Chapter 1Section 4

Contemporary Perspectives

Objectives

• Describe the seven main contemporary perspectives in psychology.

Activity

• Virtual reality is a new technology that simulates the sights, sounds, and feel of real or imaginary events. How would biologically oriented psychologists use virtual reality to learn more about human behavior?

• With a partner write a short description on each perspective.

Perspectives

• A theoretical perspective is a general set of assumptions about the nature of phenomena. In the case of psychology, each of the seven perspectives presented in this section has a different set of assumptions about the nature of human behavior and mental processes.

• I would like you to realize that human behavior is complex and that having a variety of perspectives gives us a much richer and fuller view of behavior than could one perspective alone.

Psychologists

• Two psychologists, Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow, developed the humanistic perspective in reaction to both Freudian and behaviorist psychology. These humanists believed that human beings do not act only in response to either unconscious impulses or external stimuli; rather, people have the potential for directing their own growth. Rogers focused on the individual’s drive to enhance the self and actualize (or reach) inner potential, while Maslow became known for his explanation of the hierarchy of human needs, including physiological needs related to survival and the need for self-actualization.

Observation Skills

• What behaviors did you observe? How did you find out about the characters’ thoughts (cognitive activities) and feelings (emotions)?

• How does the role of observation play in understanding differences among people?

Activity

• We will divide into seven different groups.• You will be assigned on of the seven

psychological perspectives discussed in the section.

• You will create a collage that illustrates the perspective assigned.

• Each group will present and discuss your collage. Collages will be displayed.