wjec-psychology-revision-blog

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PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY- FREUD'S PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT (BULLET POINTS)

personality can be influenced by the id, ego and superego, freud distinguished between these 3 types of personality, each is dominated by one part of the psyche.

e.g. erotic types are dominated by the id and love, sex and pleasure seeking are first on their minds.

personalities dominated by the ego can become selfish and are motivated to 'look after number 1'- these are narcissistic types.

he also claimed that if a child experienced problems at any of the psychosexual stages this would lead to fixation and later on as adults they would regress back to that stage, thus affecting personality.

fixations at the oral stage can result in gratified oral dependents (too much) who tend to be gullible. those who receive too little gratification become frustrated oral dependents who can be aggressive, envious and impatient.

fixation at the anal stage can result in anal retentive types, who are obsessivley clean and orderly, or anal  expulsive types who are messy and creative.

the phallic stage can also have a significant effect on personality as phallically fixated individuals may develop insecurities relating to their gender identity. this could result in males becoming ultra-macho, putting on aggressive displays of masculinity and females becoming femme fatele, using sexual displays to threaten women and attract men.

no fixations at the genital stage usually result in happy, well adjusted individuals. fixations lead to problems with authority and making decisions.

defense mechanisms are when the ego uses defenses to reduce anxiety caused by frequent conflict between the 3. these include repression, displacement, denial, projection and sublimation.

e.g. an ego defense may influence our overall personality- this could be someone who uses displacement a lot so therefore they become aggressive.

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PSYCHODYNAMIC APPROACH

ASSUMPTION 1- TRIPARTITE:

personality has 3 parts, the id, ego and superego. the id is the unconscious part if our personality, it operates on the pleasure principle and demands immediate satisfaction. the ego is the rational part of our mind and operates on the reality principle, working out realistic ways of satisfying the id's demands. the superego is the morality principle and is learnt at 5. the id and superego are in constant conflict and the ego must resolve this, affecting behaviour.

ASSUMPTION 2- CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES:

childhood experiences are important, we develop in psychosexual stages where the child's energy/libido is focused on a body region (oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital). fixation at one of these stages (overindulgence/frustration) may have a lasting affect on an individual personality. for example, fixation at the oral stage will lead to an oral aggressive personality making them aggressive, suspicious and pessimistic.

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METHODOLOGY- LAB EXPERIMENTS (BEHAVIOURIST)

lab experiments are used by behaviourist's as they believe behaviour can be explained by stimulus-response relationships. cause + effect relationships can be demonstrated between the stimulus and response because the IV is manipulated (stimulus) and the DV measured (response). if the DV changes when the IV is manipulated we can conclude the stimulus caused this. a disadvantage is that it lacks ecological validity as experiments are carried out in artificial settings. for example, bandura observed children's aggression levels through a one way mirror, this is seen as artificial as they are unlikely to be observed systematically in real life.

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METHODOLOGY- ANIMAL INVESTIGATIONS (BEHAVIOURIST)

animal investigations are used by behaviourist's as they believe humans are animals and all animals learn in the same way, therefore investigations on animals can be applied to humans. skinner, for example, conducted an animal investigation demonstrating how rats learnt to press a lever when rewarded and to stop when punished. an advantage is that animals aren't subject to demand characteristics, so they cannot conform, rebel or predict researchers explanations. negatively, animal investigations are criticized especially, as animals cannot give their consent and cannot withdraw.

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2 STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THE BEHAVIOURIST APPROACH.

STRENGTHS:

it has useful application, one of the main benefits can be seen through the success of therapies to treat mental health problems such as token economy which is based on operant conditioning and systematic desensitization which is based on classical conditioning. for example, one survey showed S.D had a 75% success rate

its a nomothetic approach as it studies groups of participants to be able to generalize to the wider population. this is a strength because if we can test large groups, behaviour they all show can be generalized to the population. for example, we can generalize from bandura's study and conclude aggression can be learnt through observation and imitation.

WEAKNESSES:

it is reductionist as it reduces complex behaviour to simple explanations. for example, aggression can be learnt through observation and imitation. this is a weakness because simple explanations of behaviour do not provide us with a full understanding of behaviour, it over simplifies and ignores other factors.

its deterministic as it states all behaviour is predetermined. the approach argues behaviour is determined by associations, observations and rewards and punishments we receive. this is a weakness because it denies free will and that we cannot choose how we behave, denies personal responsibility and this means we can't be responsible for our own behaviour. 

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BEHAVIOURIST THERAPY- SYSTEMATIC DESENSITIZATION. (BULLETPOINTS)

the application of classical condition to counter condition abnormal behaviours.

Wolpe- method of treating phobias.

thinking: a person has been classically conditioned to associate fear with a stimulus and this can be replaced with a new response.

process involves 3 stages:

clients taught muscle relaxation techniques- relaxation is important for success.

therapist help: clients construct individual hierarchy, identifying the least frightening situation up to the most.

therapist help: clients start at least and work their way up by using the in-vivo (being exposed to stimulus) or in-vitro (imagining) technique. when stimulus is shown clients use muscle relaxation techniques learnt in stage 1.

main treatment for phobias, McGrath found it had a 75% success rate to improve peoples experiences with their phobias.

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BEHAVIOURIST- SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY OF AGGRESSION (BANDURA)- BULLETPOINTS

assumption based on bandura’s social learning theory- ‘we observe and copy the behaviour of others’ and ‘we are more likely to copy someone’s behaviour if we find them powerful, similar or nurturing’

first study : 72 pre-school children into 3 conditions

observed aggressive adult model (abused bobo doll)

observed non-aggressive adult model (ignored bobo doll)

no exposure to models.

children were shown attractive toys they couldn’t play with, they were then put into a room containing a bobo doll and their aggression levels were observed through a one way mirror.

he found children in group 1 were more aggressive than the other 2.

CONCLUSION: we learn through observation and imitation.

vicarious learning- children in 2 groups, exposed to adult models being rewarded or punished for aggression. he found children were more aggressive if they saw an adult being rewarded for this.

CONCLUSION: we learn vicariously. 

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THE BEHAVIOURIST APPROACH

ASSUMPTION 1- CLASSICAL CONDITIONING

this theory suggests that behaviour is shaped by associations we make between a neutral stimulus and internal biological response. Pavlov demonstrated how dogs could be conditioned to produce the biological response of salivation to a bell if food was presented.

ASSUMPTION 2- OPERANT CONDITIONING

Skinners theory of operant conditioning believed that our behaviour is shaped through positive reinforcement and punishment. with positive reinforcement our behaviour is more likely to be repeated whereas with punishment behaviour is less likely to be repeated. Skinner demonstrated this by placing rats in a box and either punishing them with an electric shock or rewarding them with food for pressing a lever. he found that rats rewarded were more likely to repeat the action than those punished.

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METHODOLOGY 2- TWIN STUDIES BIOLOGICAL APPROACH.

another method used by bio psychologists is the use of twin studies to look at the influence of genes. as MZ (identical) twins share 100% of their genes, they are a value to the approach. For example, Shields found out that out of 44 pairs of MZ twins reared apart,t there was a correlation in their IQ scores of 0.76, suggesting intelligence is largely inherited.

advantages of twin studies include:

they allow psychologists to make assumptions about the relative influence of genes and intelligence.

they provide invaluable information for those who adopt the biological approach as MZ twins share 100% of their genes.

the studies of twins reared apart are generally natural experiments and this increases ecological validity.

however, there are a number of disadvantages:

twins that are raised together have the same upbringing

twins that have been separated at birth or early life will have been 'matched' in very similar environments to each other making it difficult to untangle the relative effect of genes vs. environment if IQ scores are similar.

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METHODOLOGY 1- BRAIN SCANS BIOLOGICAL APPROACH.

one method used by the biological approach is brain scanning, this involves a variety of techniques used to investigate the assumption that behaviour can be explained in terms of brain activity. scanning is used to  investigate which areas of the brain are involved in certain personality/brain patterns.

CAT scans- these involve taking a series of x-rays and combining them to form a 2D or 3D image of the area being scanned and can show abnormalities or damage of the brain. however, as they require more radiation than traditional x-rays repeated exposure should be avoided

MRI scans- these involve the use of magnetic fields to map the structure of the brain. they are used to provide both anatomical and functional information by taking repeated images of the brain in action. these scans are more detailed than CAT scans and are best for repeated exposure, but however take a long time to do.

PET scans- these involve administering radioactive glucose into the patient that will travel to the areas of the brain that are most active. Raine used these to compare brain activity in criminals and a control group, he found there was differences in their brain uses thought to be involved with aggression such as the pre-frontal cortex. PET scans reveal chemical information the other two cannot and can distinguish between malignant and benign tumors  the scans however are costly and not easily available for research. 

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BIOLOGICAL APPROACH- 2 STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

2 STRENGTHS:

the approach is scientific as it uses clear variables that can be measured and examined in an objective way. an example of this would be that the approach uses lab experiments that are easily replicable. this is a strength because the approach shows cause and effect relationships which can be used to make predictions about our world.

the approach has  useful application. an example of this would be the success of chemotherapy and psychosurgery, mayberg found psychosurgery helped 4/6 patients treated for depression, allowing people with mental health issues to stay out of institutions. this is a strength because it has allowed ill people to lead a normal life, hold down jobs and relationships, as symptoms can be controlled.

WEAKNESSES:

the approach is deterministic, it believes biology (genes and biochemistry) determines our actions leaving no room for free will. an example of this is that the approach believes if you have to much dopamine you WILL become schizophrenic, or if you possess the "criminal gene" you will become a criminal. this is a weakness because if we're not responsible for our actions, we cannot be to blame and this will have a negative effect on the justice system.

the approach believes our behaviour is down to nature (nature v. nurture debate), meaning our biological make up determines our behaviour. it ignores nurture entirely and does not consider factors such as society and environment. an example for this is research into IQ, personality and mental illness has highlighted genetics is only a partial explanation. this is a weakness because if our personality/IQ were down to genetics then identical twins would have the same IQ and personality and this is not the case.

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PSYCHOSURGERY AS A THERAPY- BULLETPOINTS

BASED ON ASSUMPTION: BRAIN AFFECTS BEHAVIOUR.

Moniz 1930: frontal leucotomy  drilling a hole into each side of the skull and inserting an instrument to destroy the nerve fibres underneath.

Walter Freeman: transorbital lobotomy- inserting an ice pick like instrument into the eye and wiggling it to sever connections from the prefrontal cortex and the rest of the brain. 70,000 performed- left patients in a zombie like state so raised ethical issues.

UNPOPULAR TODAY, BUT STILL PRACTICED AS A LAST RESORT FOR TREATING OCD AND DEPRESSION.

Cingulotomy- destroy the cingulated gyrus using electrical currents to burn the area away.

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS): most recent, involves a hair tin electrode inserted into the area of the brain needed, no tissue is destroyed. a battery pack is inserted into the body to activate the electrode to interrupt circuitry of the brain. used to treat Parkinson's disease. 

Mayberg- DBS research: found 4/6 patients with depression had striking remission after DBS

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SELYE'S GENERAL ADAPTION SYNDROME- BULLETPOINTS

selye did research on rats by exposing them to a range of stressors (toxic poisons, surgical injury, drugs ect.)

he observed and recorded, and found the responses went through 3 stages:

6-48 hours: rats had stomach ulcers and ulcers in intestines, shrinkage of the immune system and enlarged adrenal glands.

48 hours +: rats appeared to be functioning normally

1-3 months: lost resistance  showed stage 1 symptoms, became seriously ill or died

CONCLUSION FROM THIS: when exposed to stressor we all respond in the same way- GAS. General- same response. Adaption- attempt to adapt to changes. Syndrome- same cluster of symptoms.

applied this to humans (3 Stages)

Alarm Reaction- stressor recognized, hypothalamus triggers adrenaline production, prepares us for fight or flight. ANS activated so body is in involuntary state of arousal.

Resistance- using up hormones and energy, production of ACTH, adrenaline and nor-adrenaline. appears to be adapting, but resources are being used up.

Exhaustion- body cant maintain normality, immune system cannot cope, results in stress related illness, or death.

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THE BIOLOGICAL APPROACH- PY1

ASSUMPTION 1- BRAIN EFFECTS BEHAVIOUR.

the brain can be divided into 4 lobes and 2 hemispheres. each of these is said to have a localized function. for example, the frontal lobe is thought to be involved in thinking and creativity whereas the temporal lobe is thought to be involved in hearing and speech.

ASSUMPTION 2- BEHAVIOUR IS INHERITED.

for example, the gene IFG2R has been found to be responsible for intelligence, however, intelligence is poly-genetic meaning there are many genes responsible for IQ. people are also at risk of genetically developing psychological disorders, such as depression.