Theories in psychology

-In psychology, theories are used to provide a model for

understanding human thoughts, emotions, and
behaviours. A Psychological theory has two key
components:It must describe a behaviour. It must make
predictions about future behaviours.

Sigmund Freud is the father of modern psychology. He

thought of the unconsciousness. He is like the einstein of
physics.

Characteristics of theories: are based on hypotheses,

and backed by evidence. They are testable. They are
based on a series of assumptions or principles that define
a way of thinking behaviour - what the IB calls an
“approach”.

Biological theories:
They are all based on assumptions that human behaviour
has its roots in physiological processes.

Cognitive theories:
Based on the assumption that the way we perceive and
think about the world and ourselves affects our behaviour.
Sociocultural theories:
Based on the assumption that our behaviour is influenced
by other people and the environment.
Evaluating theories:
Testable: A good theory has to be falsifiable. If we cannot
test it, it is not a good theory.
Empirical(actual) support: A good theory has evidence
to support it. The evidence is not anecdotal in nature.
Good empirical support is not from a highly artificial
situation and it is reliable - that is, the evidence can be
replicated.
Application: A good theory can be applied to many
different situations or it improves a very specific behaviour
- for example, a treatment for depression.
Construct Validity: A good theory makes sure that its
variables are clearly defined so that they can be reliably
measured.
Unbiased: A good theory does not show bias toward
gender or culture. Many early theories in psychology were
androcentric(within one ethnicity)(that is, the research was
done on and applied only to men.) or ethnocentric(gender
bias)(that is, the research was very culturally biased,
focused only on Western culture).
Predicts Behaviour: A good theory does not just
describe what is happening, it predicts behaviour. If a
theory simply labels behaviours but does not predict when
or why a person might demonstrate that behaviour with
any reliability, then the theory has low predictive validity.

Cognition: what does it mean?

Comes from latin: to know
Term: all mental structures and processes involved in the
reception, storage and use of knowledge.
Studies phenomenas like; attention, perception, memory,
decision-making, problem solving and language.
Individual experience,mental representations
Neisser(1967) coined the term cognitive psychology.

Why?
1950’s - Shift in focus from observable behaviours
(behaviorism) to studying mental processes
The cognitive revolution
Impact of WW2 and computers
The development of brain scan Technology.

Cognitive Approach to behaviour:

Views humans as processors of information (similar to
how a computer processes information).
Research in: schema processing, memory processing,
thinking and how cognition may influence behavior.
Reliability in cognitive processes.
How cognitive processes are influenced by emotions.
How cognitive processes might be affected in the
digitalized world.

Cognitive Processing:
Schema theory
Mdoels of memory (Atkinson & Shiffrin)
Thinking and decision making.

Bottom-up Processing - input (sensory information)

Top down processing - information is processed through
pre-stored information in the memory.
Output- behaviour

Conclusions: our mental representations affect how we

behave.