Psychological Perspectives Flashcards

Psychological Perspectives

• Psychological perspectives guide how psychologists analyze human behavior, similar to political affiliations influencing government views.

Socio-Cultural Perspective

• Explores social norms, customs, group behavior, and social relationships.
• Investigates the motivational aspects of helping behaviors through cultural lenses.

Cognitive Perspective

• Focuses on mental functions like thinking, memory, problem-solving, and communication.
• Examines how cognitive processes affect mental illnesses and shape behavioral responses through schemas.

Biological Perspective

• Emphasizes the role of genetics and heredity in influencing behavior.
• Involves the nature vs. nurture debate, assessing impact through IQ, brain chemistry, neural damage, and genetic predispositions.
• Highlights evolutionary influences on instinctual behaviors and studies of identical twins to understand biological effects.

Psychodynamic Perspective

• Founded by Sigmund Freud, it posits that behavior arises from hidden, unconscious conflicts and desires.
• Places significant emphasis on childhood trauma and its lasting effects on adult behavior.

Behavioral Perspective

• Investigates how experiences shape learning and behavior.
• Differentiates between various learning methods, such as observational and latent learning.
• Suggests behavior is influenced by rewards and punishments, driving the repetition or cessation of actions.

Humanistic Perspective

• Centers on individual potential and self-fulfillment as key to understanding behavior.
• Stresses the importance of positive reinforcement and acceptance from family and peers to foster self-confidence and personal growth.
• Uses the metaphor of a flower needing nurture to illustrate the effects of support on individual development.