Psychology: Approaches, Research Methods, and Ethical Issues

This report discusses the psychoanalytic and behaviorist approaches in psychology, advantages and disadvantages of naturalistic observation, and ethical issues in psychological research. It also explores how animal behavior studies relate to human behavior.

Psychology

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
The psychoanalytic approach or psychodynamic approach...................................................3
Differences in assumptions that lie behind approaches..........................................................4
Importance of the influence of environmental stimuli...........................................................4
What are the strength and weaknesses of both approaches....................................................4
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................5
Advantage and disadvantages of using observation in natural settings as a research method in
Piliavin's 1969 study...............................................................................................................5
How Harlow’s animal research study related to human behavior..........................................6
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Psychology can be referred to as a science that deals with mental and emotional
processes. It is the science of mind and behavior mental and behavioral characteristics of any
group or individual. It is also a relation with a particular field of knowledge and activity. There
are also very psychological approaches like the psychoanalytic approach, a psychodynamic
approach which have a focus on the power of extinct on the fundamental driver of individual
thinking and their behavior (Joseph and et. al., 2020). This also relates to the model of learning.
In this report, there is a discussion about psychological approaches, psychological research
methods, ethical issues in psychological research, psychoanalytic thoughts, their importance of
the psychoanalytic approach or psychodynamic approach, social learning theory and behavioral
approach (Adams and et. al., 2019). There is also a discussion about the advantage and
disadvantages of observation in the natural setting of the research method. This also focuses on
animal behavior and element to human psychology.
MAIN BODY
TASK 1
The psychoanalytic approach or psychodynamic approach
The psychoanalytic approach along with the behaviorist theory of learning includes the
explanation of human behavior. There is a difference between both that a behaviorist theory
assumes that individual behavior can be the reaction of environment whereas psychoanalytic
approach can be behavior as a result of instinct (Adler, 2019).
The psychoanalytic approach has the focuses on the unconscious mind rather than the
conscious mind. It builds the fundamental idea about individual behavior and can help to
determine the experiences from the past. Here, psychoanalytic therapy provides a form of talk
therapy that includes Sigmund Freud's theory of psychoanalysis. This is the approach that
explores how the unconscious mind can have the potential to influence individual feelings,
behavior and thought (Bedford-Petersen and et. al., 2019).
Here, the psychoanalytic approach divides human psych which includes different
elements like the ego, the id and the superego. According to Fred thinking and behavior can be
based on Instinct which can be the result of the superego, ego and Id with interacting each other.
Here, the psychodynamic approach includes different theories in psychology. Human functioning

can be based on the interaction of forces and drivers within a particular unconscious and person
along with between different structures of personality (Craig, 2020).
Differences in assumptions that lie behind approaches
There is a primary assumption that psychoanalysis has believe that every individual faces
feelings, desires, thoughts and memory. It has the aim to release repressed experiences and
emotions reasonably to make the unconscious mind to be conscious. Whereas, the behaviorist
approach includes concerned with observable behavior. It opposes internal events where
behavior can be the result of stimuli or responses. Behaviorism and psychoanalysis refer to two
different schools of thought where behaviorist gives prominence to individual external behavior
and believe that external stimuli is the cause of individual response (Miljević-Riðički, 2020).
Importance of the influence of environmental stimuli
The proponent of the psychoanalytic school of thought can think an environmental
stimulus can be important because the psychoanalytic theory is related to the unconscious
individual mind and repressed desire. This can drive human behavior. Instead of this,
behaviorists consider the external factor which can drive individual behavior and think
environmental stimuli can be important to consider rather than the Id (Houzel, 2018).
What are the strength and weaknesses of both approaches
Behaviorist approach
Strength
 Experimentally tested. This is the one which experimentally tested within laboratory where
concentration on observation. Behavior can be observed equally measured. This is
observable (Nichterlein, 2021).
 It is also successfully applied classical and operant conditioning to its theory. This is based
on the use of treating phobias and individual instincts.
Weaknesses
 It focuses too much on the individual nature side and suggests behavior to learn from the
biological and cognitive elements which impact individual behavior.
 There can be a risk of causing ethical issues due to using animals in the experiment. Because
animals don't have any consent to take part in the experiment or to withdraw.
Psychoanalytic approach

 It is effective at the end of psychotherapy where average patients are better than untreated
patients. This also provides various benefit which decreases medical visit by 30% and
Hospital visits by 66%.
 It also accepts that humans are complicated where childhood and represented material can
have a high impact on their behavioral change (Putri, 2018).
Weakness
 The psychoanalysis approach can be costly and time-consuming along with a lengthy
process.
 There is an ethical issue in confronting the client during analysis.
 Psychoanalytic therapy is not good for psychotic disorder patient who does not have control
on their condition (Bisson and et. al., 2020).
TASK 2
Advantage and disadvantages of using observation in natural settings as a research method in
Piliavin's 1969 study.
There are various advantages and disadvantages of using observation in natural settings
as a research method (Ferragut and et. al., 2022).
Advantage
It allowed the researcher to directly observe individuals within a natural setting where
people have different reactions towards the situation that has been taken out of their comfort
zone.
It also provides a first-hand look at social behavior. It can be effective and can help to
observe the situation more effectively with the interaction during observation. This can help to
ensure that result may be different when it has occurred in a laboratory setting (Giang and et. al.,
2021).
This can help to investigate some specific behavior of individual through different insight
to overcome the individual problem and be happier than it was before.
It also allowed the researcher to get the idea that cannot be manipulated in natural
observation and allowed the researcher to study the concept which could not be manipulated that
is done in the lab setting (Lipshitz and et. al., 2001).

It also provides to supports the external validity of the research effort and allows for
multiple methods of data collection which have been collected from realistic observation. It also
provides an offer for data collection without affecting the result which may provide more
accurate data and better outcomes.
This can be related to Piliavin's 1969 study where a situation has been created in the
natural setting and observation has been done accordingly (Aydin, 2020).
Disadvantage
It can be challenging for controlling the outside variable which can lead to create a
struggle and create a hurdle in the observation.
It can also create a situation of not getting accurate data within a natural setting which
can be due to various human factors like sensitivity and dealing with their personal choices like
morality or ethics.
It can also create concern with the collected data where expectations can be higher than
the collected data. It can also take more time for completing the naturalistic observation during
collecting data (Koriat and et. al., 1994).
It needs an extensive investment to required a positive outcome. It can also create
distraction within the environment which is also not in control.
Through the study of Piliavin’s 1969 study had concluded that there are various types of
advantages and disadvantages of using observation within a natural setting. It can create a high
impact and can help to get more accurate data than the data can be collected in the lab setting
(Liu and et. al., 2022).
How Harlow’s animal research study related to human behavior
It can be argued that the study of animal behavior is relevant to human psychology
because humans are thought to have evolved from other species. It can be explained that many
examples can provide information and understanding that animal behavior is relevant to human
psychology (Block, 2007). This can also impact the human thought process and ensure the result
of animal research study which is related to human behavior. In the results of this study, it has
been identified the child monkey is threatened and gets closer to the surrogate mother who is
having the cloth covered whereas, the child monkey feels more comfortable with the inanimate
surrogate mother (Ellison and et. al., 2006). This can be effective and can help to ensure that
there are many situations and which a child may get threatened or get fear. In such type of

situation child like to go near to mother rather than any other place. This can also reveal that
such type of situation can create human psychology even in a child. This kind is associated with
human psychology which can show that animal behavior can also be related to human behavior
which is also related to other species (Eslah-kar and et. al., 2022).
TASK 3
There is an ethical issue in psychological research. It was not ethical to conduct the
research without providing prior information to the participants in an effective way. This can
create ethical issues and consent of the participants was also necessary regarding all the
processes of the experiment (Piliavin and et. al., 1969). There is an ethical critique of Zimbardo's
present study where prisoners were needed to act like prisoners and guards were using the
authority and power to manage their prisoners more effectively. This can breach the ethical code
of research and was necessary to take care that there should not be any harm to the participants
physically or mentally. But in the Zimbardo prison study, create a high manipulation and creates
the situation of emotional and mental impact on every participant (Brady and et. al., 1988). It has
been observed that prisoner participants were facing emotional and physical distress and
participants who were acting as the guard get aggressive and changed their behavior in such a
way that is a stereotype about the prisoner's guard. In this, Zimbardo prison study research, there
is the following of confidentiality of the participants through providing them number instead of
their name. This study was conducted effectively and provide some conclusion which is highly
similar to individual psychology (Fiske and et. al., 2019). This creates the understanding that
people may act according to the situation or role play that has been provided to them. This can
also impact their mental and emotional health. This can also be observed that people may get
aggressive when they are provided authority which can impact their role and enable them to act
like the real character (Bandura, 2002).
During this research, informed consent of participants was not fully done. This creates
the situation of an ethical issue during the research where participants don't have the proper
information about the experiment process and what is going to be in the experiment. this creates
an ethical issue during the research (Kackin and et. al., 2021).
Zimbardo's experiment was unethical and created an ethical issue because there was not
any prior evaluation of the situation which can lead to creating a negative result (Cloud and et.
al., 2015). This creates a high impact on a participant's mindset and creates the situation of a

realistic approach. In this, it leads to a negative impact on participants' mental health and
emotional situations. Through this study, it has been observed that people may act according to
their character when they don't have the information that the situation is real or fake. This
research also includes the ethical issue of protection from physical or psychological harm where
prisoners were treated physical or psychological harm and created an emotional impact on their
life. This also impacts their quality of life during the experiment (Aday, 2006). Due to this, it
creates the ethical issue of protection where prisoner guards where harm prisoners and create
physical or psychological harm to them (Lantos, 2018).
CONCLUSION
From the above discussion, it can be concluded that there is a high impact of the
psychological approach with the method of research in behavior and intelligence and it can
create ethical questions about the psychological approach which also impacts the exemption. In
this report, there is a discussion about the advantage and disadvantages of using observation in a
natural setting during the research method. There is also discussion about the ethical issue during
psychological research during performing any research study.

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