PSYCH PERSPECTIVES 3. Students will be able to describe psychology’s related perspectives

LESSON TWO: APPROACHES AND SCHOOLS OF PSYCHOLOGY: Not all psychologists look at

psychology the same way.

Some believe that you are who you are purely because of your genetics.

Some believe that experiences play a much bigger factor.

Psychology is a broad field that aims to answer questions from many different perspectives.

We are going to look at the different schools and approaches to psychology.

But first….. A quick poll to wake you up!

SEVEN APPROACHES TO PSYCHOLOGY: BEHAVIORAL

Behavioral Approach – Focuses on measuring and recording observable behavior. (behavior results from learning)

Pavlov and his dogs, Watson and Baby Albert, Skinner and his rats. (rewards, punishments, and associations)

All these men believed that psychology should be the science of behavior.

SEVEN APPROACHES TO PSYCHOLOGY: PSYCHOANALYTIC / PSYCHODYNAMIC

Psychoanalytic Approach – Focuses on unconscious internal conflicts to explain mental disorders, personality, and motivation.

Sigmund Freud developed this approach and focused on unconscious desires (Freudian slips, life and death instincts, libido, early life experiences.

Psychodynamic Approach – Those that varied Freud’s ideas but kept with the roots of psychoanalysis.

SEVEN APPROACHES TO PSYCHOLOGY: HUMANISTIC

Humanistic Approach – Emphases the importance of people’s feelings and view human nature as naturally positive and growth seeking.

Abraham Maslow (Hierarchy of Needs) and Carl Rogers (Unconditional Positive Regard) led the charge.

This approach came out the 60’s and 70’s.

SEVEN APPROACHES TO PSYCHOLOGY: BIOLOGICAL

Biological Approach – Examines how complex chemical and biological processes within the nervous and endocrine systems are related to the behavior of organisms.

Much research is being done today using this approach – Brain based research.

SEVEN APPROACHES TO PSYCHOLOGY: COGNITIVE

Cognitive Approach – Emphasizes the importance of receiving, storing, and processing information.

It also focuses on thinking, reasoning, and using language to understand human behavior.

Cognition – thinking and memory.

SEVEN APPROACHES TO PSYCHOLOGY: EVOLUTIONARY

Evolutionary Approach –Attempts to explain behavior patterns as adaptations naturally selected to increase reproductive success.

This approach uses Darwin’s theory of natural selection as a basis.

Darwin wrote Origin of Species.

SEVEN APPROACHES TO PSYCHOLOGY: SOCIO-CULTURAL

As time progressed more people were traveling and visiting other cultures.

Psychologists soon recognized the difference in cultural gestures, body language, and spoken language.

Socio-cultural Approach – Examines the cultural differences in an attempt to understand, predict, and control behavior.