Comparison Of Approaches Flashcards
Define holism vs reductionism
Considers the person as an indivisible system.
Breaks down behaviour into it’s constituent parts
Define determinism vs free will
Behaviour is determined by internal or external factors acting upon the individual.
Humans operate as active agents who determine their own development.
Define hard vs soft determinism.
View that all behaviour is caused by factors outside of our control and there is no room for free will.
View that all behaviour does have a cause, not by internal/external events but by our own wishes/conscious desires.
What is meant by nature vs nurture?
Behaviour is a product of innate, biological factors.
Behaviour is a product of environmental influences
What is an eclectic approach?
When researchers combine several approaches and theoretical perspectives in order to provide a more comprehensive account of human behaviour.
What are two advantages of using an eclectic approach?
- Provides a fuller, more detailed understanding of human behaviour.
- Isn’t restricted to one perspective – allows new ideas.
What are two disadvantages of using an eclectic approach?
- Explanation of behaviour may become ‘watered down’ when combining many perspectives.
- There are practical difficulties when providing eclectic therapy – it may be too complex for one clinician to manage.
Which approaches are nature/nurture and why
Behaviourist - Nurture – characterised babies as ‘blank slates’ at birth; all behaviour is learnt through senses (empiricism), associations and consequences.
Social learning theory - Nurture – behaviour is a result of observing others.
Cognitive - Mixture – schemas and information-processing abilities are innate (nature) but are refined through experience (nurture).
Biological - Nature – behaviour is the result of a genetic and evolutionary blueprint that we inherit from our parents / ancestors.
Psychodynamic - Mixture – most behaviour is driven by unconscious biological drives and instincts (nature) but also emphasises how relationships with parents influences future development (nurture).
Humanistic - Mixture – sees parents, friends, and wider society (nurture) as having an impact on self-concept, but also believes that we have an innate drive to self-actualise (nature).
Which approaches are deterministic vs free will and why
Behaviourism - Hard (environmental) determinism – all behaviour is out of our control as it is environmentally determined by external factors.
SLT - Soft (reciprocal) determinism – as well as being influenced by our environment, we also exert some influence upon it through the behaviours we choose.
Cognitive - Soft determinism – we are the choosers of our own behaviours, but these can only operate within the limits of what we know and have experienced (schemas).
Biological - Hard (biological) determinism – our behaviour is directed by innate, physiological factors which are outside our control.
Psychodynamic - Hard (physic) determinism – behaviour is driven by unconscious factors which are beyond our conscious control.
Humanism - Free will – people exercise choice in their behaviour.
Which approaches are holistic vs deterministic and why?
Behaviourism - Reductionist – it breaks up complex behaviour into simple stimulus-response units.
SLT - Mixed – reduces learning to key processes (imitation, modelling etc.) but emphasises cognitive factors that mediate learning.
Cognitive - Reductionist – presents people as information processing systems and ignores role of emotions.
Biological - Reductionist – explains behaviour at a genomic or neuronal level.
Psychodynamic - Reductionist – reduces behaviour to the influence of unconscious sexual drives and biological instincts.
Humanism - Holistic – investigates all aspects of the individual, including the effects of interaction with others and wider society.
Which approaches use scientific vs subjective methods
Behaviourism - Scientific – focuses only on responses that can be accurately and objectively measured; allows for higher degree of replication.
SLT - Scientific – relies on investigations which are reliable and carried out in controlled settings.
Cognitive - Scientific – makes of use scientific investigations to study internal, mental processes.
Biological - Scientific – emphasises influence of neurotransmitters, nervous system, genes and how any displays of, or changes in these can be measured and subsequently explain behaviour.
Psychodynamic - Mixed – some aspects are open to scientific investigation, however there is more reliance on case studies and subjective interpretation.
Humanism - Subjective – rejects experimental method, believes that scientific methods are more suited for natural sciences and not appropriate for studying complexities of humans.
