Comparison of approaches Flashcards
What are the 5 main approaches ?
Learning apparoach: Behavioural (classical and operant conditioning) and social learning theory.
cognitive approach
biological approach
psychodynamic approach
humanistic approach
Learning approach: Behavioural (classical and operant conditioning) and social learning theory.
Summary
Models of the person: The learning individual, stimulus response learning and reifnrocement, includes learning through modelling and imitation.
Focus of study: Behaviour in non human and human animals
Methods: Tightly controlled experiments such as the Skinner box or the Bobo Doll experiments
Types pf data: Bheaviourable data which is observable, rejection of inner metnal states.
Cognitive approach
summary
Models of the person: The thinking individual
Focus of study: Cognitive processes such as memory or attention
Methods: Experiments such as the peterson and peterson STM duration experiment, computer models of proceses such as memory.
Types of data: Quantastive data derived from experiments
Biological approach
summary
Models of the person: the embodied individual
Focus of study: Biological processes, brain structures, hormones and the nervous system.
Methods: Brain scanning, invasive and non invasive methods
Types of data: Bodily data ( both quantitative and qualitative)
Psychodynamic approach
summary
Models of the person: The conflicted individual driven by unconscious processes
Focus of study: Unconscious processes, repressed memories and fantasies
Methods: In-depth case studies, clinical interviews, free association and dream analysis to asses the unconscious.
Types of data: Qualitive data
Humanistic
Models of the person: The feeling, experiencing individual
Focus of study: Conscious experience
Methods: Case of studies, interviews, biographies of famous people, counselling work.
Types of data: Qualitative data
Different approaches views on development
The psychodynamic has the most coherent of development, it ties its concepts and processes to specific psychosexual stages that are determined by age, despite this Freud saw very little development once they reach their “genital” stage in their teens.
Humanistic psychologists see the development of the self , a child’s relationship with their parents is seen as key determinant of psychological health
The cognitive approach also has stage theories , one has 4 stages of development which are determined by age and come in a fixed sequence. They also believe children create increasingly complex schema as they get older.
In the biological approach maturation is an important principle in which genetically determined changes in a child’s psychological status influence psychological and behavioral characteristics.
Both the behavioral approach and social learning theory do not offer coherent stage theories of development but instead see the processes that undergo learning as continuous and occurring at any age.
Different approaches views on the nature vs nurture debate
The nature side of the debate says human behavior is more influenced by inherited biological factors such as genes while the nurture side says human behavior is more effected by experience and behavior.
Both social learning theory and the behaviorist approach are learning approaches and suggest that babies are “blank slates” at birth and suggest all behaviour comes through learned associations, reinforcement contingencies or observation and imitation for learning theory.
The biological approach suggests that behaviour is the result of the genetic blueprint we inherit from our parents.
The psychodynamic approach believes that our behaviour is driven by biological divers and instincts (nature) but have relationship with parents having a key role in future development (nurture) .
Humanistic approach sees friends, family and wider society as having a critical impact on a persons self perception so it is nurture.
In the cognitive approach many of out information processing abilities and schema are innate but are they are constantly refined through experience so it is a mix.
Different approaches views on determinism and free will
Determinism- proposes that all behavior has an internal or external cause and so can be predicted.
Free will- Proposes that we have choice over what actions and behaviours we carry out and we are thus active agents of our environment.
The biological approach is deterministic as it sees much of our behaviour as being influenced by innate behaviour.
The psychodynamic approach has psychic determinism in which we cannot control the unconscious forces that drive our behaviour.
The behaviourist approach sees all behaviour as enviromentally determined by external influences.
The cognitive approach and and social learning theory practice soft determinism.
In the cognitive approach we can choose our own thoughts and behavior but are limited it what we know and have experienced.
The social learning theory has the idea of reciprocal determinism which means the environment influences us but we also influence the environments so we can choose to perform certain behaviors.
The humanistic approach says we have free will and operate as active agent who choose our own development, behaviors and choices.
Different approaches views on psychology as a science.
Psychology is seen as the scientific study of the mind and behavior and many psychologists have adopted the scientific method but not all of them have the same assumptions about human behavior so not all of them have adopted the scientific method.
Behaviourists see psychology as a science and believe all human behaviour should be observable so adopt the s-r approach in studying human behavior but for operant and classical conditioning they may use the experimental method so they can replicate easily.
Social learning theory sees psychology as a science and use experiments to adopt the scientific method but they lack ecological validity.
The cognitive approach sees psychology as as science and uses the experimental method as mental processes are not observable and to this end they use inferences.
The biological approach is very similar to biology as sees psychology as as science and sees all our behavior as being caused by our biology.
In the psychodynamic approach case studies are often used making it hard to be scientific but they have also used brain studies to study the id, ego and superego.
The humanistic approach focuses on the growth of the self so it really doesn’t adopt the scientific method.
