Objective 2: Describe and compare different theoretical approaches in explaining behavior. Modern schools of psychology Behavioral Biological Cognitive Evolutionary Humanism Psychoanalytic/psychodynamic Socio-cultural

Psychology’s Perspectives The Big Seven You were assigned these perspectives as homework but this will help you in your note-taking.

Biological Perspective aka. Neuroscience Perspective Focus on how the physical body and brain creates our emotions, memories and sensory experiences. If you could not remember the names of your parents and went to a psychologist who adheres to the neuroscience perspective, what might they say?

Evolutionary Perspective Focuses on Darwinism. We behave the way we do because we inherited those behaviors. Thus, those behaviors must have helped ensure our ancestors survival. Mother nature practicing selective breeding How could this behavior ensured Homer’s ancestors survival?

Psychoanalytic / Psychodynamic Perspective Fathered by Sigmund Freud. Our behavior comes from unconscious drives. Usually stemming from our childhood. What might a psychoanalyst say is the reason someone always needs to be chewing gum?

Behavioral Perspective Focuses on our OBSERVABLE behaviors. Only cares about the behaviors that impair our living, and attempts to change them. If you bite your fingernails when you are nervous, a behaviorist would not focus on calming you down, but rather focus on how to stop you from biting your nails.

Behavioral Perspective Research focuses on how people learn Rewards and punishment John B. Watson

Cognitive Perspective Focuses on how we think (or encode information) How do we see the world? How did we learn to act sad or happy? Cognitive Therapist attempt to change the way you think. Meet girl Get Rejected by girl Or get back on the horse Did you learn to be depressed

Socio-Cultural Perspective Focus on how your culture effects your behavior. Even in the same high school, behaviors can change in accordance to the various subcultures.

Humanistic Perspective Focuses on positive growth Attempt to seek self-actualization Therapists use active listening and unconditional positive regard. Mr. Rogers would have made a great Humanistic Therapist!!!

Humanistic Perspective people try to achieve their maximum potential (self actualization) Promote health and self-growth

What Approach is Best? What perspectives should we consider throughout this class? ECLECTIC Combination of approaches Some topics/issues have become dominated by a certain approach, so this will lead our thinking, but all should be in our considerations.

Objective 3: Recognize the strengths and limitations of applying theories to explain behavior. An approach is a perspective (i.e. view) that involves certain assumptions (i.e. beliefs) about human behavior: the way they function, which aspects of them are worthy of study and what research methods are appropriate for undertaking this study. There may be several different theories within an approach, but they all share these common assumptions.  You may wonder why there are so many different psychology perspectives and whether one approach is correct and others wrong.  Most psychologists would agree that no one perspective is correct. Each perspective has its strengths and weaknesses, and brings something different to our understanding of human behavior.  For this reasons, it is important that psychology does have different perspectives to the understanding and study of human and animal behavior.

Today we can study an integrated biopsychosocial approach which incorporates multiple approaches or levels of analysis and offers a more clear picture of any given behavior or mental process. Behavior or Mental Process Biological Influences Natural selection of adaptive traits Genetic predispositions responding to environment Brain mechanisms Hormonal influences Psychological Influences Learned fears and other learned expectations Emotional responses Cognitive processing and perceptual interpretations Social-Cultural Influences Presence of others Cultural, societal, and family expectations Peer and other group influences Compelling models (such as media)