A paradigm in practical psychology is a worldview base that determines the main life values and the predominant conceptual apparatus.
When a paradigm is embodied in certain specific theories or practices, they already speak of an approach.
For example, a behavioral paradigm is a worldview base, a behavioral approach is specific theories and practices.
A paradigm is a more general concept, an approach is a more particular one. There are fewer paradigms, more approaches. Paradigms are more often spoken of in theoretical works, in practice they are more often spoken of approaches, and they do not particularly distinguish between a paradigm or an approach, using one or another concept as an interchangeable one.
The main poles in practical psychology are set by the following paradigms (approaches):
- Behavioral and phenomenological paradigm.
The behavioral paradigm puts behavior and other external lenses at the center of attention. Behavior, the external is what is important, everything else internal in the soul is important only to the extent that it is related to behavior. The phenomenological paradigm puts the inner in the center of attention: vision, state, sensation, experience. What is important is internally, what is in the soul, and everything external is only to the extent that it is connected with the internal.
- Humanitarian and natural science approach
It can be said more simply — the approach of Art and the approach of Science.
- Male and female approach
With an Englishman you need to speak in English, with a child in a language understandable to a child, with men in a manly way, with women in a language that reaches the heart of a woman. Practical psychology cannot abstract from gender characteristics, from the characteristics of male and female worldviews, different approaches in relation to oneself and others, to relationships. Men and women have different views on personality, personal growth and development. The male or female approach in applied psychology is a conversation about the gender of the practical psychologist, about his (or her) values, tools, and preferred working styles.
Connections of paradigms and approaches
The behavioral paradigm is one of the components of the natural-science approach in psychology. The phenomenological paradigm is primarily a component of the humanitarian approach. See →
Business and personal-psychological approach — this axis has similar, but different meanings than the «behavioral — phenomenological» axis. See →