on their own cognitive processes &
describe them.
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Introspection relies primarily on non- Introspection produced data that was
observable response & although p’s subjective (varied greatly from person-
can report conscious experiences, person) so became very difficult to
they’re unable to comment on establish general principles – meaning
unconscious factors relating to their introspective experimental results aren’t
behaviour. reliably produced by other researchers
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Csikzentmilyi & Hunter used In contrast, the early behaviourists such as
introspection to study happiness in their Pavlov & Thornedike were achieving
work in the area of positive reliably reproducible results & discovering
psychology. explanatory principles that could be easily
generalised to all human beings
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Introspection may not seem particularly scientific but
it’s still used today to gain access to cognitive
process. E.g. Griffiths used it to study the cognitive
processes of fruit machine gamblers. He asked them
to ‘think aloud’ whilst playing a fruit machine into a
microphone on them.
, Wundt established psychology as a science by using the scientific method – his
ideas led to multiple different psychological perspectives.
Wundt’s new ‘scientific’ approach to psychology was based on 2 major
assumptions;
1. All behaviour is seen as being caused (determined)
2. If behaviour is determined, then it should be possible to predict how human
beings would behave in different conditions (predictability)
Technique used to explore these assumptions became known as the scientific
method. It refers to the use of investigative methods that are;
Objective Replicable
Systematic = unbiased, not letting = its controlled so
= when you have a
your own that it can be
structure of what
opinions/experiences repeated & results
you’re doing
influence your study are the same
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Strengths Weaknesses
- Knowledge acquired using scientific - Scientific psychologists create
methods are more than just the contrived situations that create
passive acceptance of facts artificial behaviours
- Causes of behaviour can be - Much of the subject matter of
established through the use of psychology is unobservable,
methods that are empirical & therefore cannot be measured with
replicable any degree of accuracy
- Scientific knowledge is self- - Not all psychologists share the view
corrective meaning that it can be that human behaviour can be
refined/abandoned explored through scientific methods
, Learning theory – The Behaviourist Approach (Pavlov & Skinner)
Behaviourism – also known as Black Box Psychology as they only measure behaviour
that can be observed – they don’t measure thoughts/feelings as cannot be seen.
This approach is an example of hard determinism – it ignores role of free will & would
propose we have no conscious control. It’s more of an example of environmental
determinism (=belief that behaviour is caused by features of our environment we
can’t control).
Basic assumptions of the behaviourist approach
1. Behaviourists believe all behaviour is learned
2. They only study behaviour that’s observable/measurable
3. Most of research is conducted in controlled scientific lab studies
4. Research conducted on animals is valid as they share same principles of
learning
5. We are born blank slates – there’s no genetic influence on behaviour
Classical conditioning
= learning by association. It is involuntary (e.g. blinking)
Occurs when 2 stimuli are repeatedly paired together – unconditioned (unlearned)
stimulus (UCS) & a ‘new’ neutral stimulus (NS). The NS eventually produces the same
result as the UCS. The NS becomes the conditioned stimulus (CS) & produces a
conditioned response (CR).
Conditioned reflex = an automatic response to a stimulus that differs from that
initially causing the response, but that has become associated with it by repetition –
learning by association is made between a previously neutral stimulus & a reflex
response.
Pavlov – studied the digestive systems in dogs. He had a dog harnessed with a tube
coming out its mouth to collect saliva. He noticed when his assistant came to feed
them – they’d salivate on hearing the door open.
> He decided that they had formed an association between sound of door
opening & food.
He conducted an experiment. At first when he rang a bell, the dogs made no
response (bell = neutral stimulus). He’d then give the dog food after he rang the bell
(food = unconditioned stimulus). Eventually dogs salivate on hearing bell (bell
became the conditioned stimulus).
Stimulus generalisation – if
Discrimination – when Spontaneous Extinction – if CS
stimulus has characteristics
the CR is only recovery – if CR is continually
that are similar to the
produced by isn’t reinforced – presented
original stimulus, then the
presentation of the it becomes without the UCS,
association would also be original stimulus; it extinguished. But the CR gradually
made to the new stimulus. doesn’t
Little albert case study (Watson & extend
Rayner to afterbe
1920) – this can period
AO3 of
to support dies
Pavlov
E.g. Pavlov could change
similar stimuli. rest – response out/extinguishes.
sound of bell & would still
(=opposite to stimulus may reappear.
work. generalisation).
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