Psychology Perspectives

(approaches to studying psychology)

psy·chol·o·gy

Noun:

1. The scientific study of the human mind and its functions, esp. those affecting behavior in a given context.

2. The mental characteristics or attitude of a person or group.

Behaviorism

• View people and animals as controlled by their environment

• We are the result of what we have learned from our environment

• how environmental factors (called stimuli) affect observable behavior (called the response). – Classical conditioning– Operant conditioning

• Only observable behavior should be studied, since it is the only thing that can be measured

Behaviorism

• Thorndike

• Skinner

• Watson

• Pavlov

Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic Perspective

• Behavior is determined by the unconsciousness mind and early childhood experiences

• We are motivated by impulse rooted in our unconscious mind

• Both a perspective and a therapy

Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic Perspective

• Freud– Jung

Humanism

• Looks at the “whole person”

• Looks at human behavior not only through the eyes of the observer, but through the eyes of the person doing the behaving

• Behavior is connected to inner feelings and self image

• We all are good, and strive to reach full potential (self actualization)

Humanism

• Carl Rogers

• Abraham Maslow

Cognitive

• Studies the mental act or process by which knowledge is acquired

• Memory, perception, attention

• Scientific approach that uses lab experiments to study behavior

Cognitive

• Wundt

• Piaget

Biological

• believes that most behavior is inherited and has an adaptive (or evolutionary) function

• explain behaviors in neurological terms, the physiology and structure of the brain and how this influences behavior

• Uses drug therapy to treat mental illness

Biological

• Darwin

Socio-Cultural

• based on the assumption that our personalities, beliefs, attitudes. and skills are learned from others

• culture, ethnic identity, gender identity, socio-economic status

• More recent approach to studying human behavior

Socio-Cultural

Conclusion

• No one perspective is the “right” or “only” perspective

• Each has strengths and weaknesses

• Most psychologist agree that we must use multiple approaches/perspectives to explain human behavior– McLeod, S. A. (2007). Psychology Perspectives. Retrieved from

http://www.simplypsychology.org/perspective.html