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)