Perspectives of Psychology

Question 1

Humanist perspective

Answer 1

Influenced by humanists like Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers

Stresses individual choice and free will, believing that we choose most of our behavior from physiological, emotional, or spiritual needs

Eg. An introvert may limit social interaction because he/she believes social needs are better met by a few close people rather than a large amount

Question 2

Deterministic perspective

Answer 2

All behavior is caused by past conditioning

Question 3

Psychoanalytic perspective

Answer 3

Belief that unconscious mind controls much of our thought and action

Unconscious mind must be examined through dream analysis, word association, and other psychoanalytic therapy techniques

Eg. An introverted person avoids social interaction because of a repressed memory of trauma in childhood

Question 4

Biopsychology (Neuroscience) perspective

Answer 4

Explains human thought and behavior in terms of biological processes, such as genes, hormones, and neurotransmitters

Eg. An extrovert is caused by genes inherited from parents that cause an abundance of certain neurotransmitters

Question 5

Evolutionary (Darwinian) perspective

Answer 5

Evolutionary psychologists/sociobiologists examine human thought and behavior in terms of natural selection

Eg. An extrovert is more likely to make allies, which is a trait that improves chances for survival and reproduction - this would pass along the trait for extroversion

Question 6

Behavioral perspective

Answer 6

Explains thought and behavior in terms of conditioning, looking for human and animal responses to different stimuli

Eg. A person might be extroverted if they were rewarded for being outgoing

Question 7

Cognitive perspective

Answer 7

Examines thought and behavior based on how we interpret, process, and remember events. Rules we use to view the world are important to understanding behavior

Eg. A person who is extroverted may see social conversations as an important way to know someone or important to his or her life in some way - being outgoing makes sense

Question 8

Sociocultural perspective

Answer 8

Looks at how thoughts and behaviors varies between cultures.

Eg. How does a person’s culture influence their extroversion? How does the culture’s norms affect interaction experience?

Question 9

Biopsychosocial perspective

Answer 9

Human thinking and behavior is a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors.

Eg. Extroversion results from genetic factors, how a person has been conditioned, and social pressures like conformity