Comparison of Approaches Flashcards
determinism v free will
2
determinism = behaviour is determined by internal and external forces other than the individual’s will to do something, we do not have control over these influences and factors
free will = behaviour is a result of our own decisions, we are capable of directing our own lives
deterministic approaches
3
BEHAVIOURIST - behaviour is determined by the consequences of our behaviour, the nature of this consequence determines the likelihood of a behaviour recurring, behaviourists like Skinner also emphasise the importance of external forces in the enviornment such as rewards and punishments which shape our behaviour (environmental determinism)
BIOLOGICAL - behaviour is determined by physiological factors such as hormones and neurochemistry or genetic factors which may be inherited, both of which are outside of our control
PSYCHODYNAMIC - behaviour is determined by unconscious factors which are largely unknown to us and beyond our conscious control, Freud believed that even trivial phenoma such as Freudian slips are caused by unconscious factors operating within our motivational systems
free will approaches
2
COGNITIVE - behaviour is determined by our own thought processes, therefore we have some degree of control over our own behaviour
HUMANISTIC - behaviour is determined by our own free will, Maslow and Rgers believed that people exercise choice in their behaviour rather than being controlled by outside forces such as biological predispositions
approaches representing a middle way between determinism and free will
1
SOCIAL LEARNING - behaviour is determined by observing others, this is known as vicarious learning, so behaviour is largely determined by our experiences, but it is up to the individual how and when to apply what is learned through observation
nature v nurture
2
nature = behaviour is a product of innate factors including biological and genetic factors
nurture = behaviour is a product of environmental influences and what we experience as a result of interacting with the environment
nature approaches
1
BIOLOGICAL - primarily nature, biological systems like the CNS or endocrine system are a product of innate factors (nature) but personal experience may modify these systems e.g. Maguire et al (nurture)
nurture approaches
2
BEHAVIOURIST - the origin of behaviour is nurture because behaviour is a consequence of our interactions with the enviornment and the consequences of our behaviour within that enviornment
SOCIAL LEARNING - the origin of behaviour is nurture because people learn to behave by observing others, but it is generally assumed that the capacity to learn through observation has some adaptive value and is likely to be innate
approaches representing a middle way between nature and nurture
3
COGNITIVE - both nature and nurture, thought processes may be a product of innate factors or our experiences, everyone shares the same means of cognitive processing (nature) but people may develop irrational thoughts and beliefs as a result of their experiences (nurture)
PSYCHODYNAMIC - both nature and nurture, unconscious forces like the id are innate and focus on the nature side of behaviour, but our childhood experiences and our upbringings also impact our behaviour (nurture)
HUMANISTIC - both nature and nurture, the approach makes various assumptions about human nature, like that everyone drives to self actualise (nature) but also acknowledges that personal experience and upbringing can impact our ability to reach self-actualisation e.g. CPR and COW (nurture)
psychology as a science
2
science = a systematic approach to creating knowledge, the scientific method is the method used to gain scientific knowledge
psychologists have adopted the scientific method as the most appropriate way of studying human behaviour
approaches that have a positive commitment to the scientific method
4
BEHAVIOURIST - positive commitment to the scientific method, the approach is highly objective and experimental based, focuses on responses that are observable and can be accurately measured, aligns itself with the scientific method more than other approaches, allows for a high degree of replication which is very important in the scientific process
SOCIAL LEARNING - positive, uses reliable research investigations which allows inferences about cause and effect to be drawn, research tends to be conducted in artificial settings which negatively impacts ecological validity, scientific that can lack validity
COGNITIVE - positive to an extent, most propositions can be tested but mental processes are largely unobservable so a great deal of inference is needed to develop models of cognitive processing
BIOLOGICAL - positive, uses experimental method (e.g. the influence of neurotransmitters on a behaviour can be investigated by administering drugs which change the level of a particular neurotransmitter and then enable any change in behaviour to be measured)
approaches that have a largely negative view of the scientific method
1
HUMANISTIC - largely negative, humanistic psychologists argue that scientific methods are derived from and suited to the natural sciences, therefore not being appropriate for studying the complexities of human consciousness and experience
approaches that represent a middle way between the scientific method and a more negative view of science
1
PSYCHODYNAMIC - mixed, some parts of the approach are open to scientific investigation, but there tends to be a much greater reliance on case studies and subjective interpretation
