7 Perspectives of Psychology

Different theoretical approaches to

understand and explain why people
behave and think as they do
 Why so many perspectives?

• Psychology is an INEXACT SCIENCE

• Technological advancements change old thinking
• Psychological theory often product of its times/culture
• Experiments change/disprove old thinking
 • All psychology perspectives fall within the spectrum of the nature or nurture question

Nature Nurture
interactions with and
Genetics & physiology OR observations of our
environments and
people

100% Nature nature and nurture interact Nurture 100%

Biopsychology

Evolutionary Psych

Cognitive Psych

Psychoanalytic

Sociocultural Psych
Humanism

Behavioral Psych
 Perspective 1: Biopsychology (AKA Neuropsychology)

100% Nature nature and nurture interact Nurture 100%

• We are who we are due to biological and

Biopsychology

physiological causes and their interactions

with nurture factors

Biopsychologist study how the following

cause us to behave and think as we do:
•Brain structures
•Hormones, enzymes, chemicals
•Genes (DNA)
 Perspective 2: Evolutionary Psych

100% Nature Nature and nurture interact Nurture 100%

• We are who/how we are

Evolutionary Psych due to “survival of the
fittest” interaction of
our genes with our
environment
 Perspective 3: Cognitive Psych

100% Nature nature and nurture interact Nurture 100%

• We are who we are/do

Cognitive Psych
what we do because we
actively think about past
and present and make
predictions about our
future as we interact
with environment
 Perspective 4: Humanism

100% Nature nature and nurture interact Nurture 100%

• Every human has a

Humanism
desire to achieve to his
or her fullest potential;
humanists look at
environmental factors
that are necessary to
reach fullest potential
and what prevents
others from doing so
 Perspective 5: Psychoanalytic
100% Nature nature and nurture interact Nurture 100%

• We are who we
are/do what we do

Psychoanalytic
due to…bad or good
childhood
experiences and
memories hidden in
our subconscious
 Perspective 6: Behavioral Psych

100% Nature nature and nurture interact Nurture 100%

• We are who we are/do

Behavioral Psych
what we do due to
involuntary reactions to
environmental stimuli,
reinforcement of
behaviors, and observing
and imitating others
 Perspective 7: Sociocultural Psych

100% Nature nature and nurture interact Nurture 100%

Sociocultural Psych
We are who we are, do
what we do due to…the
culture in which we are
raised and social
expectations and norms