Compare behaviourist + psychodynamic sims and diffs

Cards (9)

  • Point: (determinist)
    one similarity between the behaviourist and psychodynamic approaches is that they are both determinist, meaning they suggest behaviour is controlled by external or unconscious forces rather than free will
  • Evidence (determinist)
    The behaviourist approach argues that behaviour is shaped by environmental factors such as reinforcement and punishment (operant conditioning) or stimulus-response associations (classical conditioning). similarly, the psychodynamic approach claims behaviour is determined by unconscious drives and childhood experiences, such as unresolved conflicts in the psychosexual stages
  • Evaluate (determinist)
    A strength of determinism is that it allows for scientific study and prediction of behaviour, making it useful in therapy. For example, behaviourist treatments like systematic desensitisation focus on changing learned responses, while psychoanalysis aims to resolve unconscious conflicts. However, a weakness of determinism is that it ignores free will, suggesting people have little control over their behaviour, which can be seen as too simplistic
  • Link (determinist)
    despite their differences in focus (external vs internal influences), both approaches share the determinist belief that behaviour is shaped by forces beyond conscious control
  • Point (methodology)
    A key difference between the two approaches is their methodology, as the behaviourist approach is scientific, while the psychodynamic approach is based on subjective interpretation.
  • Evidence (methodology)
    Behaviourists rely on observable, measurable behaviour, using controlled experiments such as Pavlov’s research on dogs and Skinner‘s operant conditioning studies. In contrast, the psychodynamic approach is based on case studies and introspective methods, such as Freud’s analysis of Little Hans, which relied on interpreting unconscious desires rather than direct observation
  • Evaluate (methodology)
    The scientific nature of behaviourism makes it more reliable, as findings can be replicated and objectively tested. This has led to effective applications, such as behaviourist therapies used in education and mental health treatment. However, the psychodynamic approach‘s reliance on subjective analysis makes it difficult to test or falsify, reducing its credibility as a scientific theory
  • Link (methodology)
    While both approaches have been influential in psychology, behaviourism is more scientific, whereas the psychodynamic approach focuses on deeper, less measurable aspects of human behaviour
  • conclusion
    Overall, both approaches are deterministic but differ in their scientific credibility, with behaviourism being more empirical and testable, while the psychodynamic approach provides deeper but less scientifically verifiable explanations of behaviour