Summary AQA A-Level Psychology Approaches in Psychology Comparison Table

Approaches in Psychology Comparison
Key Key Features Research Study Key Applications Issues and Debates
Assumptions Methods Examples words/concepts Determinism Nature Reductionist Idiographic Scientific
vs vs Holistic vs
Nurture Nomothetic
Behaviourist - All behaviours Learning Lab Pavlov Positive Phobias and Hard Nurture Reductionist Nomothetic Positive –
Approach are learnt from Observable experiments (1927) reinforcement – attachment Determinism high
our Behaviour Observations classical receiving a Systematic objective
environment Environment Animal studies conditioning reward when desensitisati and
- Focus on Conditioning Skinner behaviour is on experimen
observable Reinforcement (1953) formed therapies tally based
behaviour operant Negative
- Animals and conditioning reinforcement –
humans learn in behaviour that
the same way avoids something
- Psychology unpleasant
should be Punishment – an
scientific and unpleasant
objective consequence of
behaviour
Social - Behaviour is Social Observations Bandura Vicarious Influence of Reciprocal Nurture Nomothetic Positive –
Learning learned from influences Experiments (1961) reinforcement – media on determinism inferences
Theory experience Environment Field studies learners observe behaviour of cause
- Learning Observable Correlations behaviour and and
happen in social behaviour Interviews the consequences effect
context Learning of the behaviour. can be
Modelling Mediational drawn
Reinforcement processes – the
4 processes
involved in
learning are
attention,

, retention, motor
reproduction and
motivation
Identification –
children are more
likely to imitate
the behaviour of
people they
identify with
Imitation –
children imitate
behaviours they
see
Modelling –
children are likely
to imitate acts of
violence if they
see this in an
adult
Cognitive - Information Internal Lab MSM Schema – Increased Soft Both Nomothetic Partly
Approach from the processes experiments WMM packages of accuracy of determinism positive –
senses is Perception Brain scans information eyewitness proposition
processed by Attention CAT scans developed through testimony s can be
the brain Memory PET scans experience Cause of tested,
- Internal Language Computer models depression but a lot
mental Thinking – programmes to Cognitive of
processes imitate the behavioural inference
cannot be human mind therapy is needed
observed but
we can infer a
person’s