Psychological Perspectives

1. Psychological Perspectives

2. Bell Ringer • Take a piece of blank paper • Divide it into SIX squares • Write the name of one of the perspectives in each square • Create a symbol to represent that perspective in the box

3. Concept Attainment

7. 1.) Biological Perspective • Cause of behavior, feelings, and thought is your brain. To change behavior, you have to change the way the brain functions. • Terms you’ll hear: neuroscience, traits, brain, nervous system, genes, hormones, electrodes, neurons, etc. • Example 1: Is personality already predetermined at birth? • Example 2: How is blood chemistry linked with moods and motives?

11. 2.) Learning Perspective • Behavior is acquired or modified by environmental consequences (e.g. rewards and punishments) • Terms you’ll hear: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, stimulus, observation, reward, punishment, response, etc. • Example 1: What is the most effective way to alter our behavior to stop smoking? • Example 2: How can I train my dog? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4Rb9n_sQDg&feature=related

14. 3.) Cognitive Perspective • Emphasizes mental processes in reasoning, memory, perception, language, problem solving, and beliefs. • Terms you’ll hear: reason, remember, think, sense, perceive, language, etc. • Example 1: Is your boyfriend dumping you traumatic or do you just think it is, therefore you are depressed? • Example 2: Children do not think like adults. Why?

17. 4.) Sociocultural Perspective • Focuses on the influence of social and cultural forces on behavior. • Terms you’ll hear: culture, religion, tradition, ethnicity, birthplace, family, peer pressure, groupthink, etc. • Example 1: How does kissing vary amongst different cultural regions? • Example 2: Why do people sometimes act differently in groups than when alone?

23. 5.) Psychodynamic Perspective • People’s thoughts and behaviors are motivated by powerful, unconscious drives and inner-conflicts. • Terms you’ll hear: Sigmund Freud, unconscious, “Freudian slip,” “Oedipus Complex,” sexuality, fears, desires, free association • Example 1: Do we unconsciously sexually desire our parent of the opposite sex? • Example 2: Does being abused as a child unconsciously influence future parenting ability?

24. 5.) Psychodynamic Perspective • Also called “psychoanalytic” • Unconscious motives are motives that you are not aware of. For example, if someone with brown hair rejects you, then you might not talk to people with that hair color. • Conscious motives are motives you are aware of. • Freud use a technique called “free association.” He would say a word and you would say the first word that popped in your head and he would then analyze what is going on in your unconscious.

28. 6. Humanist Perspective • People are innately good and capable of choice. • Terms you’ll hear: free will, potential, self-actualization, fulfillment, goals, “feel good” approach, etc. • Example 1: How can we help the individual meet his/her fullest potential? • Example 2: How did your career goals influence your decision of where to attend college?

29. Psychology Today