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80 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What is the Social area? |
Looks at understanding human behaviour in a social context; looking at the factors that lead us to behave in a given way due to the presence of others. |
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What are the key assumptions of the Social area? [3] |
- Other people and the environment influence our behaviour and thought processes - All human behaviour occurs in a social context even in the absence of others - Our relationships with others influence our behaviour and thought processes |
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What is the research that supports the Social area? [2] |
- Milgram; showed how pressure from other person could lead to administering harmful electric shocks and how they could do this despite their discomfort - Bocchiaro et al; showed high levels of obedience even when the sleep deprivation task was unethical |
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What are the strengths of the Social area? [4] |
- Research can help improve our understanding of human behaviour, particularly the extent to which it is affected by other people - Research can be useful, having a range of practical applications - Research helps bring psychology to wider audiences given research often seeks to explain real-world events - Research is often high in ecological validity particularly if it uses field experiments |
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What are the weaknesses of the Social area? [4] |
- Findings may not be true for all time as social situations can change over time - Findings may not be true for all places as social situations can change from one culture to another - Can be difficult to stay in ethical guidelines due to socially sensitive aspect - Boundaries can become blurred between social and cognitive especially when looking at social cognition |
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How is the Social area similar to the Cognitive area? [2] |
- Both use lab studies and experiments are in controlled conditions - Both approaches lack ecological validity |
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How is the Social area different to the Cognitive area? |
Social approach claims social situation determines our behaviour, cognitive focuses on mental processes behind behaviour. |
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How is the Social area similar to the Individual Differences area? [2] |
- Both help to explain differences in behaviour - Both based on ethocentrism |
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How is the Social area different to the Individual Differences area? |
ID focuses on difference between people, social makes general assumptions about behaviour. |
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How is the Social area similar to the Developmental area? [2] |
- Both use small sample to research - Both help to explain a great many phenomenon |
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How is the Social area different to the Developmental area? |
Developmental sometimes uses case study whereas social favours experimental research. |
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How is the Social area similar to the Biological area? [2] |
- Both use lab experiments and studies in controlled conditions - Both lack ecological validity |
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How is the Social area different to the Biological area? |
Biological explains criminal behaviour in terms of our biology, social explains it in terms of social context. |
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How is the Social area similar to the Psychodynamic area? [2] |
- Uses small sample to conduct research - Both lack validity |
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How is the Social area different to the Psychodynamic area? |
Psychodynamic explains behaviour in terms of the sex and death instinct and conflicts in unconscious mind, social focuses on social situation. |
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How is the Social area similar to the Behavioural area? [2] |
- Both use lab studies in controlled conditions - Both lack ecological validity |
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How is the Social area different to the Behavioural area? |
Behaviourism focuses on learning through conditioning, social emphasises the influence others have on our behaviour. |
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What is the Cognitive area? |
It examines internal mental processes such as problem solving, memory and language. |
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What are the assumptions of the Cognitive area? [3] |
- Human behaviour can be explained as a set of scientific processes - Our behaviour can be explained as a series of responses to external stimuli - Behaviour is controlled by our own thought processes, as oppose to genetic factors |
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What is the research that supports the Cognitive area? [2] |
- Grant et al; demonstrated context-dependency effect on both recall and recognition of newly learnt meaningful material - Loftus and Palmer; investigating the cognitive process of memory and showed the reconstructive nature of memory, information introduced after event has effect on eye witness' memory of event |
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What are the strengths of the Cognitive area? [4] |
- Research can help understand behaviour, particularly extent to which it is affected by the way we think and how our brain processes incoming sensory information - Can be useful, has practical applications - Favours scientific method so researchers can establish cause and effect between variables - Emphasis on controlled scientific study makes it easier to test such studies for reliability |
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What are the weaknesses of the Cognitive area? [3] |
- Findings may not be true if studies lack ecological validity - Limitations to way data has been gathered, cognitive processes can only be studied be inference - Use of lab experiments increases chances of demand characteristics |
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How is the Cognitive area similar to the Individual Differences area? |
Both have practical applications. |
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How is the Cognitive area different to the Individual Differences area? |
Cognitive mainly uses experimental method, individual differences uses case study. |
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How is the Cognitive area similar to the Developmental area? [2] |
- Use small samples to conduct research - Research is useful |
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How is the Cognitive area different to the Developmental area? |
Cognitive mainly uses snapshot studied but Developmental uses longitudinal method. |
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How is the Cognitive area similar to the Biological area? [2] |
- Both use lab experiments and studies in controlled conditions - Both lack ecological validity |
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How is the Cognitive area different to the Biological area? |
Biological approach explains dysfunctional behaviour in terms of our biology, cognitive claims dysfunctional behaviour is a result of faulty thinking patterns. |
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How is the Cognitive area similar to the Psychodynamic area? [2] |
- Use small samples to conduct research - Both lack validity |
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How is the Cognitive area different to the Psychodynamic area? |
Cognitive uses experimental method and carries out snapshot research, psychodynamic mainly uses longitudinal case studies. |
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How is the Cognitive area similar to the Behavioural area? [2] |
- Both use lab experiments and studies in controlled conditions - Both lack ecological validity |
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How is the Cognitive area different to the Behavioural area? |
Behavioural claims people learn dysfunctional behaviour through conditioning, cognitive claims dysfunctional behaviour is result of fault thinking patterns. |
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What is the Developmental area? |
Development refers to changes that take place in our lifetime as a result of inherited factors of life experiences. |
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What are the assumptions of the Developmental area? [4] |
- Change and development is an ongoing process which continues throughout lifetime - Behaviour may be learned or may be innate - Early experiences affect later development - Development may happen in pre-determined stages |
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What is research that supports the Developmental area? [2] |
- Bandura et al; shows how environment around a child, particularly adult behaviours they see and hear, affect behaviours they end up adopting - Chaney et al; illustrates a way in which children learn and how parents can help their children to acquire desired behaviours |
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What are the strengths of the Developmental area? [4] |
- Many useful applications to childcare and education - Attempts to answer nature/nurture debate - Uses variety of quantitative and qualitative methods to gain useful data - Can study participants over time to reduce participant variables |
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What are the weaknesses of the Developmental area? [4] |
- Research with children may raise ethical issues - Using children can highlight practical issues such as making inferred observances from behaviour as they can't tell us - Research may be constrained by time or culture due to changes in early years environments or cultural differences in child rearing - Samples often small and unrepresentative |
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How is the Developmental area similar to the Individual Differences area? [2] |
- Both agree childhood experience can affect adulthood - Can be guilty of ethical problems |
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How is the Developmental are different to the Individual Differences area? |
ID focuses on differences between people, developmental makes assumptions about behaviour. |
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How is the Developmental area similar to the Biological area? [2] |
- Use small samples in research - Both contribute to nature/nurture debate |
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How is the Developmental area different to the Biological area? |
Research in biological focuses on influence of our biology, developmental considers range of different influences on development. |
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How is the Developmental area similar to the Psychodynamic area? [2] |
- Both assume childhood experience affects adulthood - Both add to nature/nurture debate |
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How is the Developmental area different to the Psychodynamic area? |
Developmental uses scientific methods but psychodynamic is criticised for being unscientific. |
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How is the Developmental area similar to the Behaviourist area? [2] |
- Both deterministic and ignore freewill - Most studies lack generalisability |
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How is the Developmental area different to the Behaviourist area? [2] |
- Behaviourist mainly snapshot studies, developmental often uses longitudinal - Behaviourist sometimes uses animals |
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What is the Biological area? |
Focuses on genetic, neurochemicals and how the brain and nervous system work as explanations of behaviour. |
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What are the assumptions of the Biological area? [2] |
- All that is psychological is first physiological (mind resides in the brain and so all thoughts, feelings and behaviours have a biological cause) - Much behaviour has genetic basis (genes have evolved to adapt our physiology to our environment) |
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What research supports the Biological area? [2] |
- Sperry; demonstrates functions of two hemispheres and how under highly controlled conditions split-brain patients respond when one is isolated from the other - Casey et al; uses MRI scans to determine if there is a neural basis to self-regulation, bio area reflected in explanation of behaviour and methodology |
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What are the strengths of the Biological area? [3] |
- Research is leading to greater understanding of the physiognomy of the brain - Favours scientific method, using lab experiments to investigate mental process - Emphasis on controlled scientific study makes it easier to test for reliability |
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What are the weaknesses of the Biological area? [3] |
- There are limitations to the way data are gathered - Reductionist as it explains behaviour as human biology alone - Methods used to measure brain objectively have limitations |
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How is the Biological are similar to the Individual Differences area? [2] |
- Some practical applications when treating disorders - Both assume organic cause for abnormal behaviour |
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How is the Biological area different to the Individual Differences area? |
Research in biology focuses on how biology affects behaviour, ID uses case study that could involve research into various influences on behaviour. |
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How is the Biological area similar to the Psychodynamic area? |
Some common ground in development of treatments for psychological disorders. |
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How is the Biological area different to the Psychodynamic area? |
Biological explains behaviour in terms of physiology, psychodynamic explains it in terms of innate drives and unconscious conflicts. |
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How is the Biological area similar to the Behaviourist area? [2] |
- Both use lab experiments and studies in controlled conditions - Both lack ecological validity |
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How is the Biological area different to the Behaviourist area? |
Biological explains behaviour in terms of physiology, behaviourist claims we learn behaviour through conditioning. |
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What is the Individual Differences area? |
Investigating patterns in human behaviour to look at the ways people are similar and how they differ; and the reasons for these differences. |
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What are the assumptions of the Individual Differences area? [4] |
- Individuals differ in their behaviour and personal qualities so not everyone can be considered the average person - Every individual is genetically unique and this uniqueness is displayed through their behaviour, so everyone behaves differently - All characteristics can be measures from one person and quantified, those gained from one person are different to those gained from another - All psychological characteristics are inherited and as everyone inherits different characteristics, everyone is different and unique |
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What research supports the Individual Differences area? [2] |
- Freud; development of phobia and anxieties in Little Hans partly due to Oedipus complex, other children's defences mechanisms may manifest themselves in other ways - Baron-Cohen et al; lack of ToM and how it results in combination of characteristics that are not universal for all individuals diagnosed with autism |
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What are the strengths of the Individual Differences area? [3] |
- Enables psychologists to find out about wider range of behaviours because all behaviours are being studied - Social benefit as improves our understanding of mental disorders and suggesting treatments - Helps to inform freewill-determinism debate, suggesting extent to which we have control over behaviour |
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What are the weaknesses of the Individual Differences area? [3] |
- Lacks set of defining beliefs so it's arguable there is more disagreement within the area - Much research is socially sensitive, has potential to be put to harmful use - Tools for measuring differences may not always be valid |
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How is the Individual Differences area similar to the Psychodynamic area? [2] |
- Treatments developed for many disorders - Both ethnocentric |
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How is the Individual Differences area different to the Psychodynamic area? |
ID focuses on difference between people, psychodynamic makes general assumptions about all behaviour. |
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How is the Individual Differences are similar to the Behaviourist area? [3] |
- Development of treatments - Practical applications - Use of small samples can affect generalisability |
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How is the Individual Differences area different to the Behaviourist area? |
ID focuses on differences between people, behaviourist makes general assumptions about behaviour. |
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What is the Behaviourist area? [3] |
- Based on the idea that when we are born our mind is a blank slate and all behaviour is acquired through conditioning - Conditioning occurs through interaction with the environment, behaviour being shaped by responses to stimulus - Classical conditioning is learning through association operant conditioning is learning by consequence |
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What are the assumptions of the Behaviourist area? [4] |
- Psychology is a science - Objectivity is obtained by observable and measurable behaviour - Behaviour is a result of a stimulus response association - All behaviour is learned through the environment |
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What are Skinner's four types of behavioural consequence? [4] |
- Positive reinforcement; strengthens behaviour by increasing chance of behaviour occurring again - Negative reinforcement; strengthens behaviour through the removal of an unpleasant stimuli - Positive punishment; weakens behaviour by giving an undesirable consequence - Negative punishment; weakens behaviour through the removal of desirable consequences |
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What research supports the Behaviourist area? [2] |
- Bandura et al; illustrates social learning theory 9 learning through observing and imitating behaviour of others) - Chaney et al; funhaler shows operant conditioning (learning as result of rewards and punishments) |
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What are the strengths of the Behaviourist area? [3] |
- Highlights role of nurture in learning, showing important influence environment has on our behaviour - Extremely useful as has a range of practical applications - Focus on studying behaviour in controlled lab experiments helps give psychology scientific credibility |
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What are the weaknesses of the Behaviourist area? [3] |
- Ignores influence on behaviour failing to take account of the way in which genetics and biology place limits on what individuals can learn - Lessons can be difficult to apply or are open to inappropriate use - By favouring lab experiments can lack ecological validity |
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How is the Behaviourist area similar to Psychodynamic? [2] |
- Both based on deterministic assumptions - Both assume humans have little freewill and are driven by instincts |
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How is Behaviourist area different to Psychodynamic? |
Behaviourist uses scientific approach, psychodynamic criticised for being unscientific. |
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What is the Psychodynamic area? |
Believes that our childhood impacts our behaviour as adults. Individuals have little free will; instead behaviour is determined by unconscious motives and childhood experiences. |
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What are the levels of consciousness in the mind? [3] |
- Conscious mind is what we are currently thinking about - Preconscious mind can be accessed with relative ease by retrieving stored memories - Unconscious mind is hidden from our awareness, Freud suggests it is very hard to reach |
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What are the three parts of the personality? |
The id, the ego and the superego. The id and superego can create conflict for the ego if the desires of the id are disapproved by moral conscious superego. Failure of ego to resolves conflict can lead to ego anxiety which is the cause of mental illness. |
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What are the assumptions of the Psychodynamic area? [3] |
- Our behaviour and feelings are powerfully affected by unconscious motives - Our behaviour and feelings as adults are rooted in our childhood experiences - Behaviour is motivated by two instinctual drives: Eros (sex drive & life instinct) and Thanatos (aggressive drive & death instinct) that derive from the id |
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What is the research that supports the Psychodynamic area? |
Freud; he explains Little Hans' fears and phobias as arising from unconscious forces, in this case the stages of psychosexual development through which he was progressing. |
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What are the strengths of the Psychodynamic area? [3] |
- Offers explanation for why people develop mental disorders, Freud stressed how abnormal behaviour could be cause by psychological factors - Suggests ways in which people with mental disorders can be treated - Freud's work made case study method popular |
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What are the weaknesses of the Psychodynamic area? [2] |
- Unscientific in it's analysis of human behaviour, many not open to a process of scientific testing - Evidence for psychodynamic theory taken from Freud's studies which aren't very valid or generalisable |
