Psychological Perspectives
Three of the most predominant psychological perspectives include behaviorism, psychodynamics, and humanism; each has their strengths and weaknesses. The strong points of behaviorism include its strict attention paid to observable behavior, which eliminates any speculation and relies heavily on the scientific method. Emphasis is on how an organism learns through stimuli and response, and no inferences are made regarding thought processes, the unobservable unconscious mind, or emotional states. Strengths of the psychoanalytic or psychodynamic perspectives include an admission of the power of the unconscious and subconscious realms of the mind over human behavior. While behavior is not the central focus of the psychodynamic perspective, it is considered a product on the individual's unconscious and conscious thought processes. The humanistic perspective, known also as the "third force" of psychology, encourages a more open-ended investigation of the human experience, one that neither reduces persons to a set of behaviors nor one that focuses exclusively on instincts and subconscious desires.
The behaviorist perspective can shed light on the overt aspects of the human experience: the ways we react to stimuli in predictable, almost animalistic fashion. For example, behaviorism can explain the "fight and flight" response. Psychodynamics can shed light on some of the least understood aspects of the human experience: our dreams. Moreover, psychodynamics can help individuals understand behavior that is not motivated by stimuli but rather by instinctual desires. Finally, the humanistic perspective addresses the emotional and spiritual aspects of human existence and can shed light on the quest for individual expression, creativity, and spiritual awareness.
Each of these schools of thought can apply to certain populations better than others. For example, the humanistic perspective would be weak when trying to study infants or very young children but would be more useful to study adults. Similarly, psychodynamics applies more readily to adults than to young children. Behaviorism can apply to all populations in theory, but regarding stimuli-response, behaviorism can be best applied to understanding infant behaviors.
Psychological Perspective Scenario Anyone can experience stress in his or her life, but how the person responds to that stress is affected by the person's personality and upbringing, as well as other factors (Fernald, 2008). For someone like Lester, the issues he is facing are serious and immediate, but they also appear to have been (and will continue to be) ongoing. That is highly significant, because there is no "quick fix"
In this way, they have become familiar with each other's behavioral traits and the reasons behind these traits. Psychodynamic aspects (Cherry, 2010) did play a role since the beginning of the relationship, but became significant only while Eric and Amanda were learning about each other on a cognitive level. Eric's fundamental insecurity regarding Amanda's relationships with other men stem not only from his first disappointment, but also from the fact
Evolutionary psychologists therefore explain current human behaviors, especially instinctive ones, in terms of adaptive successes. A baby would feel safer in the secure space of a crib rather than an expansive lawn. A small fluffy mouse initially presents no threat, as our human ancestors likely preyed on smaller animals. Loud noises, however, can mean danger, so a child instinctively cries in alarm. Cognitive psychology Cognitive psychologists look at the internal mental processes
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Psychological Book Review: Scar Tissue Scar Tissue is a fictional book about dementia and the effects of aging of an elderly parent can have on an individual's soul, sense of self, and sense of place within a familial context. It tells the story of an artistic woman, married to a scientist, who slips into dementia. At first her husband cares for her, but he dies suddenly, and then she is institutionalized in
Another psychological concept is self-confidence. Had I been an individual with a lower self-esteem, I might have fallen victim to all the temptations surrounding me. I could have chosen the wrong, easier path, but I knew that I was better than that and that I deserved more than what was being immediately offered. I excelled in school and this in fact added on to my confidence level. I knew that
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