comparison of approaches

Question 1

views on development

Answer 1

• psychodynamic= most coherant theory on development (specific stages determined by age)
• cognitive= as children grow schemas become more complex
• biological- genetically determined changes in child’s physiological status= influence psychological + behavioural characteristics
• humanistic- development is ongoing throughout life but childhood important in terms of unconditional positive regard
• behaviourist + SLT= see processes that underpin learning as continuous, occurring at any age

Question 2

nature vs nurture

Answer 2

• behaviourist + SLT= nurture side
• biological= nature side
• psychodynamic= behaviour driven by biological drives
  + relationship with parents= important in development (humanistic as well)
• cognitive- information processing + schema= innate + constantly received through experience

Question 3

reductionism

Answer 3

• behaviourism= reductionist (breaks behaviour into stimulus-response)
• biological= reductionist
• psychodynamic= can be seen as slightly more holistic (but it reduces behaviour to sex drives + biological instincts)
• cognitive- machine reductionism
• SLT- reductionist
• Humanistic- holistic

Question 4

treatment/applications

Answer 4

behaviourist- systematic desensitisation
SLT- little application but can explain how negative behaviours are learnt through role models
psychodynamic- psychoanalysis
cognitive- cognitive therapy
humanistic- counselling, therapy
biological- drug therapy

Question 5

eclectic approach

Answer 5

combining approaches= more comprehensive account of human behaviour
combining treatments/drugs= more effective outcomes –> this was proven by Stein in 1980 for a treatment of schizophrenia

Question 6

nomothetic or idiographic

Answer 6

nomothetic (studying larger groups of people)= behaviourist, SLT (scientific)
idiographic (aiming to understand what makes individuals unique)= psychodynamic, humanistic (both in favour of case studies)
both idiographic + nomothetic= cognitive + biological

Question 7

determinism

Answer 7

hard determinism:
behaviourist- environmental determinism
biological- genetic determinism
psychodynamic- psychic determinism
soft determinist:
- cognitive
- SLT- reciprocal determinism ( though environment influences we have a choice)
- humanistic