Paper 2- Comparing Approaches Flashcards
Comparing approaches- views on development
Psychodynamic most coherent – links to specific stages.
Cognitive does apply stage theories e.g. the development of schemas with age.
Maturity plays an important role in the biological approach as genetically determined changes influence behaviour.
The humanistic approach sees the development of the self as ongoing, but does acknowledge the influence of relationships in childhood.
Behaviourism and SLT don’t offer coherent stages, instead seeing processes that underpin learning as continuous.
Comparing approaches- nature Vs nurture
Behaviourists and social learning theorists class babies as ‘blank slates’ at birth, suggesting all behaviour is learnt.
Biological approach argues that behaviour is the result of a genetic blueprint that is inherited.
Freud and psychodynamic psychologists agree that behaviour is driven by biological instincts, but also reflects on the role of parental relationships.
Humanistic psychologists regard parental relationships in childhood as critical towards future development.
Cognitive psychologists recognise that many information processing abilities and scheme are innate and are refined through experience.
Comparing approaches- reductionism
Behaviourism is reductionist as it breaks up complex behaviour into stimulus and response units.
Biological approach is reductionist as it explains human behaviour and psychological states at a gene or neuron level.
The psychodynamic approach reduces much of our behaviour to the influence of sexual drives and biological instincts (granted, the 3 aspects of personality can be a holistic view)
The cognitive approach has been accused of machine reductionism by presenting people as information processing systems and ignoring the influence of emotion.
Behaviourists and social learning theorists reduce behaviour to a handful of key processes such as imitation / modelling etc.
Humanistic psychology formulates a holistic approach to human behaviour, and sees each person as an individual.
Comparing approaches- determinism
Behaviourists see all behaviour as environmentally determined by external influences.
Biological approach advocates genetic determinism in its assumption that much of our behaviour is determined by innate influences.
Psychic determinism is a key feature of the psychodynamic approach as unconscious forces drive our behaviour.
Cognitive approach suggests that we are choosers of our own thoughts and behaviour.
Social learning theorists propose reciprocal determinism – we’re influenced by environment but also choose some behaviour.
Humanistic approach stands alone in the assertion that human beings have free will.
Comparing approaches- Explanation of treatment of psychological disorders
Behaviourism sees abnormality arising from faulty learning – inappropriate patterns have been reinforced. Behaviour therapies used to assist.
Social learning theory has had a relatively little application to treatment, but principles have been applied to explain how negative behaviour might be learnt.
Freud looked at issues emerging from childhood trauma. Psychoanalysis has had some success in therapy.
Cognitive therapy effective and applicable. Aims to eradicate and identify faulty thinking.
Humanistic therapy also effective as increased self esteem with increase personal growth- with the aim of reaching self actualisation.
Many would claim biological approach has revolutionised the treatment of mental disorders through the development of drug therapy.
Define idiographic and nomothetic?
Nomothetic Approach – attempts to establish general laws by studying large groups of people.
Idiographic Approach – aims to understand what makes individuals unique.
Comparing approaches- idiographic vs nomothetic
Broadly speaking, the more scientific approaches – behaviourist, social learning theory, cognitive and biological – subscribe to the experimental nomothetic approach.
However, biological and cognitive approaches do also often draw upon data derived from case studies, especially those involving individuals with unusual abnormalities or deficits. To do this would be considered as more of an idiographic approach.
The more person-centred approaches (psychodynamic and humanistic) are idiographic as they favour case studies, which are usually carried out within clinical settings.
Most psychologists take the eclectic approach- what is this?
An eclectic ethos has proved fruitful in the field of mental disorders.
Combining treatment options from several different perspectives – such as drugs, cognitive therapy and family therapy – has led to more effective outcomes for people with schizophrenia and lower relapse rates.
Additionally, many topic areas in psychology have also benefitted from ‘interactionist’ theories that combine different levels of explanation.
For example, the biosocial approach rejects the traditional distinction between nature and nurture by explaining how basic biological differences are reinforced by the environment during gender development.
