Contemporary Perspectives

1
Contemporary Perspectives

• Chapter One Section 4

2
Essential Question

• What are some of the psychological perspectives
  used by psychologists?
• Found on pages 18-21 (chart on pg 20)

3
Biological Perspective

• Subject Matter Nervous System, glands and
  hormones, and genetic factors
• Key Assumption Biological processes influence
  behavior and mental processes

4
Cognitive Perspective

• Subject Matter Mental images, information
  processing, thinking and language
• Key Assumption Perceptions and thoughts
  influence behavior

5
Humanistic Perspective

• Subject Matter Subjective Experience
• Key Assumption People make free and conscious
  choices based on their unique experiences.

6
Psychoanalytic Perspective

• Subject matter Unconscious processes, early
  childhood experiences
• Key Assumption Unconscious motives influence
  behavior.

7
Learning Perspective

• Subject Matter Environmental influence, habitual
  behavior, and observational learning.
• Key Assumptions Personal experience and
  reinforcement guide individual development.

8
Sociocultural Perspective

• Subject Matter Ethnicity, gender, culture, and
  socioeconomic status
• Key Assumption Sociocultural, biological, and
  psychological factors create individual
  differences.

9
EXAMPLE

• Johnny does not do his homework and is sleeping
  in class frequently.
• The psychologist with this perspective would have
  Johnny come into the hospital and have a CAT scan
  performed for any abnormalities on Johnnys
  brain.
• What Perspective was this?

10
ANSWER

• Biological Perspective

11
EXAMPLE

• Jane hits her step sister every day. When asked
  she states that she does not like her step
  sister. Jane was abused by her biological dad,
  until recently.
• A psychologist with this perceptive would say
  that the prior events in Janes life were the
  reasons she acts out in such ways and that she
  makes these choices on her own.
• Which psychological perspective does this doctor
  use?

12
ANSWER

• Humanistic Perspective

13
EXAMPLE

• Matt does not socialize with the other children.
• A psychologist with this perspective would
  consider that Matt is a male and that males
  inherently do not socialize as frequently as
  females. Matt is also Asian which can account for
  his cultural difference in placing value on
  friendships.
• What perspective was this?

14
Answer

• Sociocultural Perspective

15
EXAMPLE

• Ashley sees that the teacher pays attention to
  only the students who raise their hands. Ashley
  starts to raise her hand.
• A psychologist with this perspective would say
  that Ashley saw the situation and chose to start
  raising her hand.
• What perspective does this psychologist use?

16
ANSWER

• Learning Perspective

17
EXAMPLE

• Rebecca intentionally bumps into three freshmen
  in the hallway.
• A psychologist that had this perspective would
  think that Rebecca is venting unconscious anger
  toward her parents.
• This would be which psychological perspective?

18
ANSWER

• Psychoanalytical Perspective

19
EXAMPLE

• Sandra does not like to be told she is big
  boned. Yet when Sandra has to describe someone
  she knows, she uses the term big boned without
  feeling she has insulted that person.
• A psychologist with this perspective would
  believe that Sandra has a different perspective
  on how insults apply to her, then to others.
• What perspective does this psychologist use?

20
ANSWER

• Cognitive perspective