Psychology

06/05/2011 Chapter One Essay, Psychology Psychology is defined as the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. It is said that the science of psychology started in 1879 when “the father of psychology” Wilhelm Wundt opened the first psychological laboratory in Leipzig, Germany. The goal in psychology is to uncover the many mysteries of human and animal behavior. This is accomplished by first forming a description of what behavior is happening. To do this, one has to observe the subjects behavior in detail. The next step is to try to explain why the behavior is happening; the researcher has to form a theory to explain the behavior. Then they must predict what will happen in the future, to see if a change in behavior is required. Finally the researcher has to find out how the behavior can be changed to have a more favorable outcome. There are seven different Modern psychological perspectives used to explain human behavior and mental processes. Psychodynamic Perspective, which is based on Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis but has been modified for modern use, it is still used today by many professionals. The focus is on the development of a sense of self with the emphasis being on the reasons for the behavior other than sexual motivations. Behavioral Perspective, like psychodynamic, is based on the early works of John Watson. A gentleman named B.F. Skinner continued his work. It is founded on how behavioral responses are learned through classical or operant conditioning. The perspective I find the most fascinating is one of the newer perspectives called Humanistic Perspective. It is also known as the “third eye” it was formed as a reaction from those who did not totally agree with Psychodynamic and Behavioral Perspectives. This perspective was formed by Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers. Humanists believe that people have the freedom to choose their own destiny. It is my favorite because it has a very optimistic view of human nature and its vast potential. Unlike some of the other perspectives, it views human nature in a very genuine and positive light. Maslow and Rogers believed in the ability of each person to be all that they can be. “An assumption unusual in psychology today is that the subjective human being has an important value which is basic; that no matter how he may be labeled and evaluated he is a human person first of all, and most deeply. " Carl Rogers, 1962 Cognitive Perspectives’ main focus is on how people think, remember, store and use information. This perspective also focuses on memory, intelligence, perception, learning and problem solving skills. It is the study of the changes that happen to our brain and nervous system when we are thinking. Sociocultural Perspective is a very interesting perspective; its main focus is on the relationship between social behavior and culture. It studies why and how people are so influenced by other people. One thing I found intriguing is a study done by Darley and Latane (1968) that found if a person was in trouble or hurt, they are less likely be helped if there are more people around. It is called the bystander effect. People tend to feel that helping others is someone else’s responsibility. They think that they don’t have to because someone else will. Biopsychology Perspective is the study of behavior due to changes in the body. Some changes could be genetic, hormonal, or the activity in the nervous system. Its focus is on the mind and body connection. What affects the body also affects the mind. The last perspective, Evolutionary Perspective, studies the general mental strategies and traits that all people share, like why we lie or how attractiveness influences who we choose as our mate. It also studies why most people around the world enjoy things like music and dancing. This perspective studies human traits from thousands of years ago as well as modern times. It correlates with Darwin’s theory of the process of natural selection. All seven of these remarkable perspectives raise very valid points. Human behavior is so complex it could not be explained could by just one perspective. It takes several different points of view, many studies and experiments to find the underlying causes or reason for the behavior of people. Works Cited 1. Psychology Saundra K. Ciccarelli, J. Noland White Second Edition Chapter One 2. Association for Humanistic Psychology Copyright ©2001 All rights reserved. Web Credits http://www.ahpweb.org/aboutahp/whatis.html 3. Carl Rogers 1902 - 1987