Contemporary PerspectivesAnd the Role of Biology

The “Office” Clip

Which traditional school of Psychology would be particularly interested in how Steve Carrel remembers names in this clip?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQfW1G6Me5E

Behavioral Perspective

Major Influence: B.F. Skinner (From P.A)

Focus: Conditioning and Reinforcement

Conditioning (Which we will learn about later) focuses on how behavior is learned and supported

Humanistic Perspective

Major Influences: Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers

Focus: People make choices based on self-fulfillment and free will – not just experience

Less scientific than most perspectives this field is interested in self actualization: achieving one’s full potential or ideal self

Evolutionary Process

Major Influence: Charles Darwin’s theories ( He was not a Psychologist. Nor did he try to be)

Behavior is patterned by our environment and will help determine our behavior

Nurture and nature affect us(Genes/Heredity/environment)

Behavior is passed on, a resistance is built…or is it…?

Cognitive Perspective

Major Influence: Gestalt, Jean Piaget and others

Focus: Role of mind in determining our behavior

Sees the mind as a data file, a complex storage of information and this includes the workings of the brain and nervous system and how they act

Psychodynamic Perspective

Major Influence: Sigmund Freud

Focus: How the unconscious mind controls the conscious in terms of motive and action

Less emphasis on sexual motivation and more on discovery of motivation and sense of self

Used commonly in therapy today

This is your stereotypical couch experience

Sociocultural Perspective

Major Influence: Lev Vygotsky

Focus: Effects of social and cultural psychology on one’s self or a group of people

Heavily focused on what drives people, or un-drives them to act

Example: bystander effect – Forty Studies – Pg. 300

Biopsychological Perspective

A new field of study- no major influences

Mental processes/behaviors and actions, are influenced by our biological processes

Example: HBP is determined by heredity, but also outside factors

Stress

Environment

Diet/Exercise

Music to your…..brain? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUT9UTVrwp8&feature=related

Psychological Professional and Areas

of SpecializationPsychiatrist: a medical doctor who can prescribe medicine and treatment and provide therapy and counseling.

Psychoanalysts: A psychiatrist or psychologist who has special training in the theories of psychoanalysis. You may use this label with or without credentials

Cont’

Psychiatric social worker: Most often a M.S.W. or Master of Social Work who usually obtains a license and is concerned with the environmental conditions like poverty, drug abuse, mental disorders, and less emphasis on lab work and experimentation.

Psychologists: A doctor in Psychology with no medical training but specializes in a certain area which varies widely – see p. 18.