Psychological Perspectives

Psychological perspectives. Psychology is a field that deals with the scientific study of the human mind and its functions with a keen focus on mental processes and how they impact behaviours. It covers the study of the minds and behaviours of humans and how each affects or is related to the other, while a perspective is a mental view of things.

So what are psychological perspectives? Simply put, they are the methods or systems psychologists use to understand and interpret behaviours. They look into the different ways humans think, the resulting emotions and how they impact how humans behave. When it comes to this, psychologists use different perspectives which we will look at.

The main focus of psychological perspectives is observing behaviours and the thoughts,m feelings and emotions that cause them. Each perspective uses a different approach to understanding the behaviours of humans, but they all have one focus which is understanding how the human brain works and why people act the way they do.

Psychological perspectives help researchers understand why people may choose to act the way they do and the feelings, thoughts and emotions behind their choices. They are the different ways psychologists, therapists, counsellors, and other mental health care practitioners think about and explain the way humans think and behave.

There are seven psychological perspectives which psychologists use to understand human behaviours and we will discuss them later in this article. These perspectives are the different ways that psychologists look at and try to understand human behaviours in relation to the thoughts, feelings and emotions that drive them.

The seven psychological perspectives used by psychologists are; the psychodynamic perspective, behavioural perspective, cognitive perspective, biological perspective, cross-cultural perspective, evolutionary perspective and humanistic perspective. We will look at each one of them in detail in the next part of the article.

An example of how psychological perspectives are used is how a psychologist may attribute aggressive behaviour to biological factors such as genetics while another psychologist could use the behavioural perspective which involves how environmental behaviours probably from childhood experiences may be causing the aggressive behaviour.

Different psychologists use different psychological perspectives to look at why a person may behave the way they do. Psychologists who use the cognitive perspective often view the human brain as a computer and use tools such as MRI scans to look inside the human body in a bid to get answers to behaviours being exhibited by a person.

Having a great understanding of psychological perspectives can help to give an insight into how various psychologists understand and look at human thoughts, feelings, and emotions and how they may affect their mental health. Various psychologists have different perspectives on the root causes of the behaviours of humans.

Psychological perspectives are mostly used in health and social care to treat various mental disorders and illnesses as it focuses on addressing the underlying cause of the mental illness with a view to healing them. Let us look at the seven perspectives next.

What Are The 7 Perspectives Of Psychology?

What are the 7 perspectives of psychology? The perspectives of psychology look at the different ways that psychologists look at mental disorders in terms of their root causes and how they affect a person in order to be able to help them achieve a healthier life. Without further ado let us dive into what the seven different psychological perspectives are.

What are the 7 perspectives of psychology? The 7 perspectives of psychology are as follows;

1. The Psychodynamic Perspective
   The psychodynamic perspective is one of the psychological perspectives. It was developed by a psychologist, Sigmund Freud who conceived the mind as comprising three key elements; the id (includes all primal and unconscious desires), the ego (demands of the real world) and the superego (internalised morals, standards and ideals).
   Sigmund believed that free will is not related to human actions. This perspective of psychology studies the role of early childhood experiences and interpersonal relationships in human behaviour, feelings and emotions. It studies the role of the unconscious mind in human behaviour and is also used to treat a wide range of mental illnesses.
2. The Behavioural Perspective
   This is another perspective when looking at what are the 7 perspectives of psychology. It was built on the works of psychologists such as Edward Lee Thorndike, Ivan Pavlov, John B. Watson and B.F.Skinner. It is the perspective that focuses on learned behaviour and believes that human behaviour is learned through their environment.
   This is one of the psychological perspectives that is used to understand how behaviour is learned and reinforced in humans. This perspective believes that behaviour is only affected by the environment of a person and has no relationship with cognitive or biological processes. It is used by therapists and counsellors to treat a variety of mental illnesses.
3. The Cognitive Perspective
   This perspective looks at how an individual processes the world around them and seeks to understand why they process it in the way they do. It looks at how mental processes like thinking, memory, and problem-solving impact the way people behave. This perspective was influenced by renowned psychologists, Albert Bandura and Jean Piguet.
   The cognitive perspective seeks to understand an individual’s behaviour by looking at how they interpret, perceive, and remember events. It sees the brain as a computer and tries to understand how information is acquired, processed, stored and utilised and sees memory as comprised of encoding (receiving), storage (retaining) and retrieval (recollecting).
4. The Biological Perspective
   Another perspective in what are the 7 perspectives of psychology is the biological perspective involving looking at how genetics influence the behaviour of an individual. It applies the principles of biology when looking at mental processes and the behaviours of humans, like looking at how damage to a part of the brain can affect behaviour.
   This perspective focuses on understanding a person’s behaviour by looking at their genetics and literal biology. Also called biopsychology, it looks at parts such as the nervous system, genetics, the immune system, the endocrine system, etc as a way to gain more understanding of a person’s behavioural pattern, mental health and personality.
5. The Cross-cultural Perspective
   We are still looking at what are the 7 perspectives of psychology. The cross-cultural perspective looks at human behaviour in relation to cultural backgrounds. It looks at the rules within a cultural or community setting and how they influence or impact the behavioural and thought patterns of an individual.
   This perspective looks at how a person interacts within their cultural and social groups and also how these groups tend to influence the thinking and behaviours of the person. It looks at how a person’s thinking and behavioural pattern may be deeply rooted in their culture and also believes that one cannot separate the mind and culture, they go hand-in-hand.
6. The Evolutionary Perspective
   This is the next one we will look at when looking at psychological perspectives. This perspective, based on natural selection was developed by Charles Darwin who believed that people developed traits which are important for survival and that mental processes serve an evolutionary purpose which is survival and reproduction.
   This perspective explains how the changes in the environment and the need for survival have shaped the behaviours, thoughts and other mental processes of humans. It believes that human thoughts and behaviours are influenced by what gives them the highest chance of survival which they then pass down to future generations.
7. The Humanistic Perspective
   The humanistic perspective is the final one of the psychological perspectives we will look at. This perspective was influenced by the work of humanists such as Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers who emphasised the role of motivation, free will and individual choices on behaviour patterns, believing that they create an innate drive for self-actualisation.
   This perspective believes that free will and self-motivation are highly important factors that can help humans achieve their potential. It also believes that all humans crave achievements which is the driving force to self-actualisation. This perspective focuses on the highest human potential and achievements rather than on their mental state.
   Now that we have an understanding of the psychological perspectives, we will be looking at the psychological perspective example in the next part of this article to help us further gain more understanding of the concept of the perspectives of psychology.

What Is A Psychological Perspective Example?

What is a psychological perspective example? To help us gain a better understanding of what the perspectives of psychology are about, we will look at some practical examples of how these perspectives can be applied by therapists, counsellors and psychologists to solve real-life problems that may affect various individuals.

What is a psychological perspective example? As mentioned earlier, there are seven perspectives of psychology which are used to understand the behaviour of humans, looking at how they behave, the thoughts, feelings and emotions behind them which then tells more about why they act the way they do.

What is a psychological perspective example? A psychologist who uses the biological perspective would believe that the three main factors which impact human thoughts and resulting behaviours are neurotransmitters, genetics and hormones and that behaviours and thought patterns are beyond human control but rather determined by these factors.

Now let us look at what is a psychological perspective example. A psychologist who uses the biological perspective to understand thoughts and behavioural patterns would look at the behaviours of introverts and extroverts as resulting from their genetic makeup gotten from their parents and how these genes affect the neurotransmitters in their brains.

On the other hand, a psychologist who uses the cross-cultural perspective will look at these behaviours from the perspective that despite the individuals seeming introverted or extroverted, they may not actually be so but are rather actually following the rules guiding the social and cultural norms of their sociocultural backgrounds.

What is a psychological perspective example? One study was carried out on identical twins raised by different parents to understand the role that the different perspectives of psychology play in the behavioural and thought patterns of these twins, in order to prove that human behaviours are not only influenced by genetics but by other factors as well.

A psychologist using the biological perspective believes that despite these twins being raised apart, they would behave and think in the same exact way because their behaviours and thoughts are controlled and influenced by their genetics which then send a message to their neurotransmitters making them give the same reactions to situations though apart.

Looking at the same twins, a psychologist who uses a cross-cultural perspective believes that despite being identical twins when raised apart, they would have different thinking and behaviour patterns because these behaviour and thought patterns will be influenced by the different social and cultural norms in which they were raised.

A psychologist using the cognitive perspective believes that the thought and behavioural patterns of the twins will be based on how they are able to perceive, interpret and recall events that occur around them. For instance, if one twin interprets people asking questions about his life as them being judgemental, he may withdraw from interacting socially.

In the same way, a psychologist with the psychodynamic perspective believes that the way the twins interpret their world will greatly depend on their childhood experiences. If they face embarrassment or are body shamed in childhood, it may cause them to develop social anxiety which could in turn make them avoid social interactions or social settings.

What Are The 5 Major Psychological Approaches And What Do They Cover?

What are the 5 major psychological approaches and what do they cover? The human mind is so fascinating. This has led to different psychologists using different approaches to try to understand why humans think and behave in the way that they do. In this part of the article, we will look at the 5 major approaches which psychologists use.

Now what are the 5 major psychological approaches and what do they cover? Let us discuss the five major psychological approaches also called the schools of thought and gain more understanding of what they cover. The approaches are as follows;

1. The Biological Approach
   This is the first approach we will look at when we look at: what are the 5 major psychological approaches and what do they cover? This approach looks at the thoughts, feelings and behaviours of humans from a biological point of view. It studies the human brain and genetics as it believes that all human thoughts and behaviours are biological.
   This school of thought believes that all human behaviours have a biological cause which is influenced by genetics and explained through neurological terms. It focuses on the relationship between biology and behaviour, precisely the role that the brain, genetics and neurotransmitters play in regulating and controlling the behaviour of humans.
2. The Psychodynamic Approach
   What are the 5 major psychological approaches and what do they cover? The psychodynamic approach was developed by Freud Sigmund. This approach looks at the role of internal dynamics on the behavioural patterns of an individual. Sigmund’s theory of psychoanalysis is one of the biggest steps in the psychology field.
   This school of thought looks at how childhood experiences can shape the thought and behavioural patterns of individuals. It believes that human behaviours and feelings are deeply affected by the unconscious mind and that the way an adult behaves is deeply rooted in the experiences they had as children.
3. The Behavioural Approach
   This school of thought says that all human behaviour is not affected by genetics or biological factors but they are rather influenced by the external environment a person finds themselves in which shapes the way they think and behave and is based on the experiences they have gained whilst being in such environment.
   This approach looks at the behavioural patterns of people rather than their mental processes to help them solve their problems. This school of thought believes that free will does not affect behaviours but rather that all behaviours are learned from experiences and the external stimuli of a person’s environment.
4. The Cognitive Approach
   This approach looks at the mental or cognitive processes that make a person act in a certain way. It studies how the mind works in terms of how we receive information, process them and how they are utilised which acts as a driving force of the behavioural and thought patterns of human beings.
   The cognitive approach looks at the mental processes involved in how a person perceives and interprets the world around them. It views the human brain as a computer and sees human memory as comprised of three main parts which are receiving, storing and recollecting. It seeks to understand how these processes impact the behaviour of humans.
5. The Humanistic Approach
   This is the last approach when looking at “what are the 5 major psychological approaches and what do they cover?”. This approach believes that free will has a great impact on human behaviour and that humans have some degree of self-control which makes them able to determine their own thought and behavioural patterns.
   This school of thought emphasises the uniqueness of each person and their ability to decide their own thought and behavioural patterns. It acknowledges the individual uniqueness of each human and how our subjective experiences contribute largely or impacts our personalities, thinking and behavioural patterns.

What Are Psychological Perspectives Used For?

What are psychological perspectives used for? Psychological perspectives look at the different schools of thought used by various psychologists to understand the feelings, emotions, thoughts and behavioural patterns of humans in a bid to fully understand why people think and act in the way that they do.

What are psychological perspectives used for? There are several ways therapists, counsellors and others in the field of psychology use psychological perspectives to understand human thoughts and behaviour patterns. Each psychologist uses their own approach to view and modify the behavioural patterns of humans.

What are psychological perspectives used for? Psychological perspectives have been used over the years to understand the feelings, thoughts and emotions which are responsible for the ways that humans behave. It has been used by several psychologists to help people treat their mental and behavioural problems.

What are psychological perspectives used for? Therapists use different psychological perspectives when looking to identify the root causes of behaviour problems which may be negatively impacting relationships. Each therapist will have their own unique approach when it comes to how they view and investigate the underlying causes of mental illnesses.

What are psychological perspectives used for? They are mostly used to treat mental illnesses which may be related to behaviours. A therapist or counsellor may look at the behavioural patterns of a person in a bid to understand how the person perceives and interprets their world as a way to understand why they think and behave the way they do.

One aspect of the behavioural perspective of psychology commonly used today is cognitive behavioural therapy which is widely used to help people treat and modify their behavioural problems which may be negatively impacting their relationships in order for them to form much stronger relationships and have happier lives.

The perspectives of psychology are widely used in therapy and counselling to help parties in a relationship identify, address and resolve negative patterns which may be preventing the growth and fulfilment of the relationship. It is used in couples therapy to identify behavioural patterns which may be causing conflicts in a relationship.

Relationships are often faced with different challenges and many of them are related to negative behaviour patterns which may be causing conflicts and persistent arguments in the relationship. In counselling or therapy, a professional would normally apply the perspective of psychology he/she believes in to solve the problems in the relationship.

Psychology perspectives can be useful in family relationships and therapy as well as can help each family identify their behavioural patterns which may be factors causing the problems in the relationship a therapist can help them understand and identify better ways of managing and addressing these behaviours and subsequently the conflicts.

It can also be helpful in dealing with communication issues in relationships. The way and manner a person processes and passes on information can determine whether there will be conflicts or arguments in their relationships or not. Therapists can help you improve your communication by helping you identify much healthier ways of expressing your feelings.

What Are The 5 Psychological Theories?

What are the 5 psychological theories? Psychological theories are a system of ideas which are used to explain some aspects of human emotions, thoughts and behavioural patterns. They are fact-based ideas which are used by psychologists to explain the phenomenon of the individual behaviour of each human.

What are the 5 psychological theories? Psychological theories are usually based on hypotheses which are backed by evidence. They comprise two key components which are; it must describe behaviour and it must make predictions of a person’s future behaviours. Each therapist usually has their own theoretical framework for treating people.

Psychologists create these theories to be able to predict the future behaviours of an individual, behaviours that may result if certain events take place and events that may take place if a person displays certain behaviours. Now let us look at what are the 5 psychological theories which stem from the various perspectives of psychology.

1. Behaviourist Theory
   This theory centres around the idea that human behaviours are a result of their reaction to their environment. It believes that behaviours are learned or acquired through conditioning. This theory is widely used today by therapists and counsellors to help their clients learn or acquire new skills and behaviour to replace or improve existing ones.
   This theory is being used by therapists today in form of cognitive behavioural therapy and dialectical behavioural therapy to treat mental health disorders such as personality disorders, self-harm, anxiety disorders, depression and addiction by helping them learn to create positive thoughts.
2. Cognitive Theory
   We are still looking at what are the 5 psychological theories. The cognitive theory believes that human behaviours are influenced by how we think. It focuses on the mental processes involved in processing information, problem-solving, decision-making, and perception and how these processes influence thoughts that lead to certain behaviours.
   This theory also uses cognitive behavioural therapy to help people learn a healthier behavioural pattern and create positive thoughts. It is useful in treating disorders such as depression, anxiety and addiction.
3. Biological Theory
   This theory believes in the idea that human behaviours are influenced by genetics, DNA and hereditary traits. It attributes human behaviours to biological causes. This theory believes that human behaviours are inherited and influenced by their adaptation to their external environments. It is mostly used to investigate conditions like schizophrenia.
   This theory is being used by therapists today to diagnose biological conditions such as schizophrenia and understand other biological characteristics such as intelligence quotient (IQ), aggressive behaviours and gender roles.
4. Psychodynamic Theory
   What are the 5 psychological theories? The next to look at is the psychodynamic theory which believes that human behaviour is ruled by the subconscious. This theory seeks to understand how the unconscious shapes our emotions, thoughts, feelings and ultimately our behavioural patterns.
   Today, this theory in therapy is also called talk therapy and is being used by therapists to provide a long-term positive impact on people suffering from mental health disorders which include depression, anxiety disorders, and personality disorders.
5. Humanistic Theory
   This theory mainly focuses on seeing the good in human beings. It states that each individual is unique and capable of change, believing that we are all responsible for our own happiness, social functioning and the behaviours we exhibit. Thus, this theory focuses more on a person’s current emotional state than on how past experiences may affect them.
   This theory is used today to treat people with depression, schizophrenia, panic and anxiety disorders, relationship problems and substance abuse and addictions and help people rebuild their self-esteem.

What Are Psychological Perspectives In Health And Social Care?

What are psychological perspectives in health and social care? Now that we understand what the perspectives of psychology are about, let us look at how they are being applied in the health and social care systems. Therapists and counsellors often use these different perspectives to help treat different mental health disorders.

What are psychological perspectives in health and social care?  Psychological perspectives are applied in different ways to health and social care and some of these ways include;

• Biological Perspective

In health and social care, this perspective is used to understand and investigate an individual’s genetic predispositions to certain health issues and developmental norms. It is also used to understand how stressful situations impact an individual and how they can develop healthier ways of managing them.

• Psychodynamic Perspective

When looking at what are psychological perspectives in health and social care, this perspective is used in health and social care in form of talking therapy to provide therapeutic solutions and interventions to people who have anxiety or panic disorders, emotional difficulties and relationship problems.

We are still looking at what are psychological perspectives in health and social care and the next one we will consider is;

• Cognitive Perspective

In health and social care, this perspective is used to help people who may have some learning difficulties. It provides them with therapeutic support such as cognitive behavioural therapy.

• Humanistic Perspective

This is another perspective to look at when considering what are psychological perspectives in health and social care. It is also known as the person-centred approach and is beneficial in helping people learn the importance of empathy and understanding the feelings of others and maintaining a nonjudgemental stand.

• Behavioural Perspective

In health and social care today, this perspective is used to understand the feelings, emotions and thoughts behind behaviours and help people improve, learn and unlearn certain behaviours.

• Cross-cultural Perspective

In health and social care, this perspective is used to promote behaviours and practices which are anti-discriminatory by using positive role models in health care education.

Psychological Perspectives Conclusion

Psychological perspectives conclusion. The perspectives of psychology represent the varying perspectives of therapists and counsellors in social and healthcare settings. It is important to work with a therapist whose approach will be beneficial to your peculiar challenges as this is a vital key in getting help tailored to your mental needs.

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