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Six Approaches
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Six Approaches
Which is the stronger
influence on you?
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Behavior as the result of nervous system functions &
biology
Nature vs Nurture
o Ivan Pavlov & Charles Darwin
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Advantages
o Using biological aspects of behavior can help develop treatment
(drugs) for some disorders
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Disadvantages
o Does not take in account environmental influences
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Nervous System:
o Responsible for our behavior; Specifically abnormal and immediate
responses
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Genes also play a part
Anatomy/Biology
o Solely responsible for human behavior.
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Criticisms
o Ignores mental processes
o Explains too little of human behavior, rejects environmental
influences
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Six Approaches
Behavior viewed as strongly influenced by the rules and
expectations of specific social groups (society) or cultures
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o Albert Bandura
Different cultures have different:

o Beliefs, manners, normative behaviors, and practices
o Within these varying cultures around the world, different societies
exist
o Our culture teaches us BEHAVIOR

Advantages
o Helps to understand different cultures and to understand social
influences on behavior

Disadvantages
o Does not look at biology or self
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Examines how cultural and
political (religious)
experience effect our
everyday life
Gender influences of
behavior
Job opportunities to
influence people’s goals
and ambitions

Cultural Values/Political
Systems: How norms and
social influences affect
behavior

Ambition/Goals/Values:
o Environments influence on
one’s long-term ambitions.

Criticisms:
o Underestimated personal and
overestimated social
influences on our behavior.
o Makes broad generalizations
about ethnic groups and
cultures.
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Founded in 1892
o the governing body of all research not conducted by universities.
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First president of the APA,
established the first
psychological lab in the U.S.
in 1883, at
Johns
Hopkins University.
Started the American
Psychological Journal
(1887) now the American
Journal of Psychology.