Post on 02-Jan-2016
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