Assignment: Psychological Perspectives

Psy 201 Psychological Perspectives

 The field of psychology is a broad one. Although all psychologists explore issues of behavior and mental processes, researchers in the field can approach these issues from multiple perspectives. The perspectives addressed in your text and described below are complementary. Each contributes to our understanding of how organisms think, feel, and act. As you work to think critically about psychology, understanding the different perspectives and their respective limits and strengths will help you make accurate judgments about what you are reading and learning.

Psychological Perspectives or Approaches to Studying Psychology

Biological Perspective: In this view, our personalities, preferences, behavior patterns, and abilities all stem from our physical makeup. Biological psychologists search for the causes of our behavior in the nervous system, the endocrine system, genetics, and physical characteristics. 

Developmental Perspective: According to this view, psychological change results from an interaction between the heredity written in our genes and the influence of our environment. Humans think and act differently at different times of their lives.

Cognitive Perspective: This view emphasizes cognition, mental activity such as sensation, perception, learning, thinking, and memory. Our thoughts and actions arise when our brains interpret our experiences and generate responses.

Behavioral Perspective: This view is based on what can be directly observed: the effects of people, objects, and events on behavior. This view calls attention to the way our actions are modified by their consequences.

Sociocultural Perspective: This view emphasizes social and cultural influences and adds the concept of the power of the situation. The social and cultural situations in which a person is embedded can overpower other factors that influence behavior.

Clinical Perspective:

Psychodynamic Perspective: This view is based on Freud’s idea that the mind, especially the unconscious mind, is a reservoir of energy for the personality and this energy motivates us. This reservoir holds unconscious needs, desires, memories, and conflicts that would cause distress and anxiety if brought to conscious awareness. (emphasis is on mental disorder)

Humanistic Perspective: This view emphasizes the positive side of our nature that includes human ability, growth, and potential. Self-concept and physical and emotional needs have a huge influence on thoughts, emotions, and actions. (emphasis is on mental health)

Below is an issue that is of interest to psychologists working from all perspectives. For the example below, describe how psychology’s six perspectives would approach the area of study. What are questions that psychologists from these perspectives might ask?

ISSUE: Drug Use/Abuse

            Biological:

            Developmental:

            Psychodynamic:

             Humanistic:

            Behavioral:

            Cognitive:

            Sociocultural: