Diagnostic Test: Approaches
Diagnostic Test: Approaches
Section titled “Diagnostic Test: Approaches”Instructions: Attempt each question without referring to notes. Select the best answer from the four options provided. After completing all questions, check your answers against the key below.
Questions
Section titled “Questions”1. The behaviourist approach emphasises the importance of:
(A) Unconscious drives and internal conflict (B) Observable behaviour shaped by environmental stimuli and reinforcement (C) Free will and self-actualisation (D) The structure of the mind as interacting components
2. Bandura’s Bobo doll experiment (1963) demonstrated that:
(A) Children only learn behaviours through direct reinforcement (B) Children can learn aggressive behaviours through observational learning (C) Aggression is solely determined by biological factors (D) Punishment is the most effective way to eliminate aggression
3. The cognitive approach focuses on:
(A) The role of the unconscious mind (B) How mental processes such as perception, memory, and thinking influence behaviour (C) Only observable behaviour and its environmental causes (D) The importance of self-actualisation
4. Which of the following is a key assumption of the psychodynamic approach?
(A) Behaviour is determined by unconscious conflicts rooted in childhood (B) Behaviour is learned through association and reinforcement (C) The mind is an information processing system (D) Humans have an innate drive toward self-actualisation
5. The biological approach explains behaviour primarily in terms of:
(A) Learning through conditioning (B) Brain structure, neurochemistry, and genetics (C) Unconscious desires and early childhood experiences (D) Individual choices and free will
6. Humanistic psychology is most closely associated with:
(A) Pavlov and Skinner (B) Rogers and Maslow (C) Freud and Jung (D) Beck and Ellis
7. A researcher uses brain scans to study how different regions of the brain activate during decision-making. This approach is most consistent with:
(A) The behaviourist approach (B) The psychodynamic approach (C) The biological approach (D) The humanistic approach
8. The behaviourist approach has been criticised for:
(A) Being too focused on internal mental processes (B) Ignoring the role of cognition and internal mental states (C) Relying too heavily on case studies (D) Overemphasising the influence of genetics
9. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs proposes that:
(A) All human behaviour is motivated by the desire to avoid punishment (B) Self-actualisation is the highest human need, achievable only after lower needs are met (C) Unconscious conflicts determine all conscious behaviour (D) The brain processes information in a linear, sequential manner
10. Which approach would most likely explain depression as resulting from negative automatic thoughts and maladaptive schemas?
(A) Psychodynamic (B) Behaviourist (C) Cognitive (D) Biological
Answer Key
Section titled “Answer Key”| Question | Answer | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | (B) | Behaviourist Approach |
| 2 | (B) | Social Learning Theory |
| 3 | (B) | Cognitive Approach |
| 4 | (A) | Psychodynamic Approach |
| 5 | (B) | Biological Approach |
| 6 | (B) | Humanistic Approach |
| 7 | (C) | Biological Approach |
| 8 | (B) | Evaluation of Behaviourism |
| 9 | (B) | Humanistic Approach |
| 10 | (C) | Cognitive Approach |
Explanations
Section titled “Explanations”1. (B) The behaviourist approach (Watson, Skinner) emphasises that behaviour is determined by environmental stimuli and learning experiences (classical and operant conditioning). It rejects the study of internal mental states as unscientific.
2. (B) Bandura demonstrated that children who observed an adult behaving aggressively towards a Bobo doll were more likely to imitate that aggression themselves, even without direct reinforcement. This supported the concept of observational learning (social learning theory).
3. (B) The cognitive approach focuses on internal mental processes including perception, memory, language, problem-solving, and thinking. It uses the computer analogy to study how the mind processes information.
4. (A) The psychodynamic approach (Freud) proposes that behaviour is determined by unconscious conflicts and desires, often rooted in early childhood experiences. The mind is divided into the id, ego, and superego, and much of human behaviour is driven by unconscious motives.
5. (B) The biological approach explains behaviour in terms of brain structure, neurochemistry, genetics, and evolution. It emphasises the role of neurotransmitters, hormones, brain lateralisation, and genetic inheritance in determining behaviour.
6. (B) Rogers (person-centred therapy) and Maslow (hierarchy of needs, self-actualisation) are the key figures in humanistic psychology. They emphasised free will, personal growth, and the inherent tendency toward self-actualisation.
7. (C) Using brain scans (e.g. fMRI, PET) to study brain activity is consistent with the biological approach, which seeks to explain behaviour in terms of brain processes, neurochemistry, and genetic factors.
8. (B) A major criticism of behaviourism is that it ignores internal mental processes (cognition). By focusing exclusively on observable stimuli and responses, it fails to account for how people process, interpret, and store information internally.
9. (B) Maslow proposed a hierarchy of needs: physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualisation. Lower-level needs must be substantially satisfied before an individual can progress to higher-level needs. Self-actualisation is the fulfilment of one’s potential.
10. (C) The cognitive approach (Beck) explains depression in terms of negative cognitive schemas, distorted thinking patterns, and maladaptive automatic thoughts. These cognitive distortions maintain depressive symptoms and are the target of cognitive therapy.
Cross-References
Section titled “Cross-References”- Memory: Approaches explain cognitive processes
- Social Influence: Social influence theories use approaches
- Research Methods: Each approach uses specific methods
Intuition
Section titled “Intuition”Psychology approaches are different lenses for understanding behaviour: The biological, cognitive, behavioural, psychodynamic, and humanistic approaches each explain human behaviour from a different perspective. No single approach has all the answers — each highlights different aspects.
Why it matters: Understanding multiple approaches lets you analyse psychological phenomena from different angles and evaluate research more critically.
The key insight: The debate between approaches (nature vs nurture, free will vs determinism) reflects genuine complexity in human behaviour — the best psychology integrates multiple perspectives.
Common Mistakes
Section titled “Common Mistakes”Confusing the approaches’ key assumptions: Each approach has a distinct assumption about what determines behaviour. Behaviourism: environment and learning. Biological: brain, genes, neurotransmitters. Psychodynamic: unconscious conflicts. Cognitive: mental processes. Humanistic: free will and self-actualisation. Students often attribute a concept to the wrong approach.
Assuming all approaches are equally scientific: The biological and cognitive approaches use empirical, scientific methods (experiments, brain scans). The psychodynamic and humanistic approaches are harder to test empirically and are often criticised for lacking falsifiability. This does not mean they are wrong, but their evidence base is different.
Confusing Bandura’s social learning theory with behaviourism: Bandura’s Bobo doll experiment showed that learning can occur through observation (modelling) without direct reinforcement. This challenged pure behaviourism, which required direct reinforcement. Social learning theory bridges behaviourism and cognitivism — it is not directly an extension of behaviourism.