10 Questions
What is the primary issue that AO2 Tatiana is experiencing?
Low self-esteem
Why does Tatiana rely on social media comments to feel good about herself?
Because she wants to meet the conditions set by others to feel worthy
What is the consequence of Tatiana's inability to self-actualize?
She suffers in school
What approach do psychologists take to improve patient prognosis?
Empathetic, non-judgemental, and with unconditional positive regard
Why do some researchers criticize the humanistic approach?
Because it doesn't use the scientific method
What is a strength of the humanistic approach compared to the biological approach?
It takes a holistic view
What is a limitation of the biological approach?
It ignores vital factors that influence behavior
What term describes the unconditional acceptance and support of an individual?
Unconditional positive regard
How does Tatiana's ideal self relate to her real self?
They are incongruent
What is the goal of psychological treatments from a humanistic perspective?
To improve patient prognosis
Study Notes
Behaviourist Approach
- Concerned with observable and measurable behaviour
- Rejects introspection due to difficulty in measuring concepts involved
- Relies on laboratory experiments to ensure objectivity and control
- Classical conditioning: learning through association (e.g. Pavlov's dogs)
- Operant conditioning: learning through reinforcement or punishment (e.g. Skinner's box)
Evaluation of Behaviourist Approach
- Focus on measurement of observable characteristics
- Systematic, reliable, and objective methods establish psychology as a credible scientific discipline
- Criticised for underestimating biological factors in explaining behaviour
- Limited in explaining cultural differences in behaviour
- Importance of cognitive factors in behaviour (e.g. mediational processes)
- Risk of participants responding to demand characteristics in laboratory experiments
Social Learning Theory (SLT)
- Learning through modelling and observation
- Mediational processes determine whether an individual perceives a behaviour as worth imitating
- Explains cultural differences in behaviour
- Importance of cognitive factors in behaviour
- Criticised for limited ecological validity (e.g. laboratory experiments)
Cognitive Approach
- Assumes internal mental processes can be studied scientifically
- Studies areas of psychology neglected by the behaviourist approach (e.g. memory)
- Uses computer models to represent human cognition (e.g. Multi-Store Model of Memory)
- Schemas: mental frameworks of beliefs and expectations that influence cognitive processing
- Cognitive neuroscience: studies underlying neural bases of cognitive functions
Evaluation of Cognitive Approach
- Employs objective and scientific methods
- Theories founded on research are reliable
- Reduces human behaviour by comparing it to machines, ignoring the role of emotion
- Takes a soft-determinist stance, recognising the role of free will
- Forms the basis of many successful therapies (e.g. CBT)
Psychodynamic Approach
- Suggests the mind is largely unconscious (Freud)
- Unconditional positive regard has implications for psychological treatments
- Impact of the humanistic approach on psychology is minimal due to limited research using the scientific method
- Merits of the humanistic approach include its holistic view of human behaviour, which may be more comprehensive than other approaches (e.g. biological approach)
This quiz helps you plan your essay on the behaviourist approach in psychology, covering its principles and applications. Evaluate the approach and understand its significance in A-Level psychology.
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