Comparison of Approaches

• Define holism

  Considers the person as an indivisible system
• Define Reductionism

  Breaks down behaviour into its constituent parts
• Define determinism

  Behaviour is determined by internal or external factors acting upon the individual
• Define hard determinism

  View that all behaviour is caused by factors outside of our control and there is no room for free will
• Define soft determinism

  View that all behaviour does have a cause, but not by internal/external events but by our own wishes/conscious desires
• Which approaches are hard deterministic?

  Biological, behaviourism and psychodynamic
• Which approaches are soft deterministic?

  Cognitive and SLT
• Define free wil


  Humans operate as active agents who determine their own development
• Which approach believes in free will and holism?

  Humanism
• What is nature?


  Behaviour is a product of innate, biological factors
• What is nurture?

  Behaviour is a product of environmental influences
• Which approaches believe in nurture?

  Behaviourism, SLT
• Which approaches believe in nature?

  Biological
• Which approaches are a mixture of both nature and nurture?

  x Cognitive (schemas and information - processing abilities are innate but they are refined through experience) x Psychodynamic (behavior driven by biological drives and instincts, but believed relationships with parents influenced future development) x Humanism (saw parents, friends and wider society as having impact on self-concept, but also we have a drive to self-actualize)
• Which 4 approaches make use of scientific methods?

  Behaviourist, Biological, SLT and cognitive
• What is an eclectic approach?

  When researchers combine several approaches and theoretical perspectives in order to provide a more comprehensive account of human behaviour.
• What are 2 advantages of using an eclectic approach

  1, Provides a fuller, more detailed understanding of human behaviour 2, Isn’t restricted to one perspective - allows new ideas
• What are 2 disadvantages of using an eclectic approach?

  1, Explanation of behaviour may become ‘watered down’ when combining many perspectives 2, Are practical difficulties when providing eclectic therapy. It may be too complex for one clinician to manage