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AS and A Level Psychology (9990) Psychological Approaches

Psychological Approaches

Biological Approach

Assumptions:

  • Behavior, Cognitions, and emotions can be explained by genes, hormones, and chemicals.

Strengths 💪

Weakness 🍰

Objective/Straightforward - It only looks at genes, hormones, and chemicals.

Reductionist - It will overlook other approaches and only look at genes, hormones, and chemicals.

Application - Humans are all biologically the same. Therefore, if a psychologist sees something that can be applied to Americans, that theoretically can be applied to any person worldwide.

Cognitive Approach

Assumptions:

  • Behavior and emotions can be explained through cognitive processes like attention, language thinking and memory

Strengths 💪

Weakness 🍰

Objective - It uses scientific methods

Interpreting data - It is subjective because there might be multiple ways to explain it, in other words, it depends on your opinion.

Deals with the mind, which may be central (critical) towards human Psychology

Reductionist - Reduces everything in your brain and your cognitive processes

Builds models to analyze data

Makes the assumption that all input from people is equal, and doesn’t consider individual differences.

Learning Approach

Assumptions:

  • We are a blank slate (Tabula Raza), so everything about us is learned

  • Behavior can be explained through the consequences of actions

  • Learning occurs through observations and their consequences

Strengths 💪

Weakness 🍰

Objective - Focuses on observable behaviors

Reductionists - Will put methods and overlook every other approach

Creates a model for universal learning

Assumes we are tabula Raza, blank slates, and that everything about us is learned.

Provides explanations about how to prevent and unlearn diseases

Research on animals can be later used on humans

Social Approach

Assumptions:

  • We are influenced by social factors, and contexts

  • People can be changed/influenced through social and environmental factors

Strengths 💪

Weakness 🍰

Able to discover norms of behavior within the unwritten rules of society.

Maybe ethnocentrically biased as social studies typically focus on one’s culture. This means the studies done in one country won’t necessarily apply worldwide because they have other cultures.

Tends to be Holistic investing different levels of explanations and approaches.

AS and A Level Psychology (9990) Psychological Approaches

Psychological Approaches

Biological Approach

Assumptions:

  • Behavior, Cognitions, and emotions can be explained by genes, hormones, and chemicals.

Strengths 💪

Weakness 🍰

Objective/Straightforward - It only looks at genes, hormones, and chemicals.

Reductionist - It will overlook other approaches and only look at genes, hormones, and chemicals.

Application - Humans are all biologically the same. Therefore, if a psychologist sees something that can be applied to Americans, that theoretically can be applied to any person worldwide.

Cognitive Approach

Assumptions:

  • Behavior and emotions can be explained through cognitive processes like attention, language thinking and memory

Strengths 💪

Weakness 🍰

Objective - It uses scientific methods

Interpreting data - It is subjective because there might be multiple ways to explain it, in other words, it depends on your opinion.

Deals with the mind, which may be central (critical) towards human Psychology

Reductionist - Reduces everything in your brain and your cognitive processes

Builds models to analyze data

Makes the assumption that all input from people is equal, and doesn’t consider individual differences.

Learning Approach

Assumptions:

  • We are a blank slate (Tabula Raza), so everything about us is learned

  • Behavior can be explained through the consequences of actions

  • Learning occurs through observations and their consequences

Strengths 💪

Weakness 🍰

Objective - Focuses on observable behaviors

Reductionists - Will put methods and overlook every other approach

Creates a model for universal learning

Assumes we are tabula Raza, blank slates, and that everything about us is learned.

Provides explanations about how to prevent and unlearn diseases

Research on animals can be later used on humans

Social Approach

Assumptions:

  • We are influenced by social factors, and contexts

  • People can be changed/influenced through social and environmental factors

Strengths 💪

Weakness 🍰

Able to discover norms of behavior within the unwritten rules of society.

Maybe ethnocentrically biased as social studies typically focus on one’s culture. This means the studies done in one country won’t necessarily apply worldwide because they have other cultures.

Tends to be Holistic investing different levels of explanations and approaches.

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