1. Contemporary Perspectives

2. Biological Perspective
Subject Matter:
Nervous system, glands & hormones, genetic factors
Key Assumption:
Biological processes influence behavior and mental processes.
Biological Perspective

3. Evolutionary Perspective
Subject Matter:
Physical traits, social behavior
Key Assumption:
Adaptive organisms survive and transmit their genes to future generations
Evolutionary Perspective

4. Cognitive Perspective
Subject Matter:
Interpretation of mental images, thinking, and language
Key Assumption:
Perceptions & thoughts influence behavior
Cognitive Perspective

5. Humanistic Perspective
Subject Matter:
Self-concept
Key Assumption:
People make free and conscious choices based on their unique experiences
Humanistic Perspective

6. Psychoanalytic Perspective
Subject Matter:
Unconscious processes, early child-hood experiences
Key Assumption:
Unconscious motives influence behavior
Psychoanalytic Perspective

7. Learning Perspective Subject Matter:
Environmental influences, learning, observational learning
Key Assumption:
Personal experience and reinforcement guide individual development
Learning Perspective

8. Sociocultural Perspective
Subject Matter:
Ethnicity, gender, culture, socioeconomic status
Key Assumption:
Sociocultural, biological, & psychological factors create individual differences
Sociocultural Perspective