Approaches: Comparisons of approaches Flashcards
What are the 4 comparisons for approaches?
Nature v Nurture
Holism v Reductionism
Free will v Determinism
Commitment to scientific method
What approaches favour the nature side of the nature/nurture debate?
Biological
What evidence is there to show that the biological approach favours the nature side?
The activity of genes, hormones and neurotransmitters is inherited/ innate.
What approaches favour the nurture side of the nature/nurture debate?
Behaviorist
SLT
Humanistic
What evidence is there to show that the behaviourist approach favours the nurture side?
Behaviour is learnt through experience (stimulus-response links)
Nurture
What evidence is there to show that SLT favours the nature side?
Behaviour is learnt through observation and imitation of an identified role model within a social context.
What evidence is there to show that the humanistic approach favours the nature side?
A lack of unconditional positive regard in childhood, due to implemented conditions of worth, leads to low self-esteem and feelings of worthlessness
What approaches favour both sides of the nature/nurture debate?
Cognitive
Psychodynamic
What evidence is there to show that the cognitive approach favours the both sides?
Babies are born with a select few innate schemas (e.g., schemas) but develop other sophisticated schemas over time.
What evidence is there to show that the psychodynamic approach favours the both sides?
Focuses on the nature side of human behaviour in the unconscious forces and the conflicts that we must all deal with.
What approaches favour the holistic side of the holism v reductionism?
Humanistic
What evidence is there for holism in the humanistic approach?
the whole, subjective human experience is used to study behaviour without formulating general laws.
What approaches favour the reductionist side of the holism v reductionism?
Behaviourist
SLT
Cognitive
Biological
Psychodynamic
What evidence is there for reductionism in the behaviourist approach?
Environmental Reductionism – all behaviour is explained in terms of simple stimulus-response links.
What evidence is there for reductionism in SLT approach?
Reductionist view that behaviour can be explained in terms of classical conditions, operant conditioning and vicarious reinforcement.
What evidence is there for reductionism in the cognitive approach?
Reductionist view that behaviour can be explained in terms of influence of schemas.
What evidence is there for reductionism in the biological approach?
Biological reductionism – behaviour can only be explained by the actions of genes, hormones and neurotransmitters
What evidence is there for reductionism in the psychodynamic approach?
Reductionist as it relies on a basic set of structures that attempt to simplify the complexity of the mind.
What approaches favour the free will side of free will v determinism?
Humanistic
What evidence is there for free will in the humanistic approach?
Humans are free to reject external forces that operate on us because we are ‘masters ‘of our own development.
What approaches favour the determinism side of the free will v determinism debate?
Behaviourist
SLT
Cognitive
Biological
Psychodynamic
What evidence is there for determinism in the behaviourist approach?
Environmental Determinism – all behaviour is the result of classical and operant conditioning, where we have no conscious insight into our behaviour.
What evidence is there for determinism in SLT approach?
Reciprocal Determinism – We operate on the environment, but the environment in turn operates on us.
What evidence is there for determinism in the cognitive approach?
Soft Determinism – We are free to make conscious decisions and reason with the limit of what we know/ our cognitive system.
What evidence is there for determinism in the biological approach?
Biological Determinism – All behaviour is caused by internal biological forces, which we have no control over.
What evidence is there for determinism in the psychodynamic approach?
Psychic Determinism – views behaviour as entirely caused by unconscious emotional drives over which we have no control over.
What approaches show a negative commitment to the scientific method?
Humanistic
What evidence is there to show that the humanistic approach has a negative commitment to the scientific method?
Humanistic psychologists argue that scientific research methods are derived from a suited for the natural sciences but aren’t appropriate for the complexities of human consciousness and experience.
What approaches show a positive commitment to the scientific method?
Behaviourist
SLT
Cognitive
Biological
Psychodynamic
What evidence is there to show that the behaviourist approach has a positive commitment to the scientific method?
Highly objective and experimentally based – by focusing only on responses that can be accurately measured.
What evidence is there to show that SLT has a positive commitment to the scientific method?
Research investigations are reliable and allow a cause and effect to be drawn. However, this does mean that that research tends to be carried out in artificial settings and so can lack validity.
What evidence is there to show that the cognitive approach has a positive commitment to the scientific method?
Most prepositions can be easily tested. However, mental processes are largely unobservable.
What evidence is there to show that the biological approach has a positive commitment to the scientific method?
The influence of neurotransmitters in a behaviour can be investigated by administering drugs which change the levels of a particular neurotransmitter in the brain and then measuring any change in behaviour.
What approaches show a mixed commitment to the scientific method?
Psychodynamic
What evidence is there to show that the psychodynamic approach has a mixed commitment to the scientific method?
Some aspects of this approach are open to scientific investigation, there tends to be a much greater reliance on case studies and subjective interpretation.
