Comparison of Approaches

Ever wondered why psychologists seem to disagree about everything? It's because they're looking at human behaviour through completely different lenses, and each approach has its own take on what makes us tick.

Nature vs nurture is probably the biggest debate you'll encounter. The biological approach is team nature all the way - it believes everything about us is down to our genes, brain chemistry, and evolution. On the flip side, behaviourism and social learning theory are firmly in the nurture camp, arguing that our environment and experiences shape who we become. The cognitive approach sits somewhere in the middle, suggesting our mental schemas can be influenced by what's around us.

When it comes to reductionism, some approaches love to break things down into tiny pieces. Biological reductionism reduces all behaviour to basic biological building blocks, whilst environmental reductionism (behaviourism) sees everything as just conditioned responses from past experiences. The humanistic approach takes the opposite view with holism - looking at the whole person rather than separate parts.

Determinism versus free will is another major split. Hard deterministic approaches like biological, environmental, and psychodynamic believe our behaviour is completely determined by forces beyond our control. However, the humanistic approach champions free will, whilst social learning theory offers soft determinism - a middle ground that acknowledges both influences.

Quick Exam Tip: Remember that most approaches fall somewhere on a spectrum rather than being completely one thing or another - this nuanced understanding will boost your evaluation marks!