Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2025
First exams 2027
Comparison of Approaches (AQA A Level Psychology): Revision Note
Exam code: 7182
Comparison of approaches in A Level psychology
Learning approaches: the behaviourist approach | |
|---|---|
Explanation of behaviour | Behaviour is the product of environmental influence:
|
Link to issues & debates | Environmental determinism; hard determinism; nurture side of the nature/nurture debate |
Scientific/Non-scientific? | Scientific: only observable behaviour can be measured; reliance on lab experiments and animal research such as those conducted by Pavlov and Skinner |
How would this approach explain mental illness? | The two-process model of phobias (learned via classical conditioning, maintained via operant conditioning) |
How would this approach treat mental illness? | Phobias treated using systematic desensitisation or flooding |
Learning approaches: social learning theory | |
|---|---|
Explanation of behaviour | Behaviour is based on observation of, imitation of and identification with role models Learning occurs via vicarious reinforcement and ARRM (attention, retention, reproduction, motivation) |
Link to issues & debates | Environmental determinism; reciprocal determinism; nurture side of the nature/nurture debate |
Scientific/Non-scientific? | Scientific: reliance on lab experiments, such as Bandura (1961) |
How would this approach explain mental illness? | Possible impulse-control issues if aggressive behaviour is observed from role models |
How would this approach treat mental illness? | Token economies which involve rewards, learning social skills and vicarious reinforcement |
The cognitive approach | |
|---|---|
Explanation of behaviour | Behaviour is based on internal mental processes; the mind-as-computer analogy; information-processing guides behaviour; schemas inform understanding of the world; cognitive neuroscience assumes a brain-mind relationship |
Link to Issues & Debates | Soft determinism (some free will in thought processes & schemas develop through experience); makes use of idiographic approaches (case studies e.g. HM) to establish general laws of behaviour (nomothetic); machine reductionism |
Scientific/Non-scientific? | Scientific: reliance on lab experiments and brain scans e.g. cognitive neuroscience |
How would this approach explain mental illness? | Depression is due to faulty information processing, irrational thoughts and negative self-schemas |
How would this approach treat mental illness? | Cognitive behavioural therapy, which seeks to challenge and change irrational thoughts |
The biological approach | |
|---|---|
Explanation of behaviour | Behaviour is based on internal physiological processes; the influence of genetics (inherited traits, genotype, phenotype); biological structures such as brain localisation; the effect of synaptic transmission; the influence of evolution |
Link to Issues & Debates | Biological determinism; biological reductionism; nature side of the nature/nurture debate; ethical implications of socially sensitive topics such as criminality and biology (e.g. are some people 'born bad'?) |
Scientific/Non-scientific? | Scientific: the use of brain-imaging technologies such as Maguire et al. (2000) |
How would this approach explain mental illness? | Imbalance of neurotransmitters, dysfunctional genes, and hormonal fluctuations |
How would this approach treat mental illness? | Drug therapy, such as SSRIs to treat depression and OCD |
The psychodynamic approach | |
|---|---|
Explanation of behaviour | Behaviour is based on internal drives which are the product of the unconscious mind; the tripartite structure of personality (Id, Ego, Superego); defence mechanisms; psychosexual stages, particularly the Oedipus complex |
Link to Issues & Debates | Psychic determinism; biological reductionism; ethical implications of socially sensitive topics such as delving into trauma; partially idiographic due to the use of case studies but also nomothetic as it seeks to establish general laws of behaviour (e.g. everyone has tripartite personality structure); gender bias as the role of women under-developed and women viewed as a puzzle to be 'solved' |
Scientific/Non-scientific? | Non-scientific: the use of case studies and subjective methodology is open to interpretation |
How would this approach explain mental illness? | Being fixated at a psychosexual stage (e.g. Hans' horse phobia linked to Oedipus complex); being conflicted due to childhood experience; defence mechanisms disguising trauma |
How would this approach treat mental illness? | Psychoanalysis/therapy involving dream analysis, free association, hypnotism |
The humanistic approach | |
|---|---|
Explanation of behaviour | Behaviour is based on phenomenology (an individual's personal 'journey'); the importance of the self; Maslow's hierarchy denotes upward, aspirational goal of self-actualisation; conditions of worth; congruence |
Link to Issues & Debates | Holism (the only approach which can claim this); idiographic (the only approach which is truly this); culture bias, as it may not apply to collectivist cultures |
Scientific/Non-scientific? | Non-scientific: the use of one-to-one counselling and emphasis on the subjective reality of the individual |
How would this approach explain mental illness? | Conditions of worth imposed by parents have blocked happiness |
How would this approach treat mental illness? | Rogerian therapy uses unconditional positive regard to achieve congruence |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
In the Paper 2 exam, you could be asked to compare approaches (usually two) for any amount of marks - often 8 or 16 mark questions. Watch out for the question wording:
Some questions require you to outline only one approach and the evaluation is the comparison e.g. "Outline the cognitive approach. Compare with the biological approach"
Whereas, other questions require you to outline and evaluate the approaches e.g. "Compare the cognitive and biological approach".
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