8. comparison of approaches

VIEWS ON DEVELOPMENT

psychodynamic

• presents most coherent theory of development, tying its concepts and processes to specific psychosexual stages that are determined by age

• that said, freud saw very little further development once a child enters the genital stage in the teen years

cognitive

• stage theories within the cognitive approach have contributed to our understanding of child development

• eg as part of our intellectual development, children form increasingly complex concepts (schema) as they get older

biological

• maturation is an important principle within the approach whereby genetically determined changes in a childs physiological status influence psychological and behavioural characteristics

humanist

• see the development of the self as ongoing throughout life

• however childhood is a particularly important period and a childs relationship with their parents is important in terms of unconditional positive regard

behaviourist and SLT

• do not offer coherent stage theories of development, but instead see the processes that underpin learning as continuous, occurring at any age

NATURE VERSUS NURTURE

behaviour is affected by

nature = inherited biological factors

nurture = environment and experience

behaviourists

• characterised babies as blank slates at birth and suggest that all behaviour comes about through learned associations, reinforcement contingencies or, in case of SLT, observation and imitation

biological

• argues from a position that behaviour is the result of a genetic blueprint that we inherit from our parents (genotype) though the way it is expressed is influenced by the environment (phenotype)

psychodynamic

• freud thought that much of our behaviour was driven by biological drives and insticts

• but he also saw relationships with parents as playing a fundamental role in future development

humanist

• regard parents, friends and wider society as having a critical impact on the persons self concept

cognitive

• although they recognise that many of our information processing abilities and schema are innate, they are constantly refined through experience

REDUCTIONISM

reductionism = belief that human behaviour can be most effectively explained by breaking it down into constituent parts

opposite is holism = phenomena are best understood by looking at the interplay and interaction of many different factors

behaviourist

• reductionist in the sense that it breaks up complex behaviour into stimulus-response units for ease of testing in the lab

biological

• reductionist in the way that it explains human behaviour and psychological states at the level of the gene or neuron

psychodynamic

• reduces most of our behaviour to the influence of sexual drives and biological instincts

• although freuds argument that personality is a dynamic interaction between the three parts of the personality is often viewed as a more holistic explanation

cognitive

• machine reductionist by presenting people as information processing systems and ignoring the influence of emotion on behaviour

behaviourist and SLT

• reduce complex learning to a handful of key processes (imitation, modelling etc) though they do at least place emphasis on cognitive factors that mediate learning, and how these interact with external influences

humanist

• formulates a holistic approach to understanding human behaviour

• involves investigating all aspects of the individual, including the effects of interaction with others and wider society

DETERMINISM

• often confused with reductionism but is quite distinct from it - though many determinist explanations are also reductionist

• determinism proposes all behaviour has an internal or external cause and is thus predictable

behaviourist

• sees all behaviour as environmentally determined by external influences that we are unable to control (eg operant conditioning)

biological

• advocates a form of genetic determinism in its assumption that much of our behaviour is directed by innate influences

• HARD

psychodynamic

• psychic determinism is a key feature insofar as the unconscious forces that drive our behaviour are the ultimate cause of behaviour, and that these are simply rationalised by our conscious minds

• HARD

cognitive

• suggest we are the choosers of our own thoughts and behaviours, yet these choices can only operate within the limits of what we know and have experienced

• SOFT

social learning theorists

• put forward the notion of reciprocal determinism - idea that as well as being influenced by our environment, we also exert some influence upon it through the behaviours we choose to perform

• SOFT

humanist

• stands alone in its assertion that human beings have free will and operate as active agents who determine their own development

EXPLANATION AND TREATMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS

behaviourist

• sees abnormality as arising from maladaptive or faulty learning in the sense that inappropriate or destructive patterns of behaviour that have been reinforced

• behaviour therapies (eg systematic desensitisation) which aim to condition new, more healthy responses, have been applied successfully to the treatment of phobias

social learning theory

• has had relatively little application to treatment, but the principles of modelling and observational learning have been used to explain how negative behaviours such as aggression may be learned through the influence of dysfunctional role models

psychodynamic

• freud saw anxiety disorders as emerging from unconscious conflict, childhood trauma and the overuse of defence mechanisms

• psychoanalysis has had some success as a therapy but is not appropriate for everyone because it requires a considerable input from the patient in terms of time and also ability to talk and reflect on emotions

cognitive

• cognitive therapy is much more effective and applicable, especially when combined with behaviour therapy such as CBT (eg in treatment of depression)

• aims to identify and eradicate faulty thinking which is assumed to be the root cause of maladaptive behaviour

humanist

• humanistic therapy (counselling) based on rogers philosophy that closing the gap between the self concept and the ideal self will increase self esteem and stimulate personal growth

biological

• many would claim it has revolutionised the treatment of mental disorders through the development of drug therapy which regulates chemical imbalances in the brain