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Contemporary
Psychological
Perspectives
Psychological Perspectives
• Method of classifying a collection of
ideas
• Also called “schools of thought”
• Also called “psychological
approaches”
• To view behavior from a particular
perspective
Perspectives
• Perspective is a way of viewing phenomena
• Psychology has multiple perspectives
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Biological
Psychodynamic
Behavioral
Humanistic
Cognitive
Cross Cultural
Evolutionary
Cognitive Perspective
• Focus: On how people think and process
information
• Behavior is explained by how a person
interprets the situation
• How is knowledge acquired, organized,
remembered, and used to guide behavior?
• Influences include
– Piaget – studied intellectual development
– Chomsky – studied language
– Cybernetics – science of information processing
Biological Perspective
• Focus: How our biological structures and
substances underlie a given behavior,
thought, or emotion
• Behavior 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
• Interest in behavior distinguishes biological
psychology from many other biological sciences
Social-Cultural Perspective
• Focus: How thinking and behavior
change depending on the setting or
situation
• Behavior is explained by the
influence of other people present
Cross-Cultural Perspective
• The study of psychological differences
among people living in different cultural
groups
• How are people’s thoughts, feelings and
behavior influenced by their culture?
• What are the common elements across
culture? Are these innate?
Behavioral Perspective
• Focus: How we learn through rewards,
punishments, and observation
• View of behavior based on experience or
learning
– Classical conditioning - Pavlov
– Operant conditioning – Skinner
– Founded by James Watson
Humanistic Perspective
• Focus: How healthy people strive to reach
their full potential
• Behavior 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
– behavior reflects innate ‘actualization’
– focus on conscious forces and self perception
– more positive view of basic forces than Freud’s
Psychodynamic Perspective
• Focus: How behavior is affected by
unconscious drives and conflicts
• Behavior is explained through unconscious
motivation and unresolved inner conflicts
from one’s childhood.
• Modern version of psychoanalytic
perspective (Sigmund Freud)
Psychodynamic Perspective
• View of behavior is based on experience
treating patients
• Psychoanalytic approach (Sigmund Freud)
– both a method of treatment and a theory of the mind
– behavior reflects combinations of conscious and
unconscious influences
– drives and urges within the unconscious component of
mind influence thought and behavior
– early childhood experiences shape unconscious
motivations
Perspectives Timeline
Psychology’s Horizon
Behavior Genetics
• Focus: How behavior is affected by
genes and the environment
• Combines biology and behaviorism
• Emphasis on the importance of both
genetic and environmental factors on
behavior
Evolutionary Psychology
• Influenced by Darwin and the emphasis on
innate, adaptive behavior patterns
• Combines aspects of biological,
psychological, and social perspectives
• Behavior is explained by how the behavior
may have helped our ancestors survive
long enough to reproduce successfully.
Positive Psychology
• Focus: To study and promote optimal
human functioning
• Martin E.P. Seligman is a major
advocate
• Should promote building positive
qualities of people rather than focus
on what’s wrong with people
Review
Psychology should study how behavior and mental
processes allow organisms to adapt to their
environments
School/Approach
Evolutionary perspective
Founder
Charles Darwin
Psychology should emphasize people’s unique
potential for psychological growth
School/Approach
Humanistic
Founder
Maslow
Psychology should only study observable behavior
School/Approach
Behaviorism
Founder
Watson/Skinner