What is Free Will?
What is free will? To have free will we must be able to choose our behaviour- it is not determined by either the environment or our genetic inheritance or some form of soft determinism such as the Cognitive Perspective in Psychology would argue. Behaviourist argue that we do NOT have free will because our behaviour is determined by the environment, current or previous environmental experiences which will determine how we behave- we do not have a choice. To illustrate the behaviourist ideas we can consider the work or studies of firstly Pavlov. Pavlov showed how reflex behaviours could be conditioned by various neutral stimuli to become associated with an unconditioned stimulus to evoke a conditioned response such as salivation. This work was further supported by Watson's study on Little Albert which showed that humans could be conditioned to fear a previously 'un-scary' object which as a white rat. This study showed that Albert did not have free will, he was conditioned by the environment to fear the rat i.e. His behaviour was determined by the environment. However, often researchers such as Minoke found that it is easier to condition a fear in animals of snakes rather than flowers or guns... but this behaviour is still not free will rather it is genetic or biologically determined behaviour. In contrast to classical conditioning which appears to refute the idea of free
Discuss one or more theories of Moral Understanding and evaluate its conclusions.
Discuss one or more theories of the development of moral understanding and evaluate its conclusions. The term morality, according to Shaffer (1993) means "a set of principles or ideals that help the individual to distinguish right from wrong and to act on this distinction. Morality is important to society, as it would not function effectively unless there is some agreement of what is right and wrong. There are many underlying processes and environmental factors, which limit or promote social, cognitive and moral development in children. In modern society, television could be considered to be one of the major influences on a child's moral development. There are three approaches to moral development; the cognitive approach, the psychodynamic approach and the social learning theory. The Cognitive-Developmental approach of Piaget and Kohlberg studies how children become more able to reason morally and make moral judgements, whereas the Freud's psychodynamic approach is more concerned with the development of the conscience and moral feelings such as guilt and anxiety. The social learning theory of Bandura and Mischel investigates the development of moral behaviour and how role models in the family, society and the media, influence it. The theory I am going to discuss is Piaget's Cognitive-Developmental Approach. His theory of moral development is concerned with how
Is Beauty the Key to a Better Life?
Shawna Danielson Kellie Clemmer Psych 1110 23 February 2009 Is Beauty the Key to a Better Life? . What am I being asked to believe or accept? Attractiveness plays an important role in whether or not an individual will be successful- both at home and in the workplace. Some individuals argue that attractiveness can hinder a persons chance for a successful relationship and can belittle their talents and intelligence. Others argue that attractiveness can improve an individual's chances of having a happy, successful relationship, and that beautiful people earn more, live longer, and have better lives. 2. What evidence is there to support the assertion? Our American culture looks to a women's body, and physical appearance, as a way of determining femininity (Kalof, 1999). There is evidence that suggests that physical attractiveness influences others perceptions and evaluation, treatment afforded by others, and overt behavior and self-perception. This occurs throughout an individual's lifespan, in both men and women, and in other cultures as well (Baron, Markman, & Bollinger, 2006). For centuries, beauty has been equated with having positive qualities. Beautiful people are perceived as having elegant homes, expensive cars, and successful lives. They are also expected to be healthy, wealthy, ad wise (Van Leeuwen & Macrae, 2004). They are also perceived as being more
The psychoanalytic approach to psychology is based on the system of psychoanalysis, developed by Sigmund Freud (1859 - 1939). Freud was interested in studies of the unconscious mind and mental illness
Zoë Wood Psychology Freud's psychoanalytic approach to psychology Tutor: N. Warmsley 9th October 2005 Freud's Psychoanalytic Approach to Psychology The psychoanalytic approach to psychology is based on the system of psychoanalysis, developed by Sigmund Freud (1859 - 1939). Freud was interested in studies of the unconscious mind and mental illness. He preformed studies to look into human personality, psychosexual development and conducted method of treatments to determine the causes of neurotic mental illness. Freud thought that mental illness was caused by early childhood trauma of which treatment for such illness could only be successful when these childhood memories were dealt with and overcome. He developed his own technique to try and remember and overcome the events from their past that had disturbed their development. He made his patients describe anything that came into their mind no matter how silly they thought it may be. This technique helped Freud determine the cause of the mental illness and encouraged the patient to resurface repressed memories. Freud thought this would help them come to terms with the events helping overcome the illness, which was said to be 'removing the neurosis'. According to Freud, everything we do, why we do things, who we are and how we became like this are all related to our sexual drive. Childhood sexual experiences will
Discuss issues with biological therapies
Discuss issues with biological therapies Biological therapies arise from the medical model of abnormal behaviour: mental disorder is an illness which results mainly from a chemical imbalance. Biological treatments are designed to redress this imbalance, through the administration of chemical drugs known as chemotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy, and, in rare cases, psychosurgery. As well as mental disorders, the biological approach also gives an explanation and treatment for stress and the role of stress management. This approach also shows the link between stress and the immune system. Anorexia and bulimia nervosa are also explained by the medical model. Chemotherapy involves the use of drugs to treat mental disorders. For example anti-anxiety drugs consist of a class of drugs called benzodiazepines and minor tranquilliser designed to reduce levels of anxiety. These include Librium and Valium which were introduced in 1950s, and soon became the most prescribed drug in the world. However, the side-effects include drowsiness, dependence, withdrawal and toxicity However, benzodiazepines have been found to be effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety and panic. Gelernter and found them to be more effective than a placebo for social phobia and Lecrubier found that 60% of patients with panic disorder remained free of panic while on medication. Antidepressant drugs are
Findings of the Obedience Studies
Consider whether the Findings of the Obedience Studies, of Milgram, Hofling and Zimbardo justify the Methods used to obtain them? Obedience is the act of obeying orders from others in the form of dutiful or submissive behaviour. We often don't notice how much of an influence people have on our behaviour, and there are many different factors which affect the way we act. For example, the people we are with, the level of authority that they may have compared to us, the setting, the situation and quite obviously our personality type. People obey authority for a number of reasons, such as to avoid punishment, for a reward or benefit and most importantly due to a certain person's authoritarian status. If somebody seems to have more power than ourselves, we tend to feel the need to obey them. Why do we feel obliged to respect and obey somebody, because of their high position in the hierarchy of authority? There have been many intriguing obedience studies which have helped psychologists to get a better insight into how and why us humans decide to obey or disobey, depending on the situation that we are in. although these studies have helped to reveal some important truths about human nature, does that make the unethical and unpleasant ways in which they were discovered acceptable? An impressive study which shows the power that people can have over our behaviour was carried out
How do individual differences influence stress levels?
How do individual differences influence stress levels? The extent to which stress can affect a person is largely dependant on the type of personality they possess. An individual with a Type A personality is categorised as having aggressive tendencies combined with being a competitive high achiever with a fixation on time management. It is thought that these types of traits lead to increased stress levels and blood pressure, which in turn increase the possibility of developing coronary heart disease (CHD). This theory was tested by Friedman and Rosenman in the Western Collaborative Group Study (1960). They used around 3000 middle aged men that lived in California, and tested them for indicators of CHD before assessing their personality. After eight years they found that twice as many participants diagnosed as Type A died of cardiovascular trouble than those diagnosed as Type B (personalities lacking in the traits characteristic of Type A). It was also found that Type As are more likely to smoke and had higher blood pressure and cholesterol levels, all of which are causes of cardiovascular problems. This does show a correlation between this type of personality and stress related death, but not a definite cause and effect. The experiment also does not take into account that many Type As had a family history of cardiovascular problems, which is indicative of genetic condition
Three Approaches To Psychology
In modern day terms Psychology is the science that deals with mental process and behaviour. Modern Psychology is divided into several sub-disciplines, each based on differing models of behaviour and mental process. Perhaps the most significant of approaches are the biological, behavioural and psychodynamic. Biology is defined as the study of life (from the Greek word bios meaning "life", and logos meaning "study"). The biological approach attempts to relate behaviour to the workings and genetic makeup of the body. Greek physician Galen suggested that personality and temperament may be linked to the levels of body fluid such as blood and bile. It is assumed by those that study this approach that all human psychological behaviour has a biological cause, since it is the mind that resides within the brain, genetically modifying human behaviour with time to suit it's environment. Laboratory experimentation and observation of the brain, nervous system, endocrine system, neurochemistry and genes has contributed to an understanding of gender development, aggression, abnormality, memory, motivation and awareness. Biopsychology's input has been applied mainly to therapy and localisation of function. The very scientific biological approach lends itself to the nurture debate with effective practical applications such as the treatment of mental disorder however could be
Critically evaluate the psychoanalytic approach
Critically evaluate the psychoanalytic approach - Vicki Holgate Sigmund Freud the founder of psychoanalysis (1896-1939) worked on many ideas and cases that were to do with the mind and the body. Freud spent most of his life in Vienna where he expressed and distinguished the concepts of the unconscious, infantile sexuality and repression. Freud identified psychosexual stages, which are: - Oral stage - (approx 0-2 years) During the first year of life the libido is gratified through stimulation of the mucous membrane of the mouth (breast feeding, sucking behaviour). The child will enjoy sucking and biting. Freud suggested that if a child is weaned too early or too late they can have a fixation by using sucking sensations. Freud though did not give any indication when the correct time is to wean a child in order to overcome these fixations. He did though suggest that the fixations could be apparent in later life in the form of pen sucking or biting of the nail and smoking, as they are all types of oral stimulation/activities. Freud also said that too little stimulation in this early age could lead to the child in adult life having uncaring, self-centred attitude. And the other way with too much stimulation can lead to self controlled, gullible and unrealistic goals. These are both long lasting affects in later life if this stage is not correctly overcome. Anal stage -
OUTLINE, DISCUSS AND EVALUATE DEFINITIONS AND THEORIES OF STRESS, INCLUDING INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
OUTLINE, DISCUSS AND EVALUATE DEFINITIONS AND THEORIES OF STRESS, INCLUDING INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES. .1 Stress is a physiological and physical response of the body which presents itself whenever we must adapt to changing conditions. These conditions can be real or perceived, and positive or negative. Everybody has stress in their lives, but people respond to the stress differently. For some people stress severely affects them, whilst for others, stress doesn't phase them at all, remaining calm. There are two types of stress; Eustress (which is good stress), and Distress (which is bad stress). Stress in humans results from interactions between a person and their environment that is perceived as something which that individual has no control over. Stress is mainly about perception. If you perceive something as a danger, then you will feel at harm. The perceived stress is a stressor, which then makes the individual feel 'stressed' activating the changes in physiological responses, secreting more, or less, hormones depending on the stressor. Stress is defined as "an organism's total response to environmental demands or pressures". In the 1950's when stress was first researched, the term 'stress' was used to denote both the causes and the experienced effects of pressures. In recent years the word 'stressor' has been used for the stimulus that provides a stress response. One
