Comparision of Approaches

What is Determinism?

• Behaviour is caused by factors outside conscious control.
• Suggests behaviour is predictable and controlled by internal or external forces.

What are the Types of Determinism?

• Biological determinism.
• Environmental determinism.
• Psychic determinism.

What is Biological Determinism?

• Behaviour determined by genes, neurochemistry and biological processes.
• Associated with the biological approach.

What is Environmental Determinism?

• Behaviour determined by environmental experiences and conditioning.
• Associated with the behaviourist approach.

What is Psychic Determinism?

• Behaviour determined by unconscious conflicts and childhood experiences.
• Associated with the psychodynamic approach.

What is Free Will?

• Ability to consciously choose behaviour and make decisions.
• Strongly associated with the humanistic approach.

What is Soft Determinism?

• Behaviour influenced by internal or external factors but individuals still have some conscious control.
• Associated with the cognitive approach and social learning theory.

What is the Nature Side of the Nature vs Nurture Debate?

• Behaviour influenced by genes, biology and inheritance.
• Associated with the biological approach.

What is the Nurture Side of the Nature vs Nurture Debate?

• Behaviour influenced by learning, experience and the environment.
• Associated with behaviourism and social learning theory.

What is the Interactionist Approach?

• Suggests behaviour results from interaction between nature and nurture.
• Most modern psychologists accept this view.

What is Reductionism?

• Explaining behaviour using simple components or processes.
• May oversimplify complex human behaviour.

What are the Types of Reductionism?

• Biological reductionism.
• Machine reductionism.

What is Biological Reductionism?

• Explains behaviour through genes, neurochemistry and brain structures.

What is Machine Reductionism?

• Cognitive approach compares humans to computers and information processing systems.
• May oversimplify emotional and motivational aspects of behaviour.

What is Holism?

• Behaviour should be understood as a whole experience rather than broken into parts.
• Associated with the humanistic approach.

What is the Nomothetic Approach?

• Seeks general laws of behaviour.
• Uses scientific methods and studies large groups.

What are the Nomothetic Approaches?

• Biological approach.
• Behaviourist approach.
• Cognitive approach.

What is the Idiographic Approach?

• Focuses on unique individual experiences and behaviour.
• Often uses detailed case studies.

What are the Idiographic Approaches?

• Psychodynamic approach.
• Humanistic approach.

What are the More Scientific Approaches?

• Biological approach.
• Cognitive approach.
• Behaviourist approach.

What are the Less Scientific Approaches?

• Psychodynamic approach.
• Humanistic approach.

Compare Humanistic and Behaviourist Approaches

• Humanistic approach believes humans have free will and consciously choose behaviour.
• Behaviourist approach believes behaviour is environmentally determined through conditioning.
• Humanistic approach focuses on subjective experience and personal growth.
• Behaviourism focuses only on observable behaviour and scientific objectivity.
• Humanistic approach is holistic whereas behaviourism is reductionist.

Compare Cognitive and Behaviourist Approaches

• Cognitive approach studies internal mental processes such as memory and thinking.
• Behaviourist approach only studies observable behaviour.
• Cognitive approach accepts role of mediational processes between stimulus and response.
• Behaviourism believes behaviour is learned directly through conditioning.
• Both approaches use scientific and controlled research methods.

Compare Biological and Learning Approaches

• Biological approach explains behaviour through genes, brain structures and neurochemistry.
• Learning approaches explain behaviour through environment and experience.
• Biological approach supports nature side of debate whereas learning approaches support nurture.
• Biological approach uses biological reductionism whereas learning approaches focus on conditioning and observation.
• Both approaches are scientific and use controlled research methods.

Compare Humanistic and Psychodynamic Approaches

• Humanistic approach emphasises free will, conscious experience and personal growth.
• Psychodynamic approach emphasises unconscious conflict and psychic determinism.
• Humanistic psychology has a positive view of human nature.
• Psychodynamic approach focuses on conflict, anxiety and childhood trauma.
• Humanistic approach focuses on present and future growth whereas psychodynamic approach focuses heavily on childhood experiences.
• Both approaches use less scientific and more subjective methods compared to biological or cognitive approaches.