The document summarizes five major perspectives in psychology: the neuroscience perspective considers how heredity and the brain/nervous system influence behavior; the psychodynamic perspective argues behavior is motivated by unconscious forces; the behavioral perspective focuses on observable, measurable behavior; the cognitive perspective examines how people think and process information; and the humanistic perspective emphasizes free will and people's potential for growth.

1. Major
Perspectives of
Psychology
Bethany Thompson
PSY200
Mr. Thompson

2. What are the Major
perspectives off Psychology?
1) The Psychodynamic perspective
2) The Behavioral Perspective
3) The Cognitive Perspective
4) The Humanistic Perspective
5) The Neuroscience Perspective

3. Neuroscience Perspective
Considers how people and nonhumans function
biologically: how individual nerve cells are
joined together, how the inheritance of certain
characteristics from parents and other ancestors
influences behavior, how the function of the
body affects hopes and fears, which behaviors
are reflexive, and so forth.
Includes the study Considers how heredity may influence
behavior, and behavioral neuroscience,
of heredity and which examines how the brain and the
evolution nervous system affect behavior.
Advances in methods fro examining the anatomy and functioning of the brain have
permitted the neuroscientific perspective to extend its influence across a broad range
of subfields in psychology.

4. Psychodynamic Perspective
Proponents
Examples of this would be dreams and
argued that slips of the tongue: indications of what a
behavior is person is truly feeling within an
unconscious psychic activity
motivated by
inner forces
and conflicts Helped treat and
about which understand some
we have little psychological disorders.
awareness.
Helps us understand everyday
phenomena like prejudice and
aggression.
Originated by Sigmund Freud

5. Behavioral Perspective
In contrast to the neuroscience and psychodynamic approaches; grew
out of a rejection of psychology’s early emphasis on the inner workings
of the mind.
John B. Watson - first major American
Behaviorists suggested psychologist to advocate a behavioral
that the field should approach. Believed that it was possible to
focus on observable elicit any desired type of behavior by
behavior that can be controlling a person’s environment.
measured objectively.
Used along every byway of psychology
Has made contributions in such diverse areas
as treating mental disorders, curbing
aggression , resolving sexual problems and
ending drug addiction.

6. Cognitive Perspective
Focuses on how people think, understand, and reason
about the world.
Learning how Psychologists compare human
people internally thinking to the workings of a
comprehend computer, which takes in
information and transforms,
and represent
stores, and retrieves it. They look
the outside
at this as information
world and how processing.
our ways of
thinking about The common elements that link
the world cognitive approaches emphasis
influence our on how people understand and
behavior. think about the world and an
interest in describing the patterns
and irregularities in the operation
n of their mind.

7. Humanistic Perspective
Suggests that all individuals naturally strive to grow,
develop, and be in control of their lives and behavior.
People will strive to reach
Central figures in
their full potential if they
the development:
are given the opportunity
- Carl Rogers
to do so.
- Abraham Maslow
The notion of free will sands Emphasis is based on free
in contrast to determinism, will, which is the ability to
which sees behavior as freely make decisions about
caused, or determined, by one’s own behavior and life.
things beyond a person’s
control.

8. Neuroscience Cognitive:
Perspective: Considers
how heredity may Review Focuses on
how people
influence behavior,
and behavioral
think,
neuroscience, which understand,
examines how the and reason
brain and the nervous about the
system affect behavior. world.
Behavioral Perspective: In contrast to
the neuroscience and psychodynamic
Psychodynamic approaches; grew out of a rejection of
Perspective: psychology’s early emphasis on the
Proponents inner workings of the mind.
argued that
behavior is
motivated by Humanistic Perspective: Suggests
inner forces and that all individuals naturally strive to
conflicts about grow, develop, and be in control of
which we have their lives and behavior
little awareness.