1. Psychological Perspectives
A Quick Overview

2. Psychodynamic
Unconscious urges (forces/instincts) play a role in our behavior
Very different than others
Popularized/influenced by Freud

3. Learning/Behaviorism
How environment and experiences affect our actions
conditioning
Psych=science… so has to stick to what you can observe
Behaviorism
Pavlov, Skinner, Bandura

4. Biological
Focuses on how bodily events (like genes, hormones, nervous system) affect behaviors, feelings, and thoughts (in combination with our environment).
Nature vs. Nurture
Innate quality vs. external forces/experience?

5. cognitive
Study of thoughts, memories, beliefs, perceptions, explanations, etc. to see how they affect people’s behaviors
Studies involving sleeping, hypnosis, memory, dreaming. Perception, language
Very strong force today

6. Sociocultural
How do cultural values/political systems/social structures affect our everyday experiences and behaviors?
Study: influence of groups, submission to authority, gender roles, relationships, etc.
Another dominant force in psychology

7. Evolutionary
Looks at biological mechanisms that affect our choices/survival
Things that seem to be universal must be adaptive in nature
Universal emotions
Common traits when choosing a mate

8. Humanist
Says psych. Is too pessimistic and mindless….we need to focus on human hopes and aspirations
Goal: to help people reach their full potential
Maslow, Rogers
Now…most see it as a life philosophy rather than a science

9. Feminist Showed biases in research…
Focused mainly on white men…too narrow of data
Got topics like menstruation, motherhood, female sexuality on the playing field