Psychological Perspectives

1
Psychological Perspectives

• What is a perspective?
• Cognitive Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Physiological Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Individual Difference

2
What is a perspective?

• A point of view
• The brain controls everything we do.
• A way of seeing the world
• Everyone is controlled by their brain
• Where theories (explanations) come from
• Boys and girls have different brains and so they
  behave differently
• White people have superior brains, therefore
  white people are more intelligent than black
  people
• Children have less developed brains, so therefore
  they do not know as much as adults.

3
The Cognitive Perspective

• Based around the theories of psychologists who
  take a cognitive perspective.
• It is not the brain itself that is important, but
  the mind.
• The mind is created by the brain to help us
  understand what is going on around us.

• How do we remember?
• How do we forget?

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ree blow fight job delicatessen

4
The Developmental Perspective

• The ability to pluralise

• Babies are not born with the ability to walk,
  talk, do maths etc.
• As we grow we develop.
• We continue to develop throughout our lives.
• Some of the things we are able to learn because
  we are biologically programmed to (eg talk)
• Animals do not develop in the same way.

1 rabbit 1 rabbit 2 .................
5
The Physiological Perspective

• Physiology - body, brain, hormones, nervous
  system
• All human behaviour can be explained by
  physiology
• FOR EXAMPLE
• We get aroused because there is a chemical change
  in our body
• We dream because our brain is still active when
  we are asleep

6
The Social Perspective

• Human behaviour can not be explained by the mind,
  brain and physiology alone.
• We behave in ways that are expected of us by
  others.
• We make a conscious decision whether to conform
  or rebel.
• We learn this behaviour from others.

• A volunteer!

7
Individual Differences

• Quick IQ Test
• 1. What is a tern?
• 2. 127 X 50
• 3. Which is the odd one out?
• yacht
• kayak
• catamaran
• canal
• barge
• 4. What is your favourite colour?
• 5. Where do you live?
• 100 average IQ

• A newer perspective
• Critical of psychologists attempt to see
  everyone as the same.
• Realises that sometimes psychology is political
  (eg some psychologists argue that black people
  are less intelligent and this is why they are
  poorer, get the worst jobs, live in bad housing
  etc.)

8
Conclusion

• Psychologists start off from different
  perspectives.
• The perspective they take will influence the
  explanations and theories they offer.
• There are 5 main perspectives that make up the
  course.
• There are other perspectives, which we will look
  at during the course.
• There is often crossover between the
  perspectives.
• Psychologists often add their own bits to the
  perspective they take.

9
Psychological Investigations

• Different methods of data collection and / or
  analysis.
• Sampling methods.
• Conduct own studies
• Must be practical, psychological and ethical
• Self Report Questionnaire
• Observation
• Any method, but to test 2 conditions with a
  statistical analysis
• Correlational data with statistical test
  (Spearmans)

10
Psychological Investigations

• Practical
• Can be conducted within one week
• Psychological
• Must investigate something of interest to
  psychologists
• Ethical (http//www.bps.org.uk)
• Must follow the British Psychological Society
  guidelines (plus extra guidelines given by the
  exam board)