AO3: Approaches

Question 1

Wundt: Contributed to the emergence of Psychology as a science by using the empirical method

Answer 1

• Empirical method is a key feature of science where data is collected from observation
• Introspection was when people reported their own emotions and feelings
• Introspection attempted to use the empirical method by getting participants to collect data based on their own thoughts and emotions in a controlled setting
• This differed from how philosophers previously studied the mind and behaviour

Question 2

Psychodynamic Approach: Lack of scientific credibility

Answer 2

• Freud used case studies (e.g. the little Hans case study) and used techniques like dream analysis (would interpret his patients’ dreams)
• Freud’s research was empirical as he collected evidence (people’s dreams)
• Wasn’t objective as he relied on his on interpretation for dream analysis
• Wasn’t falsifiable - impossible to test how unconscious motivations impact behaviour as the motivation can’t be identified until after the behaviour is done
• Evidence of unconscious motivation relies on subjective analysis

Question 3

Psychodynamic Approach: Limitation is that it mixes nomothetic aims and idiographic methods

Answer 3

• The nomothetic approach is used to create general laws and the idiographic approach is used to describe the behaviour of individuals
• Freud tried to say that his theories were general laws (e.g. psychosexual stages were apparently for everyone) but he didn’t create these ‘general laws’ using large sample sizes or quantitative data
• Instead he used case studies and collected qualitative data which is used in the idiographic method
• Idiographic methods can’t be used to make general laws so the psychodynamic approach is flawed in this way

Question 4

Psychodynamic Approach: Freud’s Psychosexual Stages Theory is criticised as androcentric

Answer 4

• This criticism is aimed at the phallic stage
• Freud presents the male experience as the norm and the female experience as deviation from the norm
• This is evident when he says females have penis envy in the phallic stage when they come to understand their mother is responsible for their lack of a penis as she apparently castrated it
• This claims that the norm is for everyone to have a penis and that females are deviations from the norm as they ‘no longer have one’ which is androcentric

Question 5

Humanistic Approach: Unscientific

Answer 5

• Maslow developed his self actualization ideas through autobiographical research (read the autobiographies of people he think self actualized, e.g, Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln
• His research was empirical (he collected evidence) but it lacked objectivity
• Subjective as it depended on his opinion of who was self actualized
• Humanistic Psychologists say they don’t mind being unscientific as they believe scientific methods are an inappropriate way to study the human experience
• Approach lacks scientific credibility but its unsure whether this is a strength or a weakness

Question 6

Humanistic Approach: Rogers’ Contribution to Counselling Psychology has been both Praised and Criticised

Answer 6

• Helped develop person-centred therapy in which the therapist has to be non-directive and provide unconditional positive regard
• Other therapy methods such as psychotherapy only treat people with mental illnesses but person centred therapy treats everyone who wants to be a better person
• However most therapist would find it difficult to show unconditional positive regard to everyone (particularly rapists and murderers)
• The non directive approach might not work for people with severe mental illness

Question 7

Humanistic Approach: Recognises the importance of free will

Answer 7

• Belief is a core assumption of the humanistic approach as without it people wouldn’t feel like they can change their own lives
• Other approaches hold a deterministic account of human nature whereas the humanistic approach doesn’t meaning compared to other approaches, it holds a positive account of human nature
• Although a belief in free will is useful, humanistic psychology never attempts to explain why it’s an accurate belief (doesn’t justify why free will is credible)
• Determinists would say the humanistic approach’s belief in free will goes against a scientific belief in materialism
• The belief of free will is incompatible with a belief in materialism and therefore free will as they belief there is more than the physical realm of the brain