Comparison of approaches

How do the approaches differ in their views on development

Psychodynamic: presents the 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: contributed to our understanding of child development. For example, as part of their 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 child's physiological status influence psychological and behavioural characteristics

Humanistic: see the development of the self as ongoing throughout life. However childhood is a particularly important period and a child's 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

How do the approaches align with the nature nurture debate

Behaviourist: characterised babies as 'blank slates' at birth and suggest that all behaviour comes about through learned associations, reinforcement contingencies

SLT: behaviour comes from observation and imitation

Biological: 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 instincts, but he also saw relationships with parents as playing a fundamental role in future development

Humanistic: regard parents, friends and wider society as having a critical impact on the person's self-concept

Cognitive: although cognitive psychologists would recognise that many of our information processing abilities and schema are innate, they are constantly refined through experience

How do the approaches align with reductionism

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 much of our behaviour to the influence of sexual drives and biological instincts, although Freud's argument that personality is a dynamic interaction between the three parts of the personality is often viewed as a more holistic explanation

Cognitive: accused of machine reductionism by presenting people as information processing systems and ignoring the influence of emotion on behaviour

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

Humanistic: holistic approach to understanding human behaviour - involves investigating all aspects of the individual, including the effects of interaction with others and wider society

How do the approaches align with determinism

Determinism proposes that all behaviour has an internal or external cause and is therefore predictable

Behaviourist: sees all behaviour as environmentally determined by external influences that we are unable to control (e.g. operant conditioning)

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

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

(ABOVE ARE ALL HARD DETERMINISM)

Cognitive: suggests that 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

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

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

How do the approaches explain and treat psychological disorders

Behaviourist: sees abnormality as arising from maladaptive or faulty learning in the sense that destructive patterns of behaviour have been reinforced. Behaviour therapies, such as systematic desensitisation, which aim to condition new, more healthy responses, have been applied successfully to the treatment of phobias

SLT: 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 it is not appropriate for everyone because it requires a considerable input from the patient in terms of time and also ability to talk about and reflect on emotions

Cognitive: is much more effective and applicable, especially when combined with behaviour therapy as CBT. It aims to identify and eradicate faulty thinking which is assumed to be the root cause of maladaptive behaviour

Humanistic: humanistic therapy (or 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 has revolutionised the treatment of mental disorders through the development of drug therapy which regulates chemical imbalances in the brain