Quick Fire AO3 approaches

• Strengths of Behaviourism?


  • well-controlled research (focus on high control, objective research which provides scientific credibility as ext. variables are removed)
  • real-world application (token economy, treatment of phobias)
• Limitations of Behaviourism?


  • Environmental determinism (sees all behaviour as conditioned by past conditioning experiences, ignoring free will)
  • Ethical issues (eg. skinners box animals were treated harshly)
• strengths of social learning theory?


  • recognizes cognitive factors (recognises the importance of cognitive factors, a more comprehensive approach by recognising mediational processes)
  • real-world application (explains cultural differences in behaviour, and how cultural norms are transmitted through societies, creating an understanding of how children come to understand their gender roles)
• limitations of social learning theory

  • criticized for too little reference to biological factors that influence behavior.
  • contrived lab studies (artificial).
  • reciprocal determinism ( oversimplifies the complexity of human behavior).
• strengths of the cognitive approach

  • use of scientific methods (high control research, the emergence of cognitive neuroscience means bio+cog approach come together and enhances the scientific basis of the study)
  • real-world application (AI + robots, also contributes research into depression and improve the reliability of eyewitness testimonies)
• limitations of the cognitive approach 


  • Machine reductionism (ignores influence of human emotion)
• strengths of the biological approach 


  • real world application ( antidepressant drugs and other treatment of mental disorders)
  • scientific methods (using scanning techniques)
• Limitations of the Biological Approach

  • Biological determinism (sees human behavior as governed by internal, genetic causes that we have no control over)
  • counterpoint for strength: antidepressants don't work for everyone
• strengths of the psychodynamic approach?

  • Real-world application (psychoanalysis was the first attempt to treat disorders psychologically and not physically)
  • Explanatory power
• limitations of the psychodynamic approach

  • unstable concepts ( "does not meet the scientific criterion of falsification")
  • psychic determinism ( our behavior is determined by unconscious childhood conflicts, eliminates the idea of free will)
  • strength counterpoint: psychoanalysis does not apply to all disorders eg. schizophrenia patients can't articulate their thoughts in a way needed for the therapy.
• strengths of the humanistic approach

  • not reductionist (doesn't break up behaviour into smaller components)
  • Positive approach (sees all people as good, free to work on achievements)
• limitations of humanistic approach

  • cultural bias (most ideas are related to individualistic cultures)
  • limited application (other approaches have had bigger effects in the real world eg. biological) however, rogerian therapy has been used in workplaces to explain motivation.