7 Major Perspectives in Modern Psychology
There are several different approaches to understanding human behavior. When researching human psychology, psychologists take several different approaches to their research.
Some researchers specialize in a single school of thought, such as the biological perspective, while others prefer a more eclectic approach that incorporates various viewpoints. There is no single point of view that is “better” than another; instead, each emphasizes different aspects of human behavior than the others.
The Most Important Perspectives in Modern Psychology
Early psychology was dominated by a succession of these different schools of thought, which continued until the mid-19th century. The terms structuralism, functionalism, psychoanalysis, behaviorism, and humanism may ring a bell if you have taken a psychology course in the past. These are all terms that refer to different schools of psychological thought.
As the field of psychology has grown, so has the number and variety of topics that psychologists are studying and researching. Since its inception in the 1960s, the field of psychology has experienced rapid growth. In the same way that the depth and breadth of subjects studied by psychologists have increased at an alarming rate, so has their number.
The following are seven of the essential perspectives in contemporary psychology.
- The Psychodynamic Perspective:
Sigmund Freud’s work is credited with establishing the psychodynamic perspective. It is believed that the unconscious mind, early childhood experiences, and interpersonal relationships are essential in explaining human behavior and treating mental illnesses, according to this perspective on psychology and human behavior.
Although the psychodynamic perspective is no longer as prevalent as it once was, it remains a useful psychotherapeutic tool.
2-The Behavioral Perspective:
Behavioral psychology is concerned with the study of learned behaviors. It was predicated on the research of psychologists like Edward Thorndike and John B. Watson. 2 The behaviorist school of psychology dominated psychology in the early twentieth century, but it began to lose its grip on the field in the 1950s.
The behavioral perspective is still relevant today because it concerns how behaviors are learned and reinforced in children. Mental health settings, where therapists and counselors use behavioral principles to explain and treat various illnesses, are familiar places where behavioral principles are applied.
3. The Cognitive Perspective:
As it was known at the time, cognitive psychology was a new perspective that emerged in the 1960s. Memory, thinking, problem-solving, language, and decision-making are some of the mental processes that are studied in this area of psychology.
The cognitive perspective, which was influenced by psychologists such as Jean Piaget and Albert Bandura, has grown tremendously in popularity in recent decades.
The information-processing model (in which the human mind is compared to a computer) is frequently used by cognitive psychologists to conceptualize how information is gathered, processed, stored, and utilized.
4. The Biological Perspective:
It is widely acknowledged that physiology played a significant role in developing psychology as a distinct science. Biological psychology is the term used today to describe this viewpoint (also called biopsychology or physiological psychology). The physical and biological underpinnings of behavior are emphasized in this point of view.
Researchers who take a biological perspective on psychology may be interested in how genetics influences behavior or how damage to specific brain areas affects the individual’s personality.
Biologists are interested in various topics, including the nervous system, genetics, the brain, the immune system, the endocrine system, and the endocrine system itself. With advances in our ability to explore and understand the human brain and nervous system over the last few decades, the perspective has widened significantly.
Researchers can use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET) scans to observe the brain in various imaging techniques. Scientists can now investigate the effects of brain damage, drugs, and disease in ways that were previously impossible to accomplish.
5. The Cross-Cultural Perspective:
Compared to other psychological perspectives, cross-cultural psychology is a relatively new one that has grown significantly in the last twenty years. Psychologists and researchers affiliated with this school of thought study human behavior across a variety of cultural contexts.
By examining these differences, we can better understand how culture influences our thinking and behavior.
For example, researchers have looked into how social behaviors differ between individualistic cultures and collectivistic ones.
Social loafing is a phenomenon that occurs in individualistic cultures (such as the United States) in which people tend to exert less effort when they are part of a group of people.
Individuals in collectivistic cultures (such as China) are more likely to put in more effort when they are part of a group.
6. The Evolutionary Perspective:
Evolutionary psychology is concerned with investigating how the theory of evolution can be used to explain physiological phenomena.
These psychologists apply the fundamental principles of evolution (such as natural selection) to psychological phenomena to understand them better.
According to the evolutionary viewpoint, these mental processes exist because they serve an evolutionary purpose that is, they aid in the survival and reproduction of humans.
7. The Humanistic Perspective:
It was in the 1950s that the humanistic psychology school of thought made its appearance. The work of prominent humanists such as Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow had a significant influence on it.
The humanistic perspective emphasizes the importance of motivation in the formation of thoughts and actions. The concepts of self-actualization and self-actualization are essential. Psychologists who take a humanist perspective are interested in motivating people to grow and change and develop their potential.
Conclusion:
There are numerous approaches to understanding human thought and behavior. The various perspectives available in modern psychology provide researchers and students with various tools for approaching problems and answering questions. They also serve as a guide for psychologists as they seek new explanations and predictions for human behavior. Even the development of new treatment approaches may result from this exploration and deeper understanding.