Comparing approaches Flashcards
Compare views on development
Psychodynamic - presents most coherent theory of development (in children) through specific stages . But Freud saw very little further development once the child enters genital stage in teen years
Cognitive - theories in this approach contributed to the understanding of the schema . For example, part of intellectual development is children form increasingly complex concepts (schema)
Biological- maturation is an important principle where genetically determined changes in a child’s physiological state influence psychological and behavioural characteristics
Humanistic- see development as ongoing , but childhood is a particularly important period in terms of unconditional positive regard
Behaviourist and SLT - do not offer coherent stage theories for development, they see the processes which underpin learning as continuous
Nature Vs Nurture
Behaviourists- characterise babies as ‘blank slates’ at birth and suggests that all behaviour comes from reinforcements and learned associations
Or for SLT, in observation/ imitation
Biological - argues that behaviour is a result of genetic blueprint that we inherit from our parent (genotype) , but they way it is expressed is influenced by the environment (phenotype)
Psychodynamic- Freud thought that much of our behaviour was driven by biological drives and instincts - he also saw relationships with parent playing an important role in future development
Humanistic- regard parents b friends having critical impact on one’s self concept
Cognitive - although cog psychologists recognise many of our information processing abilities and schema are innate , they are constant refined through experience
Reductionism
Behaviourism- reductionist : it breaks down complex behaviour into stimulus - response - for ease in lab testing
Biological - reductionist in the way it explains behaviour and psychological states at the level of the gene or neuron
Psychodynamic- reduces much of our behaviour to the influence of sexual drives / biological instincts but this approach is often viewed as a more holistic explanation
Cognitive - machine reductionism (by presenting people as machine processing systems ) ignoring influence on emotion and behaviour
SLT- reduce complex learning to a handful of key processes , but they do put emphasis on cognitive factors that mediate learning
Humanistic- holistic , investigating all aspects of the individual / including effects with others and wider society
Determinism
Behaviourists- sees all behaviour as environmentally determined by external influences that we are unable to control
Biological- a form of genetic determinism in that our behaviour is directed by innate influences
Psychodynamic- psychic determinism : the unconscious forces that drive our behaviour are the ultimate cause of it
Cognitive - suggest we are the ‘choosers’ of our own thoughts and behaviours but these can only operate within the limits of what we know and have experienced
SLT - put forward idea of reciprocal determinism (the idea that as well as being influenced by environment, we also exert an influence on it through behaviours we perform)
Humanistic- stands alone with free will and humans operate as active agents who determine their own development
Treatment of psychological disorders
Behaviourists- see abnormality as arising form maladaptive / faulty learning , in the sense that inappropriate patterns of behaviour have been reinforced - behaviour therapies such as systematic desensitisation -which aim to condition more healthy responses - which have been applied well to phobias
SLT- little application but principles of modelling / observation have been used to explain negative behaviours
Psychodynamic- Freud saw anxiety disorders as emerging from unconscious conflict / childhood trauma and overuse of defence mechanisms . Psychoanalysis had some success but only for mild disorders
Cognitive- effective and applicable , it aims to identify and eradicate faulty thinking which is assumed the root of maladaptive behaviour
Humanistic- closing gap and have congruence increases self esteem and stimulate personal growth
Biological- revolution to the treatment of mental disorders through development of drug therapy which regulates chemical imbalance in the brain
