Evaluation Of The Approaches Flashcards
Overall why is the behaviourist approach appropriate?
-takes a deterministic viewpoint
For example, little Albert shows how the rat phobia was determined by the environment he was in. —> strength, as it was easier to predict the cause and effect of his phobia
-HOWEVER Having no control may make a client feel powerless, as if a phobia is learnt from a neutral stimulus being compared to a negative one then they can’t prevent this
-Successful applications
Conditioning theory led to systematic desensitisation being developed, based of classical conditioning and the idea you can condition a fear
-systematic desensitisation is successful at treating phobias, e.g. it was used in a study to counter condition of flying fear using vr headsets, and 93% of the participants said, they felt more relaxed on a plane after
Overall why is the behaviourist approach not appropriate?
-dosent consider nature—> only considers nurture
Believes that human behaviour is a product of environmental influences and nature plays no roll
Eg. The blank slate assumption states that we are born with no prior knowledge and our behaviour is learned through the environment. this is shown in the banduras bobo doll study—> where a woman was demonstrating aggressive acts towards a doll and the children copied her actions. Showing how they learnt the aggressive acts.
-overall showing how the explanation could be seen as incomplete as nature could also play a part in behaviour as-well eg. Aggressive Behaviour could be down to hormone imbalance and not always be learnt
Overall Why is the biological approach appropriate?
-One strength—> deterministic veiw point
The biological approach believes our behaviour is determined by our biology—> eg. The assumption localisation of Brain function shows how we are determined by the different lobes within our brain eg. Phineas gauges angry/ aggressive behaviour was determined by by the damage caused in his frontal lobe from the rod. This makes behaviour easier to predict as we know damage to different brain regions affects human behaviour
-HOWEVER —> can lead to people feeling powerless eg. The assumption of neuro transmitters may make people with chemical/ hormonal imbalances feel powerless and stuck in there situation
One strength—> successful applications
Eg. Localisation of brain function and the understanding of how brain regions impact our behaviour has lead to the development of modern day psychosurgery methods
-eg. deep brain stimulation (DBS) had been developed—>evolves a wired being placed within the thalamus in the brain which sends electrical stimulation, to reduce the symptoms of neurological disorders such as epilepsy
Overall, why is the biological approach not appropriate?
-one weakness—> takes a reductionist view point
-eg. The assumption neurotransmitters would state that mental health disorders are down to chemical imbalances. Eg. Low levels of serotonin would lead to the symptoms of depression
-however there are other potential causes to depression such as negative past experiences/ trauma
-unreliable/ Doesn’t look into all causes —> incomplete
Overall why is the cognitive approach appropriate?
One strength—> takes an interactionist view point
The cognitive approach believes that our behaviour is down to both our biology (nature) and our environment (nurture)
For example, the approach of schemes show how we gather pockets of information from our environment to build up a mental schema/ image of a certain thing. However, the assumption of computer analogy shows how we are born with the mental ability to process information like computer (import – process output).
This is a strength because it takes both nature and nurture into consideration shown how the approach is more complete making it more reliable in identifying causes of behaviour.
One strength—> scientific
The cognitive approach takes a scientific approach, for example, the research method used evolved lab experiments.
For example loftus and palmer used a lab experiment within their research, where they showed participants videos of a car accident and changed the adverb in the crucial question to investigate false memory.
Therefore this is a strength because
you can use lab experiments to justify evidence behind a psycological theory, increasing the reliability of the assumption.
Overall why is the cognitive approach not appropriate?
One weakness—> takes a reductionist veiw point, for example computer analogy has simplified thinking patterns and thoughts down to input—> process—> output. However there are other explanations for the way we think eg. Conditioning techniques, you can condition irrational thinking patterns and fears and also counter fears and irrational thoughts.—> Sd
This is unreliable as it simplifies thinking down to a single component is unrealisable as it dosent look into causes and therefore is incomplete
Overall why is the psychodynamic approach appropriate?
One strength—> takes an interactionist approach (both nature and nurture)
The psychodynamic approach believes that our behaviour is a result of both our biology aswelll as our environment. For example, the assumption of psychosexual stages shows that the 5 stages we go through which are infuenced by our
environment. For example Oral stage can influence our personality→ eg. Being under indulged can lead to oral fixation meaning people are more likely to smoke and bite there nails.
However the assumption tripartite personality shows how the psychodynamic approach also considers nature factors as we are brain with 3 different areas of our personality (ego, ID, super ego). This affects our personality as if your ID is more dominant than you are more likely to be impulsive. Strength as it takes all aspects into consideration —> makes that approach more complete, therefore more reliable
One strength —> takes a deterministic view. Eg. Some psychologists view behaviour to be physically determined. An example of this would be the unconscious mind this shows how our behaviour is controlled by unconcious thoughts and desires. Strenght as makes it easier to identify certain thoughts or actions and why they occur.HOWEVER, a determanistic veiw could be a weakness as it may make people feel powerless eg. If behaviour is down
to unconcious thoughts out of our controll than you cant prevent this.
Overall why is the psychodynamic approach not appropriate?
one weakness → not scientific
as it uses non experimental research methods. eg. Case studdies and interviews, for example Bowlbys theory of maternal deprivation. Bowlby used case studdies and interveiws to research the affects of maternal deprivation
weakness as it cant provide scientific evidence→ unreliable
Overall why is the positive approach appropriate?
Overall why is the positive approach not appropriate?
