Diverse Psychological Perspectives on Behavior and Mental Processes
Explore various psychological perspectives that highlight the factors influencing human behavior and mental processes. The Biological perspective examines the role of biology, including genetics and the nervous system. Cognitive psychology focuses on thoughts and perceptions. Humanistic psychology emphasizes self-fulfillment and personal growth. The Psychoanalytic approach delves into unconscious influences, while Learning theory highlights the impact of experiences on behavior. Finally, the Sociocultural perspective considers how ethnicity, gender, and culture shape our mental processes and actions.
Diverse Psychological Perspectives on Behavior and Mental Processes
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Presentation Transcript
Biological • emphasizes the influence of Biology on our behavior and mental processes • looks at the nervous system (especially the brain) • hormones, genes (heredity)
Cognitive • Emphasize role played by thoughts in determining behavior • Investigate the way people perceive information and make mental images of the world • Socrates – know thyself • Piaget – a child’s mental picture of the world grows more sophisticated over time
Humanistic • Stresses the human capacity for self fulfillment • Self awareness and capacity for choices • Through self awareness, experience and choices we invent ourselves • Opposite of Behaviorists • People are basically good
Psychoanalytic • Stresses influence of unconscious forces on human behavior • Dominated 1940’s-50’s thought • Sigmund Freud • Defense mechanisms • Humans are basically evil
Learning • Emphasizes effects of experience on behavior • Behaviorists – people do things because of their learning histories, not conscious choice • Learning happens through repetition and reinforcement • Social Learning Theory – people learn by observing others
Sociocultural • Addresses ethnicity, gender, culture, socioeconomic status • These factors influence behavior and mental processes
