Psychology’s Big Issues & Approaches

Philosophical Developments THE Question: Nature vs. Nurture Inherited vs. Environment Are our physical and mental abilities determined by our genes or our experiences? What has the biggest effect on behavior? What are the interactions between genetics and environment? NURTURE WORKS ON WHAT NATURE ENDOWS

Psychology’s Three Main Levels of Analysis

Bio-Psycho-Social Model Analysis

Psychological Approaches

Psychological Perspectives Each view behavior from a particular perspective Method of classifying a collection of ideas Also called “schools of thought” Also called “psychological approaches”

Cognitive Perspective Focus: On how people think and process information Behavior is explained by how a person interprets the situation How is knowledge acquired, organized, remembered, and used to guide behavior? Influences include –Piaget – studied intellectual development –Chomsky – studied language –Cybernetics – science of information processing

Biological Perspective Focus: How our biological structures and substances underlie a given behavior, thought, or emotion Behavior is explained by brain chemistry, genetics, glands, etc. Focus may be at various levels –individual neurons –areas of the brain –specific functions like eating, emotion, or learning Interest in behavior distinguishes biological psychology from many other biological sciences

Social-Cultural Perspective Focus: How thinking and behavior change depending on the setting, situation or culture Behavior is explained by the influence of other people present

Behavioral Perspective Focus: How we learn through rewards, punishments, and observation View of behavior based on experience or learning –Classical conditioning - Pavlov –Operant conditioning – Skinner –Founded by James Watson

Humanistic Perspective Focus: How healthy people strive to reach their full potential Behavior is explained as being motivated by satisfying needs (safety, hunger, thirst, etc.), with the goal of reaching one’s full potential once basic needs are met. Developed by Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers –behavior reflects innate ‘actualization’ –focus on conscious forces and self perception –more positive view of basic forces than Freud’s

Positive Psychology Modern “Humanistic Psychology” Focus: To study and promote optimal human functioning –Help people discover their human potential and fullfillment Martin E.P. Seligman is a major advocate Should promote building positive qualities of people rather than focus on what’s wrong with people

Psychodynamic Perspective Focus: How behavior is affected by unconscious drives and conflicts Behavior is explained through unconscious motivation and unresolved inner conflicts from one’s childhood. Modern version of psychoanalytic perspective (Sigmund Freud)

Evolution Darwin’s Theory of Evolution with the process of Natural Selection influenced Psychology. The most adaptive traits will survive due to natural selection Focused on how one’s environment might cause one to adapt physically, behaviorally & psychologically to insure the success of future generations.

Evolutionary Psychology Influenced by Darwin and the emphasis on innate, adaptive behavior patterns Combines aspects of biological, psychological, and social perspectives Behavior is explained by how the behavior may have helped our ancestors survive long enough to reproduce successfully.

Perspectives Timeline

Psychology’s Subfields

Psychologist vs. Psychiatrist Counseling Psychologist – help people with crises & life problems (academic, job related, family) Clinical Psychologist – treats disorders Psychiatrist – medical doctor that can prescribe drugs to treat physical causes of disorders

Basic vs. Applied Research Applied Research – Providing solutions to problems –Industrial/organizational psychologistsIndustrial/organizational psychologists –Human factors psychologistsHuman factors psychologists –Counseling psychologistsCounseling psychologists –Clinical psychologistsClinical psychologists –PsychiatristsPsychiatrists –Positive psychologyPositive psychology –Community psychologistsCommunity psychologists –Basic Research – Discovering concepts and processesBasic Research – Discovering concepts and processes –Biological psychologistsBiological psychologists –Developmental psychologistsDevelopmental psychologists –Cognitive psychologistsCognitive psychologists –Educational psychologistsEducational psychologists –Personality psychologistsPersonality psychologists –Social psychologistsSocial psychologists

Definition Slides

Biological Psychology = the scientific study of the links between biological (genetic, neural, hormonal) and psychological processes. Some biological psychologists call themselves –behavioral neuroscientists, –neuropsychologists, –behavior geneticists, –physiological psychologists, or –biopsychologists.

Cognitive Psychology = the scientific study of all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating.

Evolutionary Psychology = the study of the evolution of behavior and mind, using principles of natural selection.

Psychodynamic Psychology = a branch of psychology that studies how unconscious drives and conflicts influence behavior, and uses that information to treat people with psychological disorders.

Social-Cultural Psychology = the study of how situations and cultures affect our behavior and thinking.

Psychometrics = the scientific study of the measurement of human abilities, attitudes, and traits.

Developmental Psychology = a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span.

Educational Psychology = the study of how psychological processes affect and can enhance teaching and learning.

Personality Psychology = the study of an individual’s characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting.

Social Psychology = the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another.

Industrial-Organizational (I/O) Psychologists = the application of psychological concepts and methods to optimizing human behavior in workplaces.

Human Factors Psychologists = an I/O subfield that explores how people and machines interact and how machines and physical environments can be made safe and easy to use.

Counseling Psychology = a branch of psychology that assists people with problems in living (often related to school, work, and marriage) and in achieving greater well-being.

Clinical Psychology = a branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treat people with psychological disorders.

Community Psychology = a branch of psychology that studies how people interact with their social environments and how social institutions affect individuals and groups.