Limitation of the Biological Approach: Reductionist

Approaches Interlude AO3

1. Approaches AO3 – Introduction
2. Free Will vs Determinism
3. Idiographic vs Nomothetic
4. Reductionism vs Holism
5. Nature vs Nurture

Psychodynamic Approach AO3

1. Strength: Focus on Psychological Causes of Disorders
2. Strength: Idiographic and Nomothetic
3. Limitation: Not Very Scientific
4. Limitation Gender Bias
5. Psychic Determinism

Behaviourist Approach AO3

1. Strength: The Behavioural Approach Is Scientific
2. Strength: Behavioural Treatments
3. Limitation: Overly Reductionist
4. Limitation: Animal Research
5. Environmental Determinism

Cognitive Approach AO3

1. Strength: The Cognitive Approach Is Scientific
2. Strength: Application to Treatments (CBT)
3. Limitation: Lacks Ecological Validity
4. Limitation: Individual Differences

Biological Approach AO3

1. Strength: The Biological Approach Is Scientific
2. Strength: Biological Treatments
3. Limitation: Reductionist
4. Limitation: Biological Determinism

Social Learning Theory AO3

1. Strength: Incorporates Mediational Processes
2. Strength: Applications of Identification
3. Limitation: Ignores Other Causes of Behaviour
4. Limitation: Can’t Observe Mediational Processes

Humanistic Approach AO3

1. Evaluating the Humanistic Approach: Free Will
2. Strengths: Application to Therapy
3. Limitation: Unscientific
4. Limitation: Doesn’t Account for Biological Causes

Comparisons Between Approaches

1. Free Will or Determinist?
2. Nomothetic or Idiographic?
3. Reductionism or Holism?
4. Nature-Nurture
5. Scientific?

Paradigms in Psychology

1. Paradigms in Psychology
2. Paradigm Shifts