1. 6 Perspectives

2. Biological emphasizes the influence of Biology on our behavior and mental processes looks at the nervous system (especially the brain) hormones, genes (heredity)

3. Cognitive Emphasize role played by thoughts in determining behavior Investigate the way people perceive information and make mental images of the world Socrates – know thyself Piaget – a child’s mental picture of the world grows more sophisticated over time

4. Humanistic Stresses the human capacity for self fulfillment Self awareness and capacity for choices Through self awareness, experience and choices we invent ourselves Opposite of Behaviorists People are basically good

5. Maslow’s Hierarchy

6. Psychoanalytic Stresses influence of unconscious forces on human behavior Dominated 1940’s-50’s thought Sigmund Freud Defense mechanisms Humans are basically evil

7. Learning Emphasizes effects of experience on behavior Behaviorists – people do things because of their learning histories, not conscious choice – Learning happens through repetition and reinforcement Social Learning Theory – people learn by observing others

8. Sociocultural Addresses ethnicity, gender, culture, socioeconomic status These factors influence behavior and mental processes