Eclecticism In Psychology: 6 Advantages And Disadvantages Of This Form Of Intervention
In 20th century psychology, models and interventions emerged that did not strictly adhere to one theoretical orientation, but rather combined the contributions of several. For example, the interpersonal therapy of Klerman and Weissman, which emerged in the 1970s, was influenced by psychoanalysis, behaviorism, and cognitivism.
Eclecticism promotes explanatory and applied frameworks that aim to overcome the limitations of traditional perspectives, although its greater complexity can lead to difficulties. In this article we will describe the advantages and the disadvantages of eclecticism in psychology as well as the types of integration that exist.
There is a large number of eclectic models that combine contributions from different theoretical orientations. These are classified depending on the way in which the integration of paradigms is carried out.
1. Theoretical integration
In theoretical eclecticism concepts from different theories are combined, generally using one of them as a frame of reference. The objective of this type of integration is to increase the explanatory capacity for specific problems.
The book “Personality and psychotherapy: an analysis in terms of learning, thinking and culture”, by Dollard and Miller, was a milestone in the history of eclecticism in psychology. In it, the authors synthesized the explanations of neurosis offered by psychoanalysis and behaviorism and combined concepts such as “pleasure” and “reinforcement.”
A particular case is that of metatheoretical integration, which seeks to offer a common framework in which different theories can be encompassed. For example, Neimeyer and Feixas have highlighted the suitability of constructivism as a higher-level theory that allows the convergence of models.
2. Technical eclecticism
This type of eclecticism consists of use techniques of different orientations. Lazarus, one of the pioneers of technical eclecticism, argued that theoretical integration is not feasible due to the contradictions of different perspectives, although many different tools can be useful under certain conditions.
A common criterion in technical eclecticism is the empirically demonstrated level of effectiveness. In this case, we seek to find the most appropriate treatments for each situation, according to scientific research.
On the other hand, the integration of techniques based exclusively on the ideas and preferences of the psychologist is called “intuitive eclecticism”. Many people have criticized this type of practices for their lack of systematization.
3. Common factors approach
Theorists of this approach seek to identify common factors that explain the effectiveness of psychological interventions. Authors such as Rosenzweig, Fiedler and Rogers paved the way for this type of eclecticism with their studies and models on the therapist’s attitude as a key variable.
Jerome Frank identified six common factors to the different psychotherapeutic orientations:
Advantages of eclecticism
The advantages of eclecticism They are related to the increase in complexity in explanations and the availability of a greater number of tools.
1. Greater explanatory capacity
Theoretical models, as well as the corresponding interventions, prioritize certain aspects of reality over others. Thus, for example, cognitive-behavioral therapy focuses almost exclusively on the person’s overt behavior and conscious perception, while psychoanalysis focuses on the unconscious.
The combination of different orientations allows overcoming the explanatory limitations of each particular model, making up for the weaknesses with the strengths of other perspectives. It is more common to occur in complementary paradigms, such as cognitive and behavioral.
2. Enhancement of effectiveness
Having concepts and techniques from different approaches allows use the most appropriate tools for each situation instead of those indicated by a specific theory; This increases the effectiveness of the interventions. It also makes it easier to apply holistic treatments, that is, those aimed at the person as a whole.
3. Individualization of interventions
Any person has characteristics that differentiate them from the rest; Therefore, adapting interventions to each client is essential. Eclecticism is very useful in this sense, since the increase in the range of treatments It makes it possible to better cover the different needs of clients.
Disadvantages of eclecticism
The negative side of eclecticism can be very relevant at times. This depends mainly on the level of complexity in integration.
1. Difficulty of combining orientations
The integration of different perspectives is complicated from a conceptual point of view, among other things because it requires a very deep knowledge of the orientations and techniques involved if a model is to be generated adequately. This difficulty is especially notable in theoretical eclecticism.
2. It can cause confusion
Even if the explanatory capacity of eclectic models and interventions is usually greater than that of classic ones, they can be difficult to transmit to experts who do not master any of the orientations in question. Likewise, sometimes integrative models offer unnecessarily complex explanations.
From a research point of view, eclectic interventions are more difficult to evaluate than simple. In particular, it is very difficult to separate the therapeutic contributions of each of the orientations or techniques used.
