Podcast
Questions and Answers
Who is known as the 'father of experimental psychology'?
Who is known as the 'father of experimental psychology'?
Wundt's introspective methods are considered truly scientific.
Wundt's introspective methods are considered truly scientific.
False (B)
What year was the first psychological laboratory established by Wundt?
What year was the first psychological laboratory established by Wundt?
1879
Pavlov's experiments involved a ______ stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus.
Pavlov's experiments involved a ______ stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus.
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What does positive reinforcement involve?
What does positive reinforcement involve?
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Operant conditioning was outlined by Ivan Pavlov.
Operant conditioning was outlined by Ivan Pavlov.
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Match the following terms with their definitions:
Match the following terms with their definitions:
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The technique used by Wundt where participants reflect on their thoughts is known as ______.
The technique used by Wundt where participants reflect on their thoughts is known as ______.
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Which part of Freud's tripartite structure of personality operates on the pleasure principle?
Which part of Freud's tripartite structure of personality operates on the pleasure principle?
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The ego uses defense mechanisms to manage conflicts between the id and the superego.
The ego uses defense mechanisms to manage conflicts between the id and the superego.
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What is the highest level of psychological development according to Maslow?
What is the highest level of psychological development according to Maslow?
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During the _____ stage, a child develops an attraction to the opposite-sex parent and feelings of rivalry toward the same-sex parent.
During the _____ stage, a child develops an attraction to the opposite-sex parent and feelings of rivalry toward the same-sex parent.
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Match the following psychosexual stages with their primary focus:
Match the following psychosexual stages with their primary focus:
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Which defense mechanism involves refusing to accept reality?
Which defense mechanism involves refusing to accept reality?
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Freud's theories have been scientifically validated without criticism.
Freud's theories have been scientifically validated without criticism.
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What does Carl Rogers emphasize as essential for achieving self-actualization?
What does Carl Rogers emphasize as essential for achieving self-actualization?
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Humanistic psychology emerged in the _____ and focuses on personal growth and self-actualization.
Humanistic psychology emerged in the _____ and focuses on personal growth and self-actualization.
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Match the following psychologists with their concepts:
Match the following psychologists with their concepts:
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What is a potential cultural bias of humanistic psychology?
What is a potential cultural bias of humanistic psychology?
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The Psych Boost app offers paid content for psychology students.
The Psych Boost app offers paid content for psychology students.
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What is one criticism of humanistic psychology?
What is one criticism of humanistic psychology?
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Freud's interpretations often rely on _____, making them difficult to empirically test.
Freud's interpretations often rely on _____, making them difficult to empirically test.
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What do Pavlov and Skinner's research focus on in behaviorism?
What do Pavlov and Skinner's research focus on in behaviorism?
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The ecological validity of the Bobo doll study is considered high.
The ecological validity of the Bobo doll study is considered high.
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What are the four mediational processes identified in Social Learning Theory?
What are the four mediational processes identified in Social Learning Theory?
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The __________ is a key concept in Social Learning Theory that explains how behavior influences and is influenced by the environment.
The __________ is a key concept in Social Learning Theory that explains how behavior influences and is influenced by the environment.
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Match the neurotransmitter with its primary influence:
Match the neurotransmitter with its primary influence:
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What is a common criticism of the computer model of the mind?
What is a common criticism of the computer model of the mind?
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Behaviorism considers internal thoughts and feelings as central to understanding behavior.
Behaviorism considers internal thoughts and feelings as central to understanding behavior.
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Describe the role of schemas in cognitive psychology.
Describe the role of schemas in cognitive psychology.
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In the biological approach, the __________ system consists of glands that release hormones influencing behavior.
In the biological approach, the __________ system consists of glands that release hormones influencing behavior.
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Which area of the brain is primarily associated with rational decision-making?
Which area of the brain is primarily associated with rational decision-making?
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Genes only determine physical traits and do not influence behavior.
Genes only determine physical traits and do not influence behavior.
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What does the term 'phenotype' refer to?
What does the term 'phenotype' refer to?
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The __________ approach emphasizes the influence of biological structures on behavior.
The __________ approach emphasizes the influence of biological structures on behavior.
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Match the type of research with its characteristic:
Match the type of research with its characteristic:
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Study Notes
Origins of Psychology
- Wilhelm Wundt is considered the "father of experimental psychology."
- Wundt established the first psychological laboratory, the Institute of Experimental Psychology, in Leipzig, Germany in 1879.
- Wundt produced the first academic journal that published psychological experiments.
- Wundt championed using controlled, empirical scientific research to study the mind, establishing psychology as an independent field of scientific research.
- Wundt's "structuralism" used an experimental technique called "introspection" where participants reflected on their own thoughts and feelings and verbally reported their experiences.
Evaluating Wundt's Approach
- Wundt's work was considered highly scientific for its time due to its controlled experiments, large sample sizes, and transparent methods.
- However, Wundt's introspective methods are considered subjective and are not classified as truly scientific due to the unreliable nature of self-reported mental states.
- Wundt’s reliance on inference to understand internal mental states was also criticized since inferences are assumptions and could be mistaken.
Learning Approaches
- Behaviorism argues that behavior is learned through experiences and interactions with the environment.
- Classical conditioning, proposed by Ivan Pavlov, is a learning process that involves associating a neutral stimulus with a conditioned response.
- Operant conditioning, as outlined by B.F. Skinner, is a learning process that involves reinforcing voluntary behaviors through consequences.
Classical Conditioning
- Pavlov's experiments involved using a neutral stimulus (metronome) and an unconditioned stimulus (food), which naturally elicited an unconditioned response (salivation) in dogs.
- By repeatedly pairing the neutral stimulus with the unconditioned stimulus, the neutral stimulus became a conditioned stimulus, producing the conditioned response (salivation) even without the food.
Operant Conditioning
- Skinner's research used "Skinner boxes" to demonstrate the principles of reinforcement and punishment.
- Positive reinforcement: Adding a pleasant stimulus (food) to encourage the desired behavior (lever pressing).
- Negative reinforcement: Removing an unpleasant stimulus (electric shock) to encourage the desired behavior (lever pressing).
- Extinction: If the reinforcing consequences stop, the behavior will decrease.
Evaluating Behaviorism
- Behaviorist research is considered scientific because it focuses on objectively observable and measurable stimulus-response mechanisms.
- Pavlov and Skinner established cause-and-effect relationships using controlled lab experiments with manipulated variables.
- However, a criticism of Pavlov and Skinner's research is that their findings from animals may not generalize to human behavior due to complexity and social/cultural influences.
Social Learning Theory (SLT)
- SLT agrees with behaviorist principles of learning from experience, but posits that human behavior cannot be fully understood without including the role of cognitive processes that occur between the stimulus and the response.
- Mediational processes include attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation, which occur between observing a model perform a behavior (stimulus) and imitating that behavior (response).
Bandura's Bobo Doll Experiment
- Bandura's 1961 experiment with children (ages 3-6) demonstrated the influence of modeling on aggression.
- Children who observed an adult demonstrating aggression toward a Bobo doll were more likely to exhibit aggression toward the doll themselves.
- Boys were more likely to imitate an aggressive male model.
Evaluating SLT
- SLT is supported by robust evidence (e.g., the Bobo doll study), which has high internal validity due to its controlled lab setting.
- However, ecological validity of the Bobo doll study is questionable as the aggression observed in a lab setting might not translate directly to real-world scenarios.
- Research supporting SLT, like the Bobo Doll study, relies on inferences, such as identifying a model, vicarious reinforcement, and mediating cognitive factors, which are not directly observable but inferred from behavior.
- SLT is a less reductionist approach than behaviorism.
- SLT acknowledges the role of consciousness and rationality, providing a more believable explanation for complex behaviors.
- Reciprocal determinism is a key SLT concept: behavior is influenced by the environment but also shapes it.
The Cognitive Approach
- Cognitive psychologists study internal mental processes, such as how information is processed in the mind.
- This includes conscious and unconscious thoughts.
- Common areas of research are attention, perception, and memory.
- As internal mental processes cannot be directly observed, cognitive psychologists use inferences to make assumptions about these processes based on observable behavior.
Schemas
- Schemas act as mental shortcuts used to quickly understand and navigate the world and interact with people and objects.
- However, schemas can lead to inaccurate memory and negative biases, contributing to mental health issues.
Cognitive Models
- Theoretical models are flowchart representations of mental process steps, like the multi-store model of memory, which illustrates how information from sensory input progresses through short-term and long-term memory.
- The computer model is an analogy comparing the operation of a computer's CPU to the human brain conducting internal mental processes.
Evaluating the Cognitive Approach
- The cognitive approach is considered scientific due to the use of highly controlled experiments.
- Cognitive research relies on inferences about internal mental processes from behavior, which can lead to inaccuracies.
- The computer model of the mind is criticized for being overly simplistic and reductionist.
- Understanding schemas has led to the development of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which aims to change negative thought patterns.
- Cognitive psychologists are soft determinists: experience shapes schemas in the biological structure of the brain, but conscious thought processes provide personal control over actions.
The Biological Approach
- The biological approach emphasizes the influence of biological structures on behavior.
- Key structures include the endocrine system (glands that release hormones), the brain, neurotransmitters, and genetics.
The Endocrine System
- Hormones are chemical messengers released by glands that influence behavior.
- For example, the adrenal gland releases adrenaline during the fight-or-flight response, increasing alertness.
The Brain
- The brain is the center of all conscious and unconscious thought.
- Research has identified specific areas within the brain linked to behaviors:
- Frontal lobe: rational decision-making
- Limbic system: emotional center
Neurochemistry
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Neurotransmitters are released at synapses to enable communication between neurons, influencing a range of behaviors:
- Serotonin: mood, well-being, happiness
- Dopamine: pleasure, reward
- Noradrenaline: attention, arousal
- Glutamate: learning, memory
Genes and Behavior
- Genes influence the formation and functioning of the brain and neurons.
- Genotype: genetic code in DNA that determines characteristics
- Phenotype: expression of the genotype (e.g., aggression)
- Gene-environment interactions: genetic predispositions can be influenced by environmental factors.
Evolutionary Psychology
- Evolutionary psychologists argue that inherited innate behaviors providing survival advantages become more common in future generations.
- For example, in early hunter-gatherer societies, male aggression may have been beneficial for protecting families, hunting, and competing for mates.
Evaluating the Biological Approach
- Biological approaches are supported by empirical research, such as replicable and objective fMRI studies and drug trials.
- However, biological processes alone cannot fully explain behavior; environmental factors also play a role (e.g., diathesis-stress models).
- Development of drug therapies is a practical application of biological research, treating mental health conditions by targeting neurochemical processes.
- The belief that behavior is caused by biological factors (biological determinism) has significant implications for legal and ethical considerations (e.g., responsibility for criminal behavior).
The Psychodynamic Approach
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Freud's psychodynamic theory proposes that the psyche (mind) is a complex system consisting of three parts:
- Conscious: what we are aware of
- Preconscious: not currently aware of but accessible
- Unconscious: desires and memories inaccessible to awareness, influencing behaviors and feelings.
Tripartite Structure of Personality
- Id: Present from birth, operates on the pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification.
- Ego: Develops around 18 months, operates on the reality principle, mediating between the id and superego.
- Superego: Develops around 3-5 years, operates on the morality principle, influencing behavior using guilt and social expectations.
Defense Mechanisms
- The ego uses unconscious strategies called defense mechanisms to manage conflicts:
- Denial: Refusal to accept reality
- Displacement: Transferring strong emotions onto a substitute target
- Repression: Pushing unpleasant memories or emotions into the unconscious
Psychosexual Stages
- Freud believed that during each stage of development, a child experiences an unconscious conflict that must be resolved. Failure to resolve a stage can lead to fixation, impacting adult personality:
- Oral stage (0-1 year): Pleasure centers on the mouth.
- Anal stage (1-3 years): Pleasure centers on holding and expelling feces.
- Phallic stage (3-5 years): Boys experience the Oedipus complex (attraction to mother and castration anxiety), girls experience the Electra complex.
- Latency stage (6-12 years): Sexual energy (libido) is dispersed.
- Genital stage (12+ years): Sexual desire emerges in adult form.
Evaluating the Psychodynamic Approach
- Freud's theories have influenced modern psychological theories, such as those by Bowlby about attachment and by Jung about the unconscious.
- Freud's concepts have intuitive appeal, suggesting face validity as a basic understanding of human behavior.
- Many of Freud's ideas lack scientific credibility, relying on case studies and interpretations of memories, introspection, and dreams.
- Freud's interpretations may have been biased.
- Many Freudian concepts lack falsifiability, making them difficult to test empirically.
Humanistic Psychology
- Humanists argue that human behavior is too complex to study through traditional reductionist scientific methods, emphasizing a holistic approach that considers all possible behaviors and their interactions.
- They believe that internal forces, such as free will, determine behavior, not external forces.
- Humanistic psychology emphasizes personal growth and self-actualization.
Self-Actualization
- Reaching self-actualization, the highest level of psychological development, involves realizing one's full potential.
- Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs suggests that foundational needs must be met before individuals can achieve self-actualization.
- The hierarchy progresses from basic needs like physiological needs and safety to love and belonging, then esteem, and finally self-actualization.
Carl Rogers
- Carl Rogers argued that congruence is essential for achieving self-actualization: alignment between one's perceived self and ideal self.
- Reducing conditions of worth (expectations from others that must be met to earn love or approval) can help individuals achieve congruence.
- Roger's client-centered therapy focuses on the present and future, emphasizing the client's role as the expert in their own lives.
Evaluating Humanistic Psychology
- Humanistic psychology is considered non-scientific due to its reliance on non-experimental qualitative methods, lacking empirical evidence.
- Central concepts, such as self-actualization, lack operationalization, making them difficult to measure.
- The holistic approach to explaining behavior could be more accurate in capturing the complexity of human experience.
- The humanistic view that humans act with free will has face validity: people experience autonomy.
- Humanistic ideas have practical applications, influencing fields like sports, business, and therapy.
Cultural Bias of Humanistic Psychology
- Humanistic psychology, which emerged in the 1960s, focuses on individual self-actualization and personal success.
- This emphasis on individualistic values may be culturally biased toward Western cultures.
- Many cultures across the globe prioritize collectivist values, which emphasize group harmony and social responsibility.
- Collectivist values may differ significantly from the individualistic values promoted by humanistic psychology.
Psych Boosting Resources for Students
- The Psych Boost app provides practice questions for psychology students.
- All topics covered in Paper One are available for free on the app.
- The app is available for iOS and Android platforms.
- Model answers and other resources are available on Patreon.
Support for the Psych Boost Project
- The Psych Boost website aims to offer a free and high-quality A-Level psychology course.
- The project is supported by Patreon patrons who help fund the course creation.
- Azy Taylor has contributed as a Developer-level patron, signifying significant support for the project.
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Description
Explore the foundational concepts of psychology with a focus on Wilhelm Wundt, the 'father of experimental psychology.' This quiz covers Wundt's contributions, including the establishment of the first psychological laboratory and his development of the structuralism approach. Assess your understanding of his methods and their impact on the field of psychology.
