Comparison of the Approaches

Nature vs nurture

• Behaviourists characterised humans as born as ‘blank slates’ and that all behaviour comes through learned associations, reinforcement contingencies, observation, imitation

• Biological approach states that behaviour is the result of a genetic blueprint inherited from parents (genotype) with expression being influenced by environment (phenotype)

• Freud thought behaviour driven by innate biological drives + instincts, but relationships with parents fundamental in future development

• Humanistic psychologists regard parents, friends, wider society as critically impacting person’s self-concept

• Cognitive psychologists recognise that many of our information-processing abilities and schema are innate but constantly refined via experience

Reductionism vs holism

• Behaviourism is reductionist as it breaks down complex behaviour into stimulus-response units for easier testing in the lab, SLT also reduces complex learning to processes like imitation, vicarious reinforcement, etc. although do emphasise cognitive factors which mediate learning + their interactions with external influences

• Biological is reductionist as explains human behaviour + psychological states at the level of the gene/neuron

• Psychodynamic is reductionist as behaviour is attributed to sexual drives + biological instincts, although Freud’s argument that personality is a dynamic interaction between the three parts of the personality is more holistic

• Cognitive is machine reductionist as presents people as information-processing systems, ignoring influence of emotion on behaviour

• Humanistic formulates a holistic approach to understanding human behaviour, virtually investigating all aspects of the individual including effects of interactions with wider society

Hard determinism vs soft determinism

• Behaviourist sees all behaviour as environmentally determined by external influences outside of control (e.g. operant conditioning)

• SLT proposes reciprocal determinism, the idea that we exert influence on our environment as well as it influencing us

• Biological approach advocates genetic determinism, assuming most behaviour is directed by innate influences

• Psychodynamic approach is psychic determinism, behaviour is driven by unconscious forces rationalised by our conscious mind

• Humanistic approach is soft determinism, asserting humans have free will and operate as active agents determining own development

Real life applications

• Behaviourist proposed behaviour therapies like systematic desensitisation, applied successfully to treating phobias

• SLT’s concepts of imitation and observational learning explained how negative behaviours like aggression learned through influence of dysfunctional role models

• Psychodynamic pioneered anxiety disorders as emerging from unconscious conflict, childhood trauma, overuse of defence mechanisms, psychoanalysis has had some success in therapy but only appropriate for those with mild neuroses who are able to articulate emotions

• Cognitive approach created CBT, effective in identifying and eradicating faulty thinking which is the assumed root cause of maladaptive behaviour

• Humanistic approach suggested client centred therapy based on Rogers’ philosophy, aiming to bridge gap between self-concept and ideal self, achieving congruence which stimulates personal growth

Idiographic vs nomothetic