APPROACHES IN
PSYCHOLOGY
Paper 2
, Gender bias • is the theory based on research carried out on an unrepresentative sample?
• does the theory/approach attempts to explain phenomena in terms of basic
Reductionism elements?
• is the theory based on research carried out in one particular type of culture
Ethnocentrism (i.e. Individualistic culture) ?
• Does the theory/approach explain phenomena in terms of nature i.e.
Nature/Nurture genetics neglecting other factors i.e. social factors?
• Situate the theory in one approach (biological, behavioural, cognitive,
Approach psychodynamic)
• Does the theory/approach acknowledge a sense of individual free-will or
Determinism does it argue that our behaviour is determined by a particular set of
factors?
• Does the theory/approach propose/research issues which could be socially
Ethics controversial ? (i.e. correlation between race and IQ)
Scientific method • Is the theory based on evidence which is objective/ valid/ reliable?
,Comparing approaches
, Origins of Psychology
❖ Descartes suggested that mind & body are independent from each other called Cartesian dualism
❖ John Locke [Blank Slate - tabula rasa] proposed empiricism which is the idea that all experience
can be obtained through senses & that humans inherit neither knowledge nor instincts - knowledge
is gained through experiences and is not inherited. Form the basis of behaviourist approach
❖ Charles Darwin = natural selection - human + animal behaviour has changed over successive
generations. stronger + adaptive genes survive & reproduce - survival of the fittest. Evolution of
human behaviour - biological approach
Wundt & introspection
● He opened the 1st ever lab dedicated to psychological enquiry
● Introspection (Method Wundt used to document + describe the nature of human consciousness) =
Wundt & his co-workers recorded their own conscious thoughts & broke them down into images,
sensations + feelings. Isolating structure in this way is called structuralism. All introspections were
recorded under strictly controlled conditions and using the same stimulus & same standardised
instructions were issued to all participants
PSYCHOLOGY
Paper 2
, Gender bias • is the theory based on research carried out on an unrepresentative sample?
• does the theory/approach attempts to explain phenomena in terms of basic
Reductionism elements?
• is the theory based on research carried out in one particular type of culture
Ethnocentrism (i.e. Individualistic culture) ?
• Does the theory/approach explain phenomena in terms of nature i.e.
Nature/Nurture genetics neglecting other factors i.e. social factors?
• Situate the theory in one approach (biological, behavioural, cognitive,
Approach psychodynamic)
• Does the theory/approach acknowledge a sense of individual free-will or
Determinism does it argue that our behaviour is determined by a particular set of
factors?
• Does the theory/approach propose/research issues which could be socially
Ethics controversial ? (i.e. correlation between race and IQ)
Scientific method • Is the theory based on evidence which is objective/ valid/ reliable?
,Comparing approaches
, Origins of Psychology
❖ Descartes suggested that mind & body are independent from each other called Cartesian dualism
❖ John Locke [Blank Slate - tabula rasa] proposed empiricism which is the idea that all experience
can be obtained through senses & that humans inherit neither knowledge nor instincts - knowledge
is gained through experiences and is not inherited. Form the basis of behaviourist approach
❖ Charles Darwin = natural selection - human + animal behaviour has changed over successive
generations. stronger + adaptive genes survive & reproduce - survival of the fittest. Evolution of
human behaviour - biological approach
Wundt & introspection
● He opened the 1st ever lab dedicated to psychological enquiry
● Introspection (Method Wundt used to document + describe the nature of human consciousness) =
Wundt & his co-workers recorded their own conscious thoughts & broke them down into images,
sensations + feelings. Isolating structure in this way is called structuralism. All introspections were
recorded under strictly controlled conditions and using the same stimulus & same standardised
instructions were issued to all participants
