Current Perspectives in Psychology Unit 1 Lesson 2

Objectives Evaluate major concepts and contributors of the six major current perspectives in psychology.

Warm Up – What is Psychology ? Scientific study of behavior & mental processes Scientific? Behavior? Mental Process? Goals: To DESCRIBE behavior To EXPLAIN causes of behavior To PREDICT future behaviors To CONTROL behavior

Review How did ancients explain abnormal behaviors? When did we begin to understand the body? Name two pseudoscientific ways to understand behavior. Who is the father of psych? Why?

Review Evolution of Psych Philosophy Physiology Psychology Place your comic in appropriate column!

Modern Perspectives in Psychology “School”- Shared theory & research method Psychoanalytic Behaviorism Cognitive Humanistic Sociocultural (Neuro)Biological Evolutionary

Activity Directions Count off by 6… You will be given ~20 minutes to read more about each school of thought. Use the provided worksheet, wikipedia, or psychology.about.com to help you out. Identify major psychologists, how they define behavior & personality, and how they explain abnormal behavior. Illustrate on poster.

Evolutionary Psychology Originates with Charles Darwin Behaviors & traits are result of natural selection – those that aid us in survival are passed down to the next generation Abnormal behaviors may be protective in nature, side effects of genes w/other benefits

Psychoanalytic Psychology Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Alfred Adler Behavior & personality is product of unconscious sexual & aggressive forces Abnormal behaviors are result of unresolved, repressed conflicts from early childhood.

Behavioral Psychology BF Skinner, JB Watson, Ivan Pavlov, Albert Bandura Behavior is product of learning & associations, reinforcements, punishments, & observations Abnormal behaviors are result of reinforcement or modeling

Cognitive Psychology Jean Piaget, Noam Chomsky Behavior is consequence of internal mental processes to solve problems or develop personality traits. Abnormal behaviors are result of faulty & irrational ways of thinking.

Humanistic Psychology Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers Behavior is reflection of internal personal growth, self-esteem, and free will. Desire to fulfill series of needs. Abnormal behaviors are result of being out of touch with one’s feelings, discrepancy between real & ideal self.

Neurobiological Psychology Roger Sperry, Michael Gazzaniga Behavior is result of functions of nervous system, endocrine system & genes. Abnormal behaviors are result of organic (structural) issues, biochemical imbalances, or genetic predispositions.

Sociocultural Psychology Lev Vygotsky Behavior is influenced by rules & expectations of social groups & cultures. Abnormal behaviors are result of dysfunctional society, environmental stressors.

Getting a “Hand”le on the Schools

WHICH PERSPECTIVE? I study the relationship between people and work, and more specifically, how to increase productivity. I believe that by changing environmental factors, increasing the use of rewards and praise for correct behavior, and providing correct feedback, worker’s overt behavior can be changed. I study how people of all ages learn, and I develop instructional methods and materials to help the learning process. In particular, I stress the roles played by thinking, problem-solving, memory and mental imagery I work mostly with people who suffer from mental disorders, and I believe that the main causes of mental illness are either genetic or due to some malfunction in the central nervous system or endocrine system. Credit - Amy Koch: Raleigh Charter High School, NC

WHICH PERSPECTIVE? I often travel to different countries to research people’s attitudes and group relations. My research tends to show that many behavioral patterns; for instance, the amount of personal space people require to feel comfortable, vary from one country to another. I believe that unconscious conflicts, early childhood experiences, and repressed sexual and aggressive feelings make us who we are, and I use this point of view in my work on individual differences and in trying to determine which characteristics make each of us unique. I focus on how people strive to overcome obstacles that disrupt their normal growth potential and impair their self- esteem. I believe strongly in free will and choice in human behavior. Credit - Amy Koch: Raleigh Charter High School, NC

WHICH PERSPECTIVE? My research keeps me in the lab most of the time, and I focus on the principles and conditions of learning and motivation. Recently, I have been investigating how quickly rats learn the layout of a maze as a function of either large or small amounts of reinforcement. Psychological processes that have helped individuals adapt to their environment have also helped them to survive, reproduce, and pass those abilities to their offspring. I adopt this point of view in my investigations of interpersonal attractions, prejudice, and aggression. Credit - Amy Koch: Raleigh Charter High School, NC

Schools Activities Mixed Up Schools of Psych A Case Study

Closure Which school do you find most interesting? Least interesting? Why?