Comparison of approaches

• Free Will vs Determinism

  Psychodynamic

  Psychic determinism - Behaviour is determined by unconscious drives and early childhood experiences
• Free Will vs Determinism

  Behaviourist

  Environmental determinism - Behaviour is controlled by stimulus-response conditioning
• Free Will vs Determinism

  Humanistic

  Free-will - Humans have control of their own environment and are capable of change
• Free Will vs Determinism

  Cognitive

  Determinism (soft)Behaviour is controlled by mediational processes however, humans can choose what information they attend to.
• Free Will vs Determinism

  Social Learning Theory

  Determinism (soft)Behaviour is controlled by environmental forces. However, humans have personal responsibilities and free choice
• Free Will vs Determinism

  Biological

  Biological determinism - Behaviour is controlled by internal biological factors (genes, hormones, etc)
• Nature vs Nurture

  Psychodynamic

  Mostly Nature - Behaviour is the product of innate drives but shaped by early childhood experiences
• Nature vs Nurture

  Behaviourist

  Nurture - Humans are born as a blank slate (tabula rasa) and behaviour is learned
• Nature vs Nurture

  Humanistic

  Mostly nurture - Behaviour is shaped by the environment as humans strive to achieve self-actualisation
• Nature vs Nurture

  Cognitive

  Nature & Nurture - Behaviour is the product of information processing and modified by experience
• Nature vs Nurture

  Social Learning Theory

  NurtureBehaviour is learnt via classical and operant conditioning
• Nature vs Nurture

  Biological

  Nature - Behaviour is the result of innate biological factors
• Reductionism vs Holism

  Psychodynamic


  Both - Behaviour is reduced to innate drives whilst taking account of multiple aspects of human behaviour
• Reductionism vs Holism

  Behaviourist

  Environmental reductionism - Behaviour is broken down into simple stimulus-response associations
• Reductionism vs Holism

  Humanistic

  Holism - Focuses on understanding all aspects of human experience
• Reductionism vs Holism

  Cognitive

  Environmental reductionism - Behaviour is investigated in terms of isolated variables (such as STM and LTM)
• Reductionism vs Holism

  Social Learning Theory

  Shares elements from the behaviourist and cognitive approach
• Reductionism vs Holism

  Biological

  Biological reductionism - Behaviour is broken down into biological structures and processes
• Idiographic vs Nomothetic

  Psychodynamic

  Both - Attempts to establish general laws in relation to innate drives, while considering unique experiences during childhood
• Idiographic vs Nomothetic

  Behaviourist

  Nomothetic - Creates universal laws, as behaviour is a result of stimulus-response associations
• Idiographic vs Nomothetic

  Humanistic


  Idiographic - Focuses on the subjective human experience and makes no attempt to create general laws
• Idiographic vs Nomothetic

  Cognitive


  Nomothetic - Attempts to establish general laws of cognitive processing but utilises an idiographic approach with case studies
• Idiographic vs Nomothetic

  Social Learning Theory


  Nomothetic - Attempts to establish general laws of behaviour (such as vicarious reinforcement)
• Idiographic vs Nomothetic

  Biological

  Nomothetic - Creates universal laws using human physiological explanations
• Scientific

  Psychodynamic


  Not scientific - Examines many concepts and theories which cannot be empirically tested. Relies on subjective interpretation.
• Scientific

  Behaviourist


  Scientific - The behavioural approach utilises scientific method of investigation and embraces animal research and laboratory studies.
• Scientific

  Humanistic


  Not scientific - Rejects the scientific method and is therefore unable to provide empirical evidence.
• Scientific

  Cognitive


  Mostly scientific - However, researchers are unable to directly observe cognitive processes
• Scientific

  Social Learning Theory

  Mostly scientific - But takes account of mediational processes
• Scientific

  Biological


  Scientific - The biological approach promotes the empirical scientific method of investigation
• Tests on humans/animals

  Psychodynamic


  Test on humans - Little Hans
• Tests on humans/animals

  Behaviourist

  Tests on animals - Skinner’s rats and Pavlov’s dogs – assumes animal and human learning is the same
• Tests on humans/animals

  Humanistic

  Doesn’t conduct scientific testing
• Tests on humans/animals

  Cognitive

  Test on humans - Bugelski and Alampay (1962)
• Tests on humans/animals

  Social Learning Theory


  Test on humans - Bandura
• Tests on humans/animals

  Biological

  Tests on humans and animals - Assumes different species of animal can be studied and compared. This can help in the search to understand human behaviour