INTRODUCTION TO APPROACHES
TOPICS
Origins of Psychology: Wundt, introspection and the emergence of Psychology as a science.
The basic assumptions of the following approaches:
Learning approaches: i) the behaviourist approach, including classical conditioning and Pavlov’s research, operant conditioning, types of reinforcement and Skinner’s research.
Social learning theory includes imitation, identification, modelling, vicarious reinforcement, the role of mediational processes, and Bandura’s research.
The cognitive approach: the study of internal mental processes, the role of schema, and using theoretical and computer models to explain and make inferences about mental processes. The emergence of cognitive neuroscience.
The biological approach: the influence of genes, biological structures, and neurochemistry on behaviour; genotype and phenotype; genetic basis of behaviour; Evolution and behaviour.
The psychodynamic approach: the role of the unconscious, the structure of personality that is Id, Ego and Superego, defence mechanisms including repression, denial and displacement, psychosexual stages.
Humanistic psychology, which focuses on free will, self-actualisation, and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, influences counselling psychology by focusing on the self, congruence, and the role of conditions of worth.
Comparison of approaches
PSYCHOLOGISTS DISAGREE
A common misconception is that psychologists all share the same belief system. In reality, psychology is home to diverse, sometimes conflicting, viewpoints. Much like political ideologies—where some favour communism and others capitalism—psychologists often disagree on theories and treatment approaches. These differing views are known as psychological perspectives or approaches.
THE MAJOR PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACHES INCLUDE:
THE PSYCHODYNAMIC APPROACH: Focuses on the influence of unconscious childhood experiences.
THE BEHAVIOURIST/LEARNING APPROACH: Examines how behaviour is shaped through consequences and associations.
THE HUMANIST & POSITIVE APPROACH: Emphasises personal growth, self-fulfilment, and belief in one’s potential.
THE SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY APPROACH: Looks at how behaviour is learned by observing others.
THE COGNITIVE APPROACH: Investigates how mental processes like memory, perception, and attention are organised, often exploring schemas and biases in thinking.
THE BIOLOGICAL APPROACH: This approach examines how natural selection shapes brain structure and function, with neuroscience delving into the brain's biological hardware.
Though some approaches, such as humanism and neuroscience, hold opposing views on concepts like free will and determinism, others, like the cognitive and biological approaches, can complement each other by focusing on different aspects of the brain’s functioning.
MEET STACEY MULLIGAN
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AGE: 31
NATIONALITY: American
OCCUPATION: Unemployed
ADDRESS: No fixed abode
NUMBER OF CHILDREN: 7, all of whom have been taken into care.
BACKGROUND AND HISTORY
Stacey was born with a cocaine addiction and spent the first weeks of her life receiving treatment for dependency. Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) occurs when a pregnant woman uses drugs such as heroin, codeine, oxycodone (Oxycontin), methadone, or buprenorphine. These substances pass through the placenta, leading to the baby developing a dependency.
As a toddler, Stacey was placed into “care” after neighbours raised concerns with local authorities. She spent most of her childhood in institutions and foster homes. Since the age of 11, Stacey has been arrested multiple times for possession of class-A drugs, shoplifting, public disorder, and solicitation.
Stacey struggles with methamphetamine and alcohol addiction and is thought to suffer from borderline personality disorder.
WHAT LED TO STACEY'S CURRENT SITUATION?
Here is an analysis using different psychological approaches:
HUMANIST/POSITIVE APPROACH
Stacey's lack of self-realisation stems from a deficiency in empathy and unconditional positive regard from others. She can only achieve self-acceptance and fulfil her potential in an environment that fosters genuine interpersonal connections.
PSYCHODYNAMIC APPROACH
Stacey's early experience of being ignored by her mother resulted in unconscious feelings of abandonment and low self-worth. Lacking a solid emotional bond with her mother, she struggles to form meaningful connections with others.
BEHAVIOUR/LEARNING APPROACH
Stacey's mother was affectionate, funny, and generous when high, leading Stacey to associate her mother’s drug use with positive feelings. In contrast, sobriety was linked to neglect and abuse, reinforcing negative associations with being sober.
SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY
Stacey observed her mother being happier when high and depressed when sober. This influenced Stacey’s perception of drug use as a way to achieve happiness.
COGNITIVE APPROACH
Stacey believes she is destined to be a drug addict and that drugs improve her life. This belief, along with being labelled with Borderline Personality Disorder, has likely shaped her self-schema and reinforced her destructive behaviour patterns.
BIOLOGICAL APPROACH
Her mother’s crack addiction damaged Stacey's brain while she was in the womb, resulting in impaired emotional regulation and impulse control, mainly due to damage to her amygdala.
These examples highlight that psychology consists of various perspectives, each offering different insights into Stacey's situation rather than a single collective belief system.
SUMMING UP
So, what is psychology?
Psychology studies ideas that explore human behaviour, even when these ideas conflict with other psychological approaches. Therefore, the definition of psychology is "the study of mind and behaviour" rather than a unified paradigm.
For many academics, the term psychology has outlived its usefulness as a descriptor. One possible solution is for the different approaches to break away from this umbrella term and develop as separate specialisations. After all, philosophy also addresses questions about the human condition, yet its ideologies are not framed as psychological.
However, as Kuhn observed, new disciplines often evolve, just as science emerged from natural philosophy. But Kuhn’s theory doesn’t entirely apply to psychology. Since psychology is rooted in the humanities, its journey towards becoming a science is more complex.
For instance, while no single approach has fully captured the complexity of human nature, five major approaches—Behaviorism, Social Learning Theory, Cognitive, and Biological—continue to offer valuable insights into human development. These approaches don’t necessarily need to be replaced by newer disciplines.
Instead, the focus should be moving away from less scientific approaches, like humanism and psychoanalytic theories, and aiming to unify these five perspectives into a cohesive paradigm.
Perhaps, then, psychology can genuinely call itself a paradigm.
