Outline the theoretical framework of Classical Conditioning and consider whether humans can be classically conditioned
Outline the theoretical framework of Classical Conditioning and consider whether humans can be classically conditioned Learning is a fundamental part of life as we are learning ever day and without being able to learn we could not survive. In Psychology learning is generally about the different ways in which people learn and how the information is remembered rather than what is learned. Also people tend to believe that learning is deliberate. The way psychologists look at it is that learning isn't necessarily deliberate and can be learnt by observing the environment around us. The definition of learning is the gain of knowledge or a skill by study. Learning cannot be observed as it is a hypothetical construct but it can be observed by a person's behaviour. This however isn't very reliable as there is a range of different things that can affect a person's behaviour such as drugs, fatigue and hunger. Learning is thought to be permanent but even permanent behaviour can be influenced by other things such as brain damage or puberty. A change in behaviour, due to learning, is also thought to be linked to a past experience. Therefore learning is defined by psychologists as 'a relatively permanent change in behaviour due to past experience' (Coon, 1983) or 'a relatively permanent change in behavioural potential which accompanies experience but which is not the result of simple
The Theme of Ethics in Psychological Research making reference to Social Psychology and Developmental Psychology research
Table of Contents The Theme of Ethics in Psychological Research making reference to Social Psychology and Developmental Psychology research 2-4 References 5 The Theme of Ethics in Psychological Research making reference to Social Psychology and Developmental Psychology research The aim of psychology is to provide us with a greater understanding of ourselves and the way we think. To achieve this understanding psychologists often have no other choice than to investigate human subjects for results and evidence. Humans however can experience physical pain and anxiety but can also be affected mentally through embarrassment or loss of self esteem. The existence of ethical constraints is a serious but necessary limitation on the advancement of Psychology as a science and now many countries have ethical guidelines for conducting research. Since 1985 the British Psychology Society has regularly published and updated a code of conduct as a guideline for all chartered Psychologists to follow. These guidelines are broken down into these considerations which psychologists should follow when carrying out a study: * Consent - Have the subjects made an informed decision about taking part in the research? Have the parents of the child subjects given informed consent to research procedures? * Deception - Have the subjects been deceived? Where there any other possible ways to carry out
Outline and evaluate psychological explanations of schizophrenia
Outline and evaluate psychological explanations of schizophrenia The incidence of schizophrenia is not distributed evenly across the population. The highest rates of schizophrenia are found in urban areas, among people of the lowest socioeconomic group. The incidence of schizophrenia among the very poor is four times greater than in the highest socio economic grou0p. Two hypotheses have been suggested to explain these findings: the social causation hypothesis and the social drift hypothesis. According to the social causation hypothesis, it is the experience of being a member of a low socioeconomic status group that explains the higher incidence of schizophrenia. Unemployment, poverty, high crime rate and poor housing induce a great deal of stress and feelings of alienation, which in turn make people more vulnerable to schizophrenia. Whilst the social drift hypothesis, it is accorded that this hypothesis people with schizophrenia drift down the social ladder into the lowest socioeconomic group. As a result of their disorder they may be unemployed or be restricted to low paid and unskilled jobs. Support for the social causation hypothesis comes from findings that schizophrenia is almost seven times more common in African-Caribbean people than in white people - although the incidence of schizophrenia in Caribbean countries is similar to that of white people in this country
What have been the major challenges to Piaget's theory of cognitive development? What aspects of the theory still have value?
Mrs Tracey Goode ID No: T6164966 TMA No 5: What have been the major challenges to Piaget's theory of cognitive development? What aspects of the theory still have value? Jean Piaget (1896 - 1980) was a constructivist theorist. He saw children as constructing their own world, playing an active part in their own development. Children are intrinsically motivated to interact with their environment and so learn about the world they live in. Piaget's insight opened up a new window into the inner working mind and as a result he carried out some remarkable studies on children that had a powerful influence on theories of child thought. This essay is going to explain the main features and principles of the Piagetian theory, how Piaget has influenced education and relate the Piagetian theory to two challenging perspectives, social constructivism and connectionist modelling. Piaget saw children as constructing their own world, playing an active part in their own development, which was the bulk of his work but also believed that social context was an important feature as well. Children are intrinsically motivated to interact with their environment and so learn about the world they live in. Piaget believed that children had the ability to adapt to their environment and saw intelligence as an evolutionary process. Piaget alleged children's thinking goes through changes at each of four
CHILD ABUSE, CHILDHOOD & HISTORY
INTRODUCTION The aim of this piece of research is to discuss whether societies have concerned themselves with issues of child abuse and child maltreatment in the past or if it is a recent phenomenon. The assignment also intends to determine if the notion of childhood existed in previous years or if it is a relatively new concept. The essay begins by mentioning the history of childhood and child abuse. Following on, there will be mention of various views on childhood. Then the assignment will move on to highlight the view of Philippe Aries (a very influential and popular writer on concept of childhood). Soon after his work will be critiqued and evaluated. Following on the essay will focus on A New Sociology of Childhood (NSC). This will then lead us to summarise the whole assignment. CHILD ABUSE, CHILDHOOD & HISTORY According to cawson (2001) the existence of child mistreatment in history is indisputable, but Scraton (1997) feels that the extent of such mistreatment and the interpretation of it within the societies where it took place are issues of greater contention. As we shall see, some historians consider that the vast majority of children in the past were carelessly treated and that this was seen as relatively normal because there was little sense of childhood as a protected status (Lindenmeyer 1997). Other historians take the view that extreme ill-treatment of
Dibs In Search of Self:Book Report
Dibs In Search of Self Author: Virginia M. Axline Play therapy is a method in which therapists use a form of psychotherapy to better understand and communicate with a child through the child's fantasies and the symbolic meanings of his or her play. Play therapy is used to treat problems that are hindering a child's normal development such as, but not limited to; temper tantrums, aggressive behavior, non-medical problems related to bed-wetting and bowel control and a child's strong expression of worries or fears. It is also used to treat children who have experienced sexual or physical abuse or neglect. The intendment of play therapy is to diminish these behavioral and emotional asperities and guide the child towards a level of normal functioning. Immanent in this design is improved communication and understanding between the child and his parents. Additional intention is to improve the child's abilities in regards to verbal expression and self-observation. Through play therapy the child also learns impulse control and coping mechanisms to help the child with anxiety and frustration. Most remunerating is possibly the child's improved capabilities to trust and relate to others. When treating the child, the therapist uses an understanding of cognitive development, recognition of the different stages of emotional development and the conflicts common to these stages. "We
Outline and Evaluate Bowlby's Theory of Attachment
Outline and Evaluate Bowlby's Evolutionary Theory of Attachment Bowlby's theory is an evolutionary theory becuase he believes attachment is a behavioural system that has evolved because of its survival and reproductive value. Caregiving is adaptive because species have adapted over many years to enhanse survival of the offspring so they can later reproduce. Bowlby's theory is made up of many different ideas. According to Bowlby, children have an innate drive to become attached to a caregiver. This is similar to that of imprinting which is an innate readiness to develop a strong bond with the mother figure which takes place during the sensitive period. Since attachment is innate there is likely to be a limited window for development. This is said to be when a child is 3-6 months when a child is most sensitive to an attachemnt. After this stage attachment can become more difficult. The internal working model is a cluster of concepts about relationships and what to expect from others. In the short term it gives the child and insight into the caregivers behaviour. In the long term it acts as a template for future relationships as it generates expectations. This is similar to the continuity hypothesis and the idea that emotionally secure infants go on to be emotionally secure, trusting and confident adults. Social releases elicit caregiving such as smiling, crying, looking cute
Behaviourism essay
Psychology is defined as a science that focuses on the study of and to explain the way human's think, behave, and feel. The behaviourist school of psychology is concerned with the explanation of behaviour through observable outcomes without making reference to mental events. Behaviourism is very narrow and can be strongly objected in its approach to psychology, as it does not consider the mental thought process involvement in behaviour. This school of psychology is very much about nurture rather than nature. (Harre and Lamb, 1983). In early 20th century there was a surge of interest in the explaining of how learning takes place by exploring the observable mechanisms of learning. This new interest focused on observable forms of behaviour, which included bodily movement that was visible by an observer, and also the internal physical processes connected to overt bodily movement and how these could be modified. This interest developed into the psychological theory of behaviourism. (McInerney, 1998) Behaviourists believe that behaviour is simply learned habits and reactions humans and animals and personality merely a collection of these habits. Therefore the goal of behaviourism is to predict, modify and condition human behaviour (" The Behavioural Approach"). A behaviourist psychologist aims to recondition patients' behaviour and reactions to stimuli. These goals would be used
Discuss how childcare workers can combat the effects of oppression, racism and discrimination, making reference to the relationship between personal and professional values.
Discuss how childcare workers can combat the effects of oppression, racism and discrimination, making reference to the relationship between personal and professional values. "The kind of society we create emerges from the kind of education we provide" Deconstructing special education and instructing inclusion - Thomas & Loxley If this is true, in a discriminatory intuit, it is essential that child-workers operate under a 'good practice is an anti-discriminatory practice' ethos, to prevent a thwarted society. Inequalities do exist within society and minority groups can experience particular types of oppression and disadvantage. These inequalities operate through the use of language, stereotypes, individual's behaviour and policies and include discrimination on the basis of: gender, age, race, economic background, religion, culture, language, disabilities or sexual orientation. Workers are in a pivotal position between children and their tenets. They have a position of care, control, power & oppression. Which aspect comes first is very much down to the actions of the worker. It is natural to have an opinion about different behaviourisms and groups within society. However, good carers have to disassociate their personal beliefs from work ethics and learn not to bring their prejudices into practise. A child, very early on in life, builds up his self-perception through
Outline the major theoretical perspectives in psychology and evaluate two of these paridigms.
OUTLINE THE MAJOR THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES IN PSYCHOLOGY AND EVALUATE TWO OF THESE PARADIGMS. INTRODUCTION In this assignment I will be describing the five major schools of psychological research. These are Behaviourism, Biological, Cognitive, Humanist and Psychoanalytical. I will then attempt to evaluate the pros, cons and practical applications of the Behaviourist and Psychodynamic approaches. BEHAVIOURISM The earliest origins of behaviourism can be stemmed from the philosopher John Locke (1632-1704). He believed that the human being is born as a 'tabula rasa'. This effectively means a neonate is a blank slate with no prior knowledge or ideas. According to Locke it is experience through senses, which provides the mind. The modern founding father of behaviourism is John Watson (1878-1958). He believed that ? should be about the study of observable behaviour and that behaviour is moulded by experience. Behaviourists believe that however complex a piece of behaviour might be, it is possible to break it down and analyse it in basic STIMULUS-RESPONSE units. This theory also relates to Reductionism, where psychologists attempt to understand behaviour by looking at the most basic parts. This S-R theory can be best demonstrated in the work of a Russian psychologist called Pavlov (1849-1936). His theory of Classical Conditioning centred on his study of dogs and his attempt
