Psychology Perspectives
Psychology Perspective
Psychology as we all know is the scientific study of the behavior of humans and animals. There are various different approaches in contemporary psychology which aim at understanding human behavior. An approach is a perspective that involves certain assumptions about human behavior: the way they function, which aspects of them are worthy of study and what research methods are appropriate for undertaking this study. There may be several different theories within an approach, but they all share these common assumptions.
Each perspective or approach has its strengths and weaknesses, and brings something different to our understanding of human behavior. Each one of these perspectives searches for answers about behavior through different techniques and through looking for answers to different kinds of questions. Due to the different approaches, each perspective forms its own assumptions and explanations. The following paragraphs will give a briefing of the different psychology approaches.
Psychodynamic psychology ignores the trappings of science and instead focuses on trying to get into the minds of individuals in order to make sense of their relationships, experiences and how they see the world. The Psychodynamic Perspective focuses on unconscious mental activity. This perspective suggests that both normal and abnormal behaviors are determined primarily by unconscious forces.
The Behavioral Perspective focuses on observable behaviors; but does not speculate about mental processes such as thinking. It also focuses on learning in understanding how various behaviors occur. A person's behavior is mainly determined by their environment. Observable behavior can be objectively and scientifically measured. Internal events, such as thinking should be explained through behavioral terms.
The Humanistic Perspective focuses on how people can come to achieve their fullest potential as individuals who make choices and who take control of responsibility for
Psychology as we all know is the scientific study of the behavior of humans and animals. There are various different approaches in contemporary psychology which aim at understanding human behavior. An approach is a perspective that involves certain assumptions about human behavior: the way they function, which aspects of them are worthy of study and what research methods are appropriate for undertaking this study. There may be several different theories within an approach, but they all share these common assumptions.
Each perspective or approach has its strengths and weaknesses, and brings something different to our understanding of human behavior. Each one of these perspectives searches for answers about behavior through different techniques and through looking for answers to different kinds of questions. Due to the different approaches, each perspective forms its own assumptions and explanations. The following paragraphs will give a briefing of the different psychology approaches.
Psychodynamic psychology ignores the trappings of science and instead focuses on trying to get into the minds of individuals in order to make sense of their relationships, experiences and how they see the world. The Psychodynamic Perspective focuses on unconscious mental activity. This perspective suggests that both normal and abnormal behaviors are determined primarily by unconscious forces.
The Behavioral Perspective focuses on observable behaviors; but does not speculate about mental processes such as thinking. It also focuses on learning in understanding how various behaviors occur. A person's behavior is mainly determined by their environment. Observable behavior can be objectively and scientifically measured. Internal events, such as thinking should be explained through behavioral terms.
The Humanistic Perspective focuses on how people can come to achieve their fullest potential as individuals who make choices and who take control of responsibility for