1. Psych Perspectives 3. Students will be able to describe psychology’s related perspectives

2. 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!

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.