One large difference of the positive approach is that it acknowledges and depends on free will, the
idea that people are free to make their own choices and to choose their own path in life. However,
on the other hand the biological approach is deterministic. The Biological approach is deterministic
by design as it needs to reject free will to make predictions about people’s future behaviour. One of
the assumptions of the biological approach is Neurotransmitters. The assumption of
Neurotransmitters means that are actions and moods are influence by these chemicals in our brain,
not by free will. Drug therapy relies on this as through drug therapy the chemicals in people’s brains
can be altered and this then alters their actions and moods. For example antidepressant drugs or
SSRIs have been proved to be affective for millions of people around the world. However on the
other hand the positive approach relies on free will, it assumes that people are able to change their
mood by themselves without outside stimulus by focusing on their strengths and virtues. However
while this does empower people to solve their own problems for people with a genetic major
depressive disorder being told they could not be depressed if they just tried a bit harder could be
phytologically damaging.
A strength of the positive approach is its ease of application. This is due to multiple reasons. One
mindfulness is the only therapy that does not require a therapist. Informal mindfulness can be
practiced anywhere without the advise of a Therapist. The next application it that ideas from the
positive approach and from mindfulness can be applied to CBT or Cognitive Behavorial Therapy to
create MCBT. MCBT has been proven to be equally affective or more affective than CBT. Finally,
mindfulness and other positive approach theories were taught in schools and children who were
taught positive approach ideas were shown to be more socially adept than children who weren’t.
However, this was not compering the positive approach against other approaches that could be
more beneficial.
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