Topic 3- alternative to medical model

• behaviourist explanation in relation to psych as a science

  • is scientific as it is based on established theories with empirical evidence
• behaviourist explanation in relation to reductionism/holism

  • reductionist in the way it does not take into account possible biological explanations
  • however it does combine three learning mechanisms so not entirely reductionist
• behaviourist explanation in relation to freewill/determinism

  • deterministic in terms of people not being able to change their past experiences
  • although the treatments suggest we can change our behaviours and so freewill
• behaviourist explanation in relation to nature/nurture


  • nurture- environmental experiences shape our phobias, could be traumatic experiences, reinforcers, or exposer to role models
• cognitive explanation in relation to psych as a science

  • difficult to test in an objective way as often relies on self-report of patients' beliefs
  • evidence of cognitive based on therapies being effective can be seen as supporting the explanation as being testable and scientific
• cognitive explanation in relation to reductionism/holism


  • generally ignores some biological explanations
  • it does though accept that a combination of learning through past experiences and traumatic events may combine to create irrational thoughts/negative thinking
• cognitive explanation in relation to freewill/determinism

  • deterministic as our negative thoughts determine how we react to stressors
  • but through therapy this can change and so we perhaps freewill
• cognitive explanation in relation to nature/nurture

  • bit of mixture of nature and nurture
  • our environment causes stressors that we respond to
  • Beck accepts some people biologically are more likely not to cope with them and so perhaps develop schizophrenia/depression
• psychodynamic explanation in relation to psych as a science


  • least scientific of all as we cannot measure unconscious conflicts in the mind and subjective interpretation of dreams/anxieties is needed by the therapist
  • lacks precise data on what would cause a fixation at a psychosexual stage, what is too much breastfeeding?
• psychodynamic explanation in relation to reduction/holism

  • reductionist in ignoring behavioural and biological explanations
  • although within the theory itself a wide range of explanations exist
• psychodynamic explanation in relation to freewill/determinism


  • internal conflicts determine our behaviours and these problems in our mind developed as a result of our experiences as a child
  • the freewill aspect is in accepting and bringing out these experiences to help rebalance our mind
• psychodynamic explanation in relation to nature/nurture

  • nature in terms of we all apparently have an Id, ego and superego and go through the same stages of psychosexual development
  • however nurture, such as our childhood environment/ experiences shapes how our mind develops
• applications in relation to ethical considerations

  • RET- can be quite 'harsh' blunt therapy in terms of making people accept/challenge their irrational beliefs and so potentially distressing parts
  • flooding is very unethical, participants are harmed and right to withdrawal is not maintained
• applications in relation to usefulness

  • systematic desensitisation- very effective for specific phobias, relatively quick and quite cheap. less useful for more social/complex phobias
  • flooding- not used any more, too harmful
  • aversion therapy- need person to take the drug, only useful for drug addictions
  • RET- tales a number of sessions to improve, and a well-motivated individual, not really useful with children or specific phobias