Approaches - comparison

Question 1

issues and debates of the biological approach

Answer 1

Biological Determinism
- behaviour is controlled by internal biological factors

Nurture
- behaviour is the result of innate biological factors

Biological Reductionism
- behaviour is broken down into biological structures and processes

Nomothetic
- creates universal laws as humans are the same physiologically

Scientific
- promotes scientific ways of studying

Question 2

issues and debates of the behaviourist approach

Answer 2

Environmental determinism
- behaviour is controlled by stimulus response conditioning

Nurture
- humans are born as blank slates and behaviour is learnt

environmental reductionism
- behaviour is broken down into simple stimulus response associations

Nomothetic
- creates universal laws, as behaviour is the result of stimulus response associations

Scientific

Question 3

issues and debates of social learning theory

Answer 3

Soft determinism
- behaviour is controlled by environmental forces however humans have personal responsibility and free choice

Nurture
- behaviour is learnt by classical and operant conditioning

Environmental reductionist

Nomothetic
- attempts to establish general laws of behaviours

Mostly scientific
- use scientific methods but takes mediation so processes into account

Question 4

issues and debates of the cognitive approach

Answer 4

Soft determinism
- behaviour is controlled by mediational processes, humans have free will

Nature and Nurture
- behaviour is the product of information processing and modified by experiences

Environmental reductionism
- behaviour is investigated in terms of isolated variables

nomothetic
- attempts to establish general laws of cognitive processing

mostly scientific
- uses scientific methods but cannot directly investigate or observe cognitive processes

Question 5

issues and debates of the psychodynamic approach

Answer 5

Psychic determinism
- behaviour is determined by unconscious drives and childhood experiences

Mostly nurture
- behaviour is shaped by innate drives but shaped by early childhood experiences

Reductionism and Holism
- behaviour is reduced to innate components, takes into account human behaviour

Nomothetic and Idographic
- establishes general laws but considers unique childhood experiences

Not scientific
- theories and concepts cannot be empirically tested
- relies on subjective interpretation

Question 6

issues and debates of the humanistic approach

Answer 6

Free will
- humans control their own environment and are capable of change

mostly nurture
- behaviour is shaped by the environment

Holism
- focuses on understanding all aspects of human experiences

Idiographic
- focuses on the individual

Not scientific
- rejects scientific methods so cannot provide empirical evidence