Comparison of Approach

• compare biological approach and the humanistic approach (reductionism vs holism)

  • biological approach attempts to break human behaviour down into different structures and processes that occur at a biological level
  • humanistic approach argues that human behaviour should be explained at a holistic level and that the only way to understand human behaviour is to focus on all aspects of human experience
  • Humanistic psychologists strongly disagree with the idea of reductionism as they believe that reductionism simplifies the complex nature of human behaviour.
• compare behavioural approach with SLT (nature vs nurture)

  • The behaviourist approach and social learning theory (SLT) are similar in their approach to explaining how human behaviour is shaped through reinforcement.
  • A central tenet of operant conditioning (the behaviourist approach) is that of positive and negative reinforcement
  • Within SLT the notion of vicarious reinforcement is important for social learning to occur.
  • So, whilst both approaches focus on different types of reinforcement, both recognise the importance of the environment (nurture) on human behaviour.
• compare SLT with the psychodynamic approach (free will vs determinism)

  • The psychodynamic approach claims that behaviour is determined by unconscious drives and early childhood experiences - psychic determinism.
  • SLT takes a softer view and claims that while behaviour is influenced by environmental forces, humans have personal responsibility and free choice - soft determinism.
  • Therefore, these two approaches differ in their view about the extent to which humans have control over their own behaviour, with the psychodynamic approach advocating a harder view of determinism in comparison to SLT.
• compare cognitive approach with psychodynamic approach (nomothetic vs idiographic)

  • cognitive approach takes a nomothetic approach, generating theories to explain human behaviour. the cognitive approach makes uses of idiographic methods (e.g. case studies of Patient HM etc.) to provide evidence to support/refute cognitive theories.
  • the psychodynamic approach also takes a nomothetic approach, generating theories (e.g. psychosexual stages of development etc.) to explain human behaviour, while also utilising idiographic methods to provide evidence to support/refute psychodynamic theories.
• compare psychodynamic approach to humanistic approach (free will vs determinism)

  • The psychodynamic approach claims that behaviour is determined by unconscious drives and early childhood experiences, which is known as psychic determinism.
  • The humanistic approach claims that humans have control over their own environment and are capable of change. Incidentally, the humanistic approach is the only approach that advocates complete free will.
  • Therefore, these two approaches could not be more different in their view about the extent to which humans have control over their own behaviour.
• compare humanistic approach with SLT (nature vs nurture)

  • The humanistic approach and SLT are similar in their approach to explaining how human behaviour is shaped by the environment (nurture).
  • From a humanistic approach, the individual strives within their environment to achieve self-actualisation.
  • Within SLT, the notion of vicarious reinforcement is important for social learning to occur.
  • So, whilst both approaches focus on different key contributors to shaping behaviour, both recognise the importance of nurture whereby the environment can influence the outcome of behaviour.