Download Theoretical Perspectives in Psychology

Theoretical Perspectives in Psychology
MA-HO2a-082316
Historical Perspectives
Perspective
Principal Contributors
Subject Matter
Basic Premise
Structuralism
(1875 - 1930's)
Wilhelm Wundt
Edward Titchener
Structures of consciousness
The content of conscious experience can be analyzed
into its basic elements. Used introspection (looking
inward) where subjects were asked to inspect and
report on their own thoughts.
Functionalism
(1890 - 1930's)
William James
G. Stanley Hall
James Cattell
Functions of consciousness
The adaptive purposes of conscious experience are
more important than its structure
Gestalt
Psychology
(1912 - 1940's)
Max Wertheimer
Kurt Koffka
Wolfgang Kohler
Organization of consciousness
Conscious experiences and perceptions are more than
the sum of their parts
Wilhelm Wundt (third from the left) is
considered the “father of psychology”.
Modern Perspectives
Perspective
Principal Contributors
Subject Matter
Basic Premise
Psychoanalytic/
Psychodynamic
(1900 - present)
Sigmund Freud
Carl Jung
Alfred Adler
Unconscious determinants of behavior
Unconscious motives and experiences in early
childhood govern personality and mental disorders.
Behavioral
(1913 - present)
John B. Watson
Ivan Pavlov
B.F. Skinner
Effects of the environment on the
overt behavior of humans and animals
Only observable events (stimulus-response relations)
can be studied scientifically.
Humanistic
(1950's - present)
Carl Rogers
Abraham Maslow
Unique aspects of human experience
Humans are free, rational beings with the potential
for personal growth, and they are fundamentally
different from animals.
Cognitive
(1950's - present)
Jean Piaget
Noam Chomsky
Herbert Simon
Thoughts; mental processes
Human behavior cannot be fully understood without
examining how people acquire, store, and process
information
Biological
(1950's - present)
James Olds
Roger Sperry
David Hubel
Torsten Wiesel
Physiological bases of behavior in
humans and animals
An organism's functioning can be explained in terms
of the bodily structures and biochemical processes
that underlie behavior.
Sociocultural
Erving Goffman
Lev Vygotsky
How behavior and thinking vary
across situations and cultures.
An individual’s behavior is the result of the presence
(real or imaginary) of other individuals, as parts of
groups, or as part of the larger culture.
Evolutionary
(1980's - present)
David Buss
Martin Daly
Margo Wilson
Leda Cosmides
John Tooby
Evolutionary bases of behavior in
humans and animals.
Behavior patterns have evolved to solve adaptative
problems; natural selection favors behaviors that
enhance reproductive success.
Biopsychosocial
George Engel
John Romano
Integration of other perspectives.
An integrated approach that incorporates biological,
psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis.