Approaches

Question 1

Biological approach

Answer 1

• Behaviour, cognitions and emotions can be explained in terms of the working of the brain and the effect of hormones, genetics and evolution.
• Similarities and differences between people can be understood in terms of biological factors and their interaction with other factors.

Question 2

Social approach

Answer 2

• Behaviour, cognitions and emotions are influenced by social contexts, social environments and groups.
• Behaviour, cognitions and emotions are influenced by the actual, implied or imagined presence of others.

Question 3

Learning approach

Answer 3

• We all begin life as a blank slate. Experiences and interactions with the environment shape our behaviour and these changes are directly observable.
• We learn through the processes of operant conditioning, classical conditioning and social learning. This can be understood using the stimulus-response model.

Question 4

Cognitive approach

Answer 4

• Information is processed through the same route in all humans: input – process – output, in a similar way to how information is processed by a computer.
• People have individual differences in their cognitive processing such as with attention, language, thinking and memory. These processes can also help to explain behaviour and emotion.