Contemporary Psychological Perspectives

Method of classifying a collection of ideas

Also called “schools of thought”Also called “psychological approaches”

To view behaviour from a particular perspective

Psychological Perspectives

Perspective is a way of viewing phenomena Psychology has multiple perspectives

Biological Psychodynamic behavioural Humanistic Cognitive Cross Cultural Evolutionary

Perspectives

Focus: On how people think and process information

behaviour is explained by how a person interprets the situation

How is knowledge acquired, organized, remembered, and used to guide behaviour?

Influences include Piaget – studied intellectual development

Cognitive Perspective

Focus: How our biological structures and substances underlie a given behaviour, thought, or emotion

Behaviour is explained by brain chemistry, genetics, glands, etc.

Focus may be at various levels individual neurons areas of the brain specific functions like eating, emotion, or learning

Biological Perspective

Focus: How thinking and behaviour change depending on the setting or situation

Behaviour is explained by the influence of other people present

Social-Cultural Perspective

The study of psychological differences among people living in different cultural groups

How are people’s thoughts, feelings and behaviour influenced by their culture?

What are the common elements across culture? Are these innate?

Cross-Cultural Perspective

Focus: How we learn through rewards, punishments, and observation

View of behaviour based on experience or learning Classical conditioning - Pavlov Operant conditioning – Skinner Founded by James Watson

Behavioural Perspective

Focus: How healthy people strive to reach their full potential

Behaviour is explained as being motivated by satisfying needs (safety, hunger, thirst, etc.), with the goal of reaching one’s full potential once basic needs are met.

Developed by Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers behaviour reflects innate ‘actualization’

Humanistic Perspective

Focus: How behaviour is affected by unconscious drives and conflicts

Behaviour is explained through unconscious motivation and unresolved inner conflicts from one’s childhood.

Modern version of psychoanalytic perspective (Sigmund Freud)

Psychodynamic Perspective

View of behaviour is based on experience treating patients

Psychoanalytic approach (Sigmund Freud) both a method of treatment and a theory of the

mind behaviour reflects combinations of conscious and

unconscious influences drives and urges within the unconscious

component of mind influence thought and behaviour

early childhood experiences shape unconscious motivations

Psychodynamic Perspective

Influenced by Darwin and the emphasis on innate, adaptive behaviour patterns

Combines aspects of biological, psychological, and social perspectives

Behaviour is explained by how the behaviour may have helped our ancestors survive long enough to reproduce successfully.

Evolutionary Psychology

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