Defining principles of behaviourist perspective
- Psychology should be seen as a science and thus studied in a scientific manner
- Psychology should focus on behaviours which can be observed and studied, not internal events like thinking and emotion
- The major influence on behaviour is learning from the environment
- There is little difference in the learning in humans and animals, so research can be carried out on both
What 3 ways have behaviourists suggested humans learn
Classical conditioning (learning through association)
Operant conditioning (learning through reward and punishment)
Social learning theory (learning through observation and imitation)
Strengths of behaviourist perspective
- Supports nurture debate
- Useful - has practical applications in education
- Scientific - studies observable behaviour in laboratory conditions
Weaknesses of behaviourist perspective
Reductionist - ignores nature
Socially sensitive - implies children may be influenced by things they are exposed to and affected for life
Can lack ecological validity - favours lab experiments
What is the focus of the psychodynamic perspective?
Role of unconscious mind and past experiences as an explanation for behaviour
What three levels of consciousness did Freud believe in
- Conscious mind - internal dialogue, current thoughts
- Preconscious mind - stored memories
- Unconscious mind - hidden from awareness. Fears / biases etc
What are two techniques Freud used to access the unconscious mind
Dream analysis, projective tests (Rorscach ink blot test) and free association (speaking whatever comes into mind while laying down on a couch)
What did Freud believe were the roles of the id, ego and superego
Id - base desires such as sex and aggression
Superego - moral code
Ego - mediates between the two
What did Freud believe motivated the unconscious mind
Eros - life instinct
Thanatos - death instinct
Strengths of the psychodynamic perspective
Explanation for mental illness - conflict between superego and id leading to “ego anxiety”
Useful - lead to talking therapies
Lead to popularity of case studies, which give us in depth detail about a persons experiences, popular for abnormal studies
Weaknesses of the psychodynamic perspective
Not representative - based on one case study of Little Hans
Not scientific - hard to falsify as there was no scientific methodology, just analysis and cocaine
Suggests a lack of free will, deterministic
