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The 7 PERSPECTIVES of Psychology

The 7 PERSPECTIVES of Psychology. The Birth of Psychology. Wilhelm Wundt - 1879 University of Leipzig Psychology’s first experiment, birth of a science Established first psychology lab Introspection (looking inward) Edward Titchener Brought psych to U.S.

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The 7 PERSPECTIVES of Psychology

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  1. The7 PERSPECTIVES of Psychology

  2. The Birth of Psychology • Wilhelm Wundt - 1879 University of Leipzig • Psychology’s first experiment, birth of a science • Established first psychology lab • Introspection (looking inward) • Edward Titchener • Brought psych to U.S. • Margaret Floy Washburn-first woman to earn Psych PhD (barred from experimental psych)

  3. Structuralism • Wundt, Titchener, Hall (founder & first president of APA) • Uses introspection to explore the structural elements of the mind • Break down mental processes into most basic parts • Strengths • first major school of thought in psych • Influenced experimental psych • Weaknesses • Experiments too subjective (unreliable results) • Too concerned with internal behavior which is not observable or measured accurately

  4. Functionalism • A reaction to structuralism • Sought to explain how our mental & behavioral processes function • How do they enable us to adapt, survive, and flourish? • Focused on purpose of behavior • William James influenced by Darwin • First professor of psych at Harvard • What’s the purpose of behavior? • Educated Mary Calkins – first woman president of APA • Today 2/3 of psych PhDs are women

  5. The 7 Perspectives • Biological • Behavioral • Cognitive • Evolutionary • Humanistic • Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic • Sociocultural

  6. Why do we behave, think, feel, and experience sensations like we do? 7 different perspectives (aka approaches & schools of thought) to explain this

  7. Perspective 1: BIOLOGICAL • Seeks to understand: • The interaction between anatomy (brain/ nervous system) AND behavior • How the body & brain enable emotions, memories, & sensory experiences • What parts of the brain are involved in certain behaviors • Main idea: What affects your body affects your behavior • Ex: you drank an energy drink before you entered class & are bouncing off the walls • Ex: neurotransmitters=depression, insomnia… • Ex: tumor on Amygdala=punch

  8. Perspective 2: EVOLUTIONARY • Behavior can be best explained in terms of how adaptive that behavior is to our survival • We behave the way we do because we inherited those traits & behaviors • Thus, those behaviors must have helped ensure our ancestors survival • This process selects physical and behavioral characteristics to promote survival • Natural Selection: we have evolved into our present states over long periods of time • Ex: you are afraid of spiders because your ancestors were & helped them survive • Key Person: Charles Darwin!!!

  9. Classical & Operant Conditioning

  10. Perspective 3: COGNITIVE • In order to understand someone’s behavior, we must understand how they think • Importance of how our mind sees, processes, stores, and remembers information • How does our interpretation of a situation affect our thinking, reactions, behavior? • EX: trying to change friend’s mind about abusive boyfriend • Key person: Jean Piaget

  11. Perspective 4: BEHAVIORAL • Argue psychology is the study of observable behavior • Behavior is determined by your environment & experience not genetics • The mind & mental events are not important b/c they can’t be observed (feelings don’t matter) • Main idea: Everything is trained & learned, nothing is born • EX: you are afraid of spiders • To change behavior you must be reconditioned • Key people: Watson, Skinner, Pavlov

  12. Perspective 5: HUMANISTIC • Argue that humans have unique qualities of behavior different from other animals • Free will & potential for personal growth guide behavior & mental processes • Emphasize the importance of feelings, love, & acceptance • view human nature as positive • Focus on how our environment influences our growth potential & need for love and acceptance • Self-actualization-process of fulfilling your potential • Key People: Abraham Maslow & Carl Rogers

  13. Perspective 6: SOCIOCULTURAL • Says that much of your behavior and your feelings are dictated by the culture you live in • must be taken into account when trying to understand, predict, or control behavior • EX: Some cultures kiss each other when greeting, some bow, some shake hands • What does our society/culture value?

  14. Perspective 7: Psychoanalytical/Psychodynamic • The interaction between the conscious and unconscious (mental process that we do not normally have access to but are influenced by) shape behavior • Stresses the importance of childhood experiences to the development of personality • Focus is to resolve unconscious conflicts through uncovering info that has been repressed (buried in unconscious) • Defense Mechanisms: distorting reality to reduce anxiety (displacement, repression, displacement…) • Id, ego, superego • EX: A man cannot form relationships with others b/c he was beaten as a child, causing a fear of getting close to others

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