Psychological Perspectives

AP Psychology: History and Theories

Theories, theories and more theories…

7 Approaches/Perspectives in Psychology

Psychodynamic

Emphasis on childhood Unconscious drives

and conflicts Psychoanalysis (free

association and dream analysis

Psychosexual theory of development

Big names: Freud, Jung, Adler, Erickson…

Humanistic

Focuses on psychological growth

Influence of personal relationships

Self-concept and self-esteem

Heavy nurture focus “inner cheerleader” Big names: Maslow

and Carl Rogers

Behaviorism

Nurture focus Only interested in

measuring observable behavior

Conditioning and learning focus

Big names: Watson, Skinner, Thorndike

Biological

Hereditary and biochemical process

Brain, nervous system

Genes, hormones Big names: Olds,

Sperry, Hubel & Wiesel,

Cognitive

Focuses on thinking processes.

Memory, intelligence, problem solving, language development

Big names: Piaget, Simon, Chomsky

Sociocultural

Focuses on similarities and differences among cultures

Social/cultural norms, individualistic vs. collectivistic

Evolutionary

Applies evolutionary principles to explain psychological processes.

How does our brain adapt to our environment?

Big names: Darwin

Hand Mnemonic Device