Psychological Perspectives Overview

Study Notes

Psychological perspectives provide various lenses to analyze psychological topics, enabling a comprehensive understanding of behavior and mental processes through multiple viewpoints.
The eclectic approach integrates insights from different psychological perspectives to understand complex topics.

The human brain contains approximately 10 billion nerve cells and an intricate network of interconnections, classifying it as the most complex structure in the body.
Psychological events are linked to the brain's electrical and chemical activities, establishing a connection between behavior and neurobiological processes.
An example includes research on depression, indicating that abnormal neurotransmitter levels may affect communication between nerve cells.
The brain is composed of right and left hemispheres; in right-handed individuals, the left hemisphere is often responsible for language comprehension, while the right handles spatial relations.
Memory studies highlight critical brain structures like the hippocampus, whose immaturity contributes to childhood amnesia, as it develops significantly only after the first year or two of life.

This perspective centers on observable stimuli and responses, positing that behavior primarily results from conditioning and reinforcement.
An example illustrates that children demonstrate aggressive behaviors more when rewarded (e.g., a peer withdrawing) than when punished (e.g., the peer counterattacks).
The behavioral perspective generally disregards individuals' internal mental processes occurring between stimuli and responses.

Emerged as a critique of behaviorism, this perspective acknowledges complex mental activities like reasoning, planning, and decision-making.
Focuses on mental processes such as perception, memory, and problem-solving, emphasizing their essential role in understanding behavior.
Contemporary cognitive psychology shifts away from introspection; it proposes that studying mental processes in a structured manner can yield objective insights into behavior.
Cognitive psychology often compares the mind to a computer, highlighting how information is processed, organized, and stored in memory.
Childhood amnesia may result from significant changes in how experiences are organized in memory, typically around age three with substantial language development.

Asserts that behavior is influenced by unconscious processes, including hidden beliefs, fears, and desires.
Suggests that impulses repressed by societal norms during childhood don't disappear but rather enter the unconscious and manifest as emotional issues or creative expressions.
For example, unresolved anger towards a parent might emerge in dreams or subconscious thoughts, demonstrating the impact of repressed instincts such as aggression and sexuality.

Proposes that human behavior is shaped by the individual's perception of reality, rather than the objective environment.
Emphasizes understanding a person's 'definition of the situation,' influenced by cultural background, personal history, and emotional states.
This perspective is inclusive of cultural and individual differences, examining how personal motivations affect interpersonal judgments, such as interpreting altruistic actions like charitable donations.

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