Approaches part 3

Question 1

What are the things that you can compare on

Answer 1

determinism
psychology as a science
nature and nurture
an overview

Question 2

is behaviourist determinist

Answer 2

the consequences of a behaviour determine the likelihood of the behaviour recurring - rewards and punishment, they emphasise the importance of external forces in the environment in shaping our behaviour therefore it is deterministic

Question 3

is behaviourist nature or nurture

Answer 3

nurture as it is a consequence of our interactions with the environment and the consequences of our behaviour within that environment

Question 4

is behaviourist committed to psychology as a science

Answer 4

strongly committed

• highly objective
• focuses on responses that can accurately be measured
• allows for a high degree of replication

Question 5

is social learning theory determinist

Answer 5

relies on observations of others by using vicarious reinforcement and so learning is therefore a large product of our experience, but it is up to the individual to apply these tools

Question 6

is social learning theory nature or nurture

Answer 6

primarily nurture - people learn through a result of observing others, however the capacity to learn from observation of others have some adaptive value so is likely to be innate therefore nature

Question 7

is social learning theory committed to psychology as a science

Answer 7

relies of scientific method

• reliable and can be replicated
• allows cause and effect to be drawn to
• carried out in artificial settings therefore lacks ecological validity

Question 8

is cognitive determinist

Answer 8

no,our own thought processes determine our behaviour therefore the individual has some degree over their behaviour

Question 9

is cognitive nature or nurture

Answer 9

both - thought processes may be a product of innate factors or our experiences this is nature but problems may arise when people develop irrational thoughts as a result of their experience - nurture

Question 10

is cognitive scientific

Answer 10

to a degree

• mostly can be easily tested
• mental processes are largely unobservable
• develop models of cognitive processing

Question 11

Is biological determinism

Answer 11

yes - physiological such as hormones and neurochemical factors control our behaviour which are out of our control

Question 12

is biological nature or nurture

Answer 12

primarily nature - CNS and endocrine system are product of innate factors so nature
experience may modify these systems - Maguire et al 2000 of London taxi drivers which found structural changes in there brain as having to learn London’s complex road layout

Question 13

is biological scientific

Answer 13

positive
- influence of neurotransmitters can be investigated by administrating drugs which can change the levels of a particular neurotransmitter in the brain and then measuring any change in behaviour

Question 14

is psychodynamic determinist

Answer 14

yes - some of our behaviours are caused by unconscious factors that are unknown to us therefore are beyond are conscious control - such as Freudian slips

Question 15

is psychodynamic nature or nurture

Answer 15

both
- focuses on the nature side in the human being such as the unconscious forces like the demands of the id therefore nature, however we learn to cope with these as a result of upbringing therefore nurture

Question 16

is psychodynamic committed to the scientific method

Answer 16

sometimes

• mostly case studies such as little hans
• some can be explained by scientifically

Question 17

is humanistic approach deterministic

Answer 17

no - it is believed that humans have free will and therefore exercise choice in there behaviour rather than being at the mercy of outside forces

Question 18

is humanistic approach nature or nurture

Answer 18

both nature and nurture

• makes assumptions about human nature - are drive to self actualisation
• self actualisation arises from our experiences and upbringing therefore nurture

Question 19

is humanistic approach scientific

Answer 19

no
- argue that scientific methods are derived and suited for the natural sciences therefore cannot be applied to the complexity of human consciousness and experience