Coursework help evaluating 2 approaches

whenever we've had a compare and contrast question it was more about the theories and methodology than the actual practice (ie eating disorders)

you have two very different approaches, psychodynamic is concerned with the inner "invisible" workings of the mind and relies on non empirical qualititive data, whereas behaviourism is concerned only with overt observable behaviour, and quantititive data.

another tip from the last essay i did like that is to not spend the first half describing, then the rest comparing and contrasting, compare and contrast all the way through - every time you talk about an aspect of one, say how different or similar that aspect is to the other approach (apparently i'd have got a distinction if i did it that way)

oh and dont rush you're intro or conclusion, they usually are what the marker pays most attention to.

good luck :biggrin:

Reply 21

DWC

OP

Thanks Lexica

Our teacher told us to choose a behaviour so we could show strengths and weaknesses (evaluate) in a particular area.The whole class have chosen a specific behaviour to look at!

My essay layout is:
intro
describe psychodynamic theory,
psychodynamic methodology,
psychodynamic expalnations of anorexia
describe behavourist theory
behaviorist methodology
behaviourist explanations of anorexia
compare the two theorys
conclusion

probably not the best way of doing it but will be happy if i can just get it in! will conclude the behavioural approach to be more suited to anorexia as the psychodynamic approach lacks validity

Any important things i should remember?

Reply 22

Lexica

its also quicker and cheaper to use behaviourism, especially when teamed with the cognitive approach (CBT is actually what would be prescribed as therapy for eating disorders)

you could mention that altho behaviourism would help to condition the dysfunctional behaviour, it doesnt however take in to account the root cause and so the risk of relapse is a disadvantage (personally psychodynamic probably wouldnt help either but academically it is meant to)

lol i know what you mean about just wanting to hand it in, i leave all mine to the last minute and think "that'll do" and always get a couple of per cent under a distinction, then kick myself, then do exactly the same thing the next time!!! hahaha we will never learn!!

if you've already laid your essay out like that then go with it, but if you have time and inclination then mixing the two up most of the way through will get you better marks as it demonstrates your ability to use the discussion method of essay writing.

But you certainly wont fail for doing it the way you've planned :biggrin:

oh and never reference wikipedia and try not to reference Gross all the way through!

Reply 23

DWC

OP

Thanks

It all confuses me a bit because its like you could say nearly the same about any behaviour. When talking about the behaviour i just find myself taking chunks out of books that explain it.

sometimes i think even if i spent weeks on it id still end up wit the same mark!

yey can relate to that the more time i have the more i waste lol

any more help welcome :smile:

Reply 24

Lexica

essay writing really is just the art of paraphrasing so i wouldnt worry too much that all your facts come straight from books so long as the facts are true and you've used your own words not theirs (and not used the same book for the whole essay)

even if i have one book with all the info i need (ie Gross) i make a point of using a different book every paragraph so the referencing looks broader and i look more cleverererer

What could you say the same about any behaviour? I'm not sure i follow?

Reply 25

DWC

OP

the explanation and evaluation that the books give on each approach is near enough what i need to be saying which makes it difficult

i just mean without even choosing a behaviour you could say things like its to do with conditioning, rewards etc. the only real distinction when talking about the psychodynamic approach seems to be that they get stuck at the oral stage hence gives them a problem with food

i feel like just copying the books and referencing the whole thing, would save me thinking lol

Reply 26

Lexica

well not quite as freud would say that our behaviour is motivated by unconscious drives, the life and death instinct (sex and aggression) Jung would say its down to a sort of unconscious, universal, genetic memory.

Psychodynamic theorists believe most of our behaviour is in inborn, and some ingrained from our childhood, behaviourists or cognitive psychologists would say its mostly current, present, and motivated by reward or punishment that follows the behaviour, rather than what happened to us from age 0 - 6.

None of the approaches that differ from psychodynamic deny the fact that our childhood and genetics have some inpact, but they are not interest in it as its too subjective, non replicable, and lacks empiricism and so scientific credibility.

Freud was too coked up to give a feck what anyone else thought :biggrin:

lol

Reply 27

Lexica

i have a really interesting handout from a psychodynamic lecture all about its theories on eating disorders, i'll see if its on my university intranet.

You can use info from books but it depends which books you read as to what say about the whole thing - you have to know what you want to say first really then go find it in the books, aswell as the facts to back up your argument.

lord i cant believe i'm sat here chatting to you about your work and procrastinating the two essays and 1 presentation that are ALL due on Monday LOL - this is more fun tho!

Coursework help evaluating 2 approaches

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