Comparison of Approaches

• Reductionism


  The belief that behaviour is explained through breaking it down into smaller parts
• Holism


  An idea that human behaviour should be viewed as a whole integrated experience and not separate parts
• Free will


  The idea that humans can make choices and are not determined by biological/external forces
• Determinism


  The view that an individual's behaviour is shaped or controlled by internal or external forces rather than an individual's will to do something.
• Nature


  A view that behaviour is the product of innate biological/genetic factors
• Nurture


  A view which refers to how the environment impacts our behaviour
• Idiographic


  An approach which focuses on an individual case to understand behaviour rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour
• Nomothetic


  An approach which attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws
• Which approaches emphasise stage of development?

  • Psychodynamic
  • Cognitive
• Which approaches emphasise ongoing development?

  • Humanistic
  • Behaviourist
• Which approaches side with nature?

  • Biological
  • Psychodynamic
  • Cognitive
• Which approaches side more with nurture?

  • Behaviourist
  • SLT
  • Humanistic
• Which approaches follow a reductionist approach?

  • Biological
  • Psychodynamic
  • Cognitive
  • SLT
  • Behaviourist
• Which approaches follow a holistic approach?

  Humanistic
• Which approaches are hard deterministic?

  • Biological (biological determinism)
  • Behaviourist (environmental determinism)
  • Psychodynamic (psychic determinism)
• Which approaches are soft deterministic?

  • Cognitive
  • SLT (reciprocal determinism)
• Which approach follows free will?

  -Humanistic
• Explanations and treatments of abnormal behaviour: Behaviourist

  explanation: maladaptive learning, destructive patterns of behaviour being reinforced. Treatments: systematic desensitisation
• Explanations and treatments of abnormal behaviour: SLT

  Explanation: learned through dysfunctional role models
• Explanations and treatments of abnormal behaviour: Psychodynamic

  Explanation: unconscious conflict, childhood trauma, overuse of defence mechanisms. Treatment: Psychoanalysis
• Explanations and treatments of abnormal behaviour: Cognitive

  Explanation: faulty thinking. Treatment: CBT
• Explanations and treatments of abnormal behaviour: Humanistic

  Explanation: Non-congruent. Treatment: Counselling
• Explanations and treatments of abnormal behaviour: Biological

  Explanation: Irregular chemicals in the brain. Treatment: Drugs
• Idiographic approaches

  • Psychodynamic
  • Humanistic
• Nomothetic approaches

  • Behaviourist
  • SLT
• Eclecticism


  The combination of several approaches, methods and/or theoretical perspectives in order to provide a more comprehensive account of human behaviour