Approaches in Psychology - Comparisons Flashcards
Behaviourist
Views on Development
The processes that underpin learning are continuous, occurring at any age.
Social Learning
Views on Development
The processes that underpin learning are continuous, occurring at any age.
Cognitive
Views on Development
Stage theories of child development, particularly the idea of concept formation (schema) as child gets older.
Biological
Views on Development
Genetically determined maturational changes influence behaviour, e.g. cognitive/intellectual development.
Psychodynamic
Views on Development
The most coherent theory of development, tying concepts and processes to age-related stages.
Humanistic
Views on Development
The development of the self is ongoing throughout life.
Behaviourist
Nature vs Nurture
Babies are ‘blank slates’ at birth. All behaviour comes about through learned associations and reinforcements.
Social Learning
Nature vs Nurture
Babies are ‘blank slates’ at birth. All behaviour comes about through learned associations and reinforcements, with additional processes of observation and imitation.
Cognitive
Nature vs Nurture
Recognises that many of our information-processing abilities are innate, but are constantly refined by experience.
Biological
Nature vs Nurture
‘Anatomy is destiny’: behaviour stems from the genetic blueprint we inherit from our parents.
Psychodynamic
Nature vs Nurture
Suggests that much of our behaviour is driven by biological drives and instincts, but also sees the child’s relationships with its parents as crucial.
Humanistic
Nature vs Nurture
Regards parents, friends and wider society as having a critical impact on the person’s self-concept.
Behaviourist
Reductionism
Reduces complex learning into stimulus-response units for ease of testing in a controlled lab environment.
Social Learning
Reductionism
Recognises how cognitive factors interact with the external environment.
Cognitive
Reductionism
Machine reductionism: use of the information-processing analogy and the fact that it ignores human emotion.
Biological
Reductionism
Reduces and explains human behaviour at the level of the gene or neuron.
Psychodynamic
Reductionism
Reduces behaviour to the influence of biological drives and instincts, although also sees personality as a dynamic, holistic interaction.
Humanistic
Reductionism
Anti-reductionist, based on holistic investigation of all aspects of the individual.
Behaviourist
Determinism
All behaviour is environmentally determined by external forces that we cannot control.
Social Learning
Determinism
We are influenced by our environment and also exert some influence upon it (reciprocal determinism).
Cognitive
Determinism
Suggests we are the ‘choosers’ of our own behaviour, but only within the limits of what we know (soft determinism).
Biological
Determinism
A form of genetic determinism, much of our behaviour is directed by innate influences.
Psychodynamic
Determinism
Unconscious forces drive our behaviour (psychic determinism) and these are rationalised by our conscious minds.
Humanistic
Determinism
Human beings have free will and are active agents who determine their own development.
Behaviourist
Explanation and Treatment of Abnormal/Atypical Behaviour
Abnormality arises from maladaptive or faulty learning. Behavioural therapies take a symptom-based approach to the unlearning of behaviour.
Social Learning
Explanation and Treatment of Abnormal/Atypical Behaviour
Principles such as modelling have been used to explain the development of aggressive behaviour.
Cognitive
Explanation and Treatment of Abnormal/Atypical Behaviour
Led to cognitive therapies such as cognitive behaviour therapy in the treatment of depression, which aims to eradicate faulty thinking.
Biological
Explanation and Treatment of Abnormal/Atypical Behaviour
Psychoactive drugs that regulate chemical imbalances in the brain have revolutionised the treatment of mental disorders.
Psychodynamic
Explanation and Treatment of Abnormal/Atypical Behaviour
Anxiety disorders emerge from unconscious conflicts and overuse of defence mechanisms. Psychoanalysis aims to put people in touch with their unconscious thoughts.
Humanistic
Explanation and Treatment of Abnormal/Atypical Behaviour
Humanistic therapy, or counselling, is based on the idea that reducing incongruence will stimulate personal growth.
