Comparison of Approaches Flashcards
Nature vs Nurture: Behaviourists and SLT
Behaviourists: babies are blank slates at birth and all behaviour comes through associations and stimulus-response links.
SLT: Behaviour is learnt through imitation and observation of an identified role model
Nature vs Nurture: Cognitive and Biological
Cognitive: Many of our information processing abilities and schema are inherited buy are constantly refined by experience.
Biological: The activity of genes, hormones and neurotransmitters is inherited, but can also be impacted by genetics.
Nature vs Nurture: Psychodynamic and Humanism
Psychodynamic: Freud thought that much of our behaviour was driven by biological drives and instincts, but also saw relationships with parents as a fundamental to development.
Humanism: They believe in free will and that parents and friends have a critical impact on someone’s self concept.
What is reductionism and holism?
- Behaviour is most effectively understood by breaking it down into constituent parts.
- Best understood by looking at the interplay and interaction of many different factors.
Reductionism: Behaviourists and SLT
Behaviourists: Breaks down complex behaviour into stimulus-response units for ease of testing in the lab.
SLT: Reduce complex learning to a handful of key processes like imitation, but they do at least emphasise cognitive factors that mediate learning
Reductionism: Cognitive and Biological
Cognitive Approach: has been accused of machine reductionism by presenting people as information processing systems and ignoring the influence of emotion.
Biological: Behaviour can only be explained by the genes, hormones and neurotransmitters.
Reductionism: Psychodynamic and Humanism
Psycho: Reduces much of behaviour to the influence of sexual drives and biological influence. More holistic explanation is the dynamic interaction between the three parts of personality.
Humanism: Forms a holistic approach to understanding human behaviour and involves studying all aspects of the individual.
What is determinism?
All behaviour has an internal or external cause and is thus predictable.
Determinism: Biological and Behaviourist
Biological: genetic determinism, all behaviour is caused by internal, biological forces over which we have no control.
Behaviourism: All behaviour is a result of C&O conditioning, no conscious insight into our behaviour
Determinism: Psychodynamic and Humanism
P: psychic determinism, behaviour is the result of childhood experiences and innate drives. We cannot know the unconscious forces that drive behaviour, only rationalise by our conscious minds.
H: Humans have free will and operate as active agents.
(Soft) Determinism: Cognitive and SLT
C: We can choose our own thoughts and behaviours, yet these choices can only operate within the limits of what we know and have experienced.
SLT: Reciprocal determinism. We are influenced by our environment, but we also exert some influence upon it through the behaviours we choose to perform.
Explanation of abnormal behaviour: Be and SLT
Be: Caused by faulty associations made between the unconditioned and neutral stimulus. Can be treated through behaviour therapies like systematic desensitisation.
SLT: Little application to treatment. Caused by the imitation and observation of inappropriate role models using the 4 mediational processes.
Explanation of abnormal behaviour: Cognitive and Biological
C: Faulty schemas generated through specific experiences leading to perceptual errors. Cognitive therapy.
B: Specific genes for mental health disorders. These genes influence neurotransmitters and hormones. Drug therapy- regulates chemical imbalances in the brain.
Explanation of abnormal behaviour: psychodynamic and humanism
P: Anxiety disorders emerge from unconscious conflict, childhood trauma and the overuse of defence mechanisms. Psychoanalysis- considerable time and ability to talk and reflect on emotions.
Humanism: Lack of unconditional positive regard in childhood, incongruence and no self-actualisation. Counselling to close the gap between the self concept and the ideal self.
