Perspectives on Psychology

1
Perspectives on Psychology
Different approaches to understanding human
behavior
2
Psychodynamic

• Behavior is guided by a mix of biology, personal
  needs, sub-conscious desires, and a need to
  resolve conflict
• Sigmund Freud Late 19th, early 20th century
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vNm7XGiFhKeE

3
Behaviorist

• Behavior can be understood in terms of
• Antecedent environmental conditions
  pre-response
• Behavioral Response the action to be described,
  understood, and predicted
• Consequence what occurs because of the response
• B.F. Skinner Early 20th century, most famous of
  the behaviorists
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vQKSvu3mj-14

4
Humanistic

• Behavior is based on a complex network of an
  individuals history, mind, body, and awareness
• People create themselves essentially
• Abraham Maslow (1908 1970) self-actualization
  

5
Maslows Hierarchy of Needs
6
Cognitive

• Thinking and thought is what determines human
  behavior
• Perception, memory, language, problem solving,
  decision making, and other cognitive acts are
  studied
• Looks at the brain as a supercomputer
• Rejects introspection as methodology

7
Example in Cognitive Perception

• What do you see?
• How do you come
• to recognize or
• make sense of an
• image?
• Object stimulates sensory organs ? Neural
  activity occurs ? Mental recreation (the
  precept)

8
(No Transcript)
9
Biological

• Focuses on the biological underpinnings of all
  behavior genes, brain structure, central nervous
  system, endocrine system, etc.
• The chemical and electrical activities within the
  body as a whole drive behavior
• Relies on neuroscience quite a bit
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vA5m7y7DcLgM

10
Evolutionary

• Mental abilities and behaviors have evolved over
  millions of years to adapt to our needs
  historically
• Our history as hunter-gatherers is key
• What are some of the differences in our needs
  then versus now?
• Finding food Avoiding predators Finding
  shelter Finding a healthy mate Sex roles
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vl_2TxDpYdLQfeature
  related

11
Sociocultural

• Examines behaviors meaning in different cultures
  and society and then compares and contrasts
• What examples of different cultural behaviors can
  you think of?
• Why does this perspective create a problem for
  experimental psychologists?
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vfa_GCK-Czqsfeature
  related

12
Aggression

• Lets use aggressive behavior to demonstrate the
  differences between these seven perspectives.
• How would each one explain why people act
  aggressively at times?