Applying Psychological Approaches

Understanding psychological approaches is not just an academic exercise — each approach has generated practical applications that are used in clinical settings, education, the workplace, and everyday life. This lesson examines how the major approaches are applied in practice, with a focus on therapeutic interventions, ethical considerations, and evidence-based practice.

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Applications of Each Approach

1. Behaviourist Applications

The behaviourist approach has generated several widely used therapeutic techniques based on the principles of classical and operant conditioning.

Therapy	Based On	How It Works	Used For
Systematic desensitisation	Classical conditioning	The patient learns to associate the feared stimulus with relaxation instead of fear, through a graduated hierarchy of anxiety-provoking situations	Phobias
Flooding	Classical conditioning (extinction)	The patient is exposed to the feared stimulus at full intensity until the fear response is extinguished	Phobias
Aversion therapy	Classical conditioning	An unpleasant stimulus (e.g. nausea-inducing drug) is paired with the unwanted behaviour to create a negative association	Alcohol dependence, smoking
Token economies	Operant conditioning	Desired behaviours are reinforced with tokens that can be exchanged for rewards	Behavioural management in institutions (e.g. prisons, psychiatric wards)
Behaviour modification	Operant conditioning	Reinforcement and punishment are used systematically to shape behaviour	Classroom management, parenting programmes

Exam Tip: Systematic desensitisation involves three stages: (1) constructing an anxiety hierarchy (least to most feared situations), (2) learning relaxation techniques (e.g. deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation), and (3) gradually working through the hierarchy while remaining relaxed. It is based on the principle of reciprocal inhibition — you cannot be anxious and relaxed at the same time.

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2. Cognitive Applications

The cognitive approach has produced Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), one of the most widely used and evidence-based psychological treatments.

Therapy	Key Theorist	How It Works	Used For
CBT (based on Beck's cognitive model)	Aaron Beck (1967)	Identifies and challenges negative automatic thoughts and dysfunctional schemas that maintain depression	Depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, eating disorders
REBT (Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy)	Albert Ellis (1962)	Uses the ABC model to identify irrational beliefs (B) about activating events (A) that lead to unhealthy consequences (C); the therapist helps the client dispute (D) these beliefs	Depression, anxiety, anger management

How CBT Works

graph TD
    A[Identify negative automatic thoughts] --> B[Examine evidence for and against these thoughts]
    B --> C[Challenge and replace with more realistic thoughts]
    C --> D[Behavioural experiments to test new beliefs]
    D --> E[Improved mood and functioning]

CBT is typically delivered over 12--20 sessions and is recommended by NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) as a first-line treatment for mild to moderate depression and most anxiety disorders.

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3. Biological Applications

The biological approach has led to the development of drug therapies (psychopharmacology) that target neurotransmitter systems in the brain.

Drug Type	Mechanism	Used For	Example
SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors)	Block the reabsorption of serotonin in the synapse, increasing serotonin levels	Depression	Fluoxetine (Prozac), Sertraline
Antipsychotics	Block dopamine receptors (typical) or block dopamine and serotonin receptors (atypical)	Schizophrenia	Chlorpromazine (typical), Clozapine (atypical)
Anxiolytics (Benzodiazepines)	Enhance the effect of GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter, reducing neural activity	Anxiety disorders	Diazepam (Valium), Alprazolam
Beta-blockers	Block the effects of adrenaline and noradrenaline on the body	Anxiety symptoms (e.g. trembling, rapid heartbeat)	Propranolol

Key Definition: SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) — a class of antidepressant drugs that work by blocking the reabsorption (reuptake) of serotonin in the synapse, leaving more serotonin available to stimulate the post-synaptic neuron and improve mood.

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4. Psychodynamic Applications

Therapy	How It Works	Duration
Psychoanalysis	The patient lies on a couch and talks freely about their thoughts, feelings, and memories; the therapist interprets unconscious patterns	Long-term (months to years; several sessions per week)
Free association	The patient says whatever comes to mind; the therapist identifies themes and unconscious conflicts	Part of psychoanalysis
Dream analysis	The therapist interprets the latent content of dreams to reveal unconscious desires and conflicts	Part of psychoanalysis
Psychodynamic psychotherapy	A shorter, more focused version of psychoanalysis that explores how past relationships affect current functioning	Typically 16--30 sessions

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5. Humanistic Applications