SIX PERSPECTIVES OF PSYCHOLOGY
BIOLOGICAL VIEW
looks for causes of behavior by studying genes, brain, & nervous system Determinism = life events determined
by mental, physical, & behavioral tendencies; actions are beyond your control
Opposite view: free will. Power to control own behavior
Charles Darwin: natural selection
COGNITIVE VIEW
understand ourselves by looking at our minds actions influenced by our interpretation of experiences
look at world through other people’s eyes
combination of structuralism & functionalism
PSYCHODYNAMIC VIEW
looks to understand the mind, BUT places heavy emphasis on motives & mental conflicts
treatment of mental disorders
Freud & psychoanalysis; study of unresolved, deep feelings of anger/resentment LETHAL behavior
HUMANISTIC VIEW
human ability, growth, & potential
people have free will to make choices about their lives
includes people who “feel like a nobody, but want to be somebody”, or someone who is too narcissistic
counselors & psychotherapists
BEHAVIORAL VIEW
source of our behavior is based on environment vs. biology or mind
can only study observable behavior (Skinner)
Skinner prefaced Watson by saying our actions are determined by rewards & punishments
SOCIOCULTURAL VIEW
other people influence our behavior just as much as we influence our own
decides which social behaviors are appropriate/inappropriate
social learning we learn from other’s behaviors; driven by rewards & punishments (ex: media violence)
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