Psychology’s Perspectives

The Big Seven

Neuroscience Perspective Focus on how the physical body and

brain creates our emotions, memories and sensory experiences.

If you could not remember the names of your parents and went to a psychologist who adheres to the neuroscience perspective, what might they say?

Evolutionary Perspective Focuses on Darwinism. We behave the way we

do because we inherited those behaviors.

Thus, those behaviors must have helped ensure our ancestors survival.

Mother nature practicing selective breeding

How could this behavior ensured Homer’s ancestors survival?

Psychodynamic Perspective Fathered by Sigmund

Freud.

Our behavior comes from unconscious drives.

Usually stemming from our childhood.What might a psychoanalyst say is the

reason someone always needs to be chewing gum?

Behavioral Perspective

Focuses on our OBSERVABLE behaviors.

Only cares about the behaviors that impair our living, and attempts to change them.

If you bit your fingernails when you were nervous, a behaviorist would not focus on calming you down, but rather focus on how to stop you from biting your nails.

BEHAVIORISTS

How people learn Rewards and

punishment

John B. Watson

Cognitive Perspective

Focuses on how we think (or encode information)

How do we see the world?

How did we learn to act to sad or happy events?

Cognitive Therapist attempt to change the way you think.

Meet girl Get Rejected by girl

Did you learn to be depressed

Or get back on the horse

Social-Cultural Perspective

Focus on how your culture effects your behavior.

Even in the same high school, behaviors can change in accordance to the various subcultures.

Humanistic Perspective

Focuses on positive growth Attempt to seek self-actualization Therapists use active listening and

unconditional positive regard.

Mr. Rogers would have made a great Humanistic Therapist!!!

Approaches cont.

HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY people try to achieve their

maximum potential (self actualization)

Promote health and self-growth

What Approach is Best? What perspectives should we consider

throughout this class?

ECLECTIC Combination of approaches

Some topics/issues have become dominated by a certain approach, so this will lead our thinking, but all should be in our considerations.

Apply Perspectives to Case Study: Application - Andrea Yates

Other applications – test anxiety, autism