Contemporary Perspectives/Theories in Psychology
qStructuralism
Perspective,
qFunctionalism
Perspective
qGestalt
Psychology
qBiological
Perspective,
qCognitive
perspective,
qBehavioral
Perspective- Watson- learning Experience in Shaping Behaviour.
qPsychodynamic
Perspective-Sigmund Freud-Emphasized on unconscious motives.
qHumanistic
Perspective – Abrahm Maslow- freedom in controlling human behaviour.
qSocio-Cultural Perspective
qEvolutionary
Perspective
1.Structuralism (mental approach: Structure of mind , consciousness)
Wundt germinated structuralism but US psychologists Titchner developed this
school of thought.
Ø
ØWoundt , Father of
experimental Psychology , Regarded ,Psychology as the science of consciousness.
ØStructuralism
believes that Consciousness is the present experience or the
awareness of the individual.
2.Functionalism (mental approach: Function of mind)
Functionalism formed as a reaction to the structuralism and was heavily influenced by the work of William James .
Functionalists sought to explain the mental processes in
a more systematic and accurate manner. Rather
than focusing on the elements of consciousness, functionalists focused on the purpose of
consciousness and behavior.
Or, Functionalism focus on how the mind functions to adapt with different environment.
James was concerned
with what the mind could do rather than its structure. According to James,
studying the elements of mind could tell us nothing about how it functions to
meet the demands of life.
James criticize Wundt’s Ideas of Introspection method to explore subjective world.
ØConsciousness is personal, Self reporting may be socially
colored and not revealing the truth.
ØConsciousness is continuous and dynamic activity it cannot
be broken into units for study and we
cannot bring the same state of mind again
and study.
3.Behaviorism psychology (S-R Psychology)
Structuralism and Functionalism were soon challenged by
Behaviorism.
J.B Watson, Ivan Pavlov and B.F skinner are the behaviorist
psychologists.
These psychologists defined psychology as the science of
Behaviour.(Behaviour we show is the
result of conscious attached with them)
They proposed that psychology should study the visible behaviour which can be felt
and seen.The criticize abstract
concept like mind and consciousness are unnecessary to study.
According to watson, “we cannot observe a sensation, feeling or, thought but we
can observe peoples behavior as they respond to different situation”.
Thus,
Watson explained
psychology as “the
positive Science of Behaviour”.
The definition proposed by behaviorist also has certain limitations.They only focused on
observable behaviours and ignored the role
of mental process.
4.Gestalt psychology (Early Cognitive approach)
ØGestalt
is a German word that is translated as: whole ,form, pattern,
configuration or organized structure in
English.
ØDeveloped
by Wertheimer, Kohler and Koffka.
They proposed that “ human are born with the ability to
organize the elements of our perceptual
world by producing to best or, most complete meaning of the
environmental object”
ØThe
Slogan of Gestalts ,"The whole is greater than sum of its parts.“
ØTheir main focus was
on experience of perception and learning.
5.Psychoanalytic /psychodynamic perspective (mental approach)
Sigmund freud developed this theory and he advocate
that :
ØMind
has three levels — consciousness, subconscious and unconscious
ØBehavior
is largely guided by two basic instincts - life
and death instinct.
ØHe
emphasis that childhood is important in later personality development (the child is the father to the man)
ØThe root of psychological problems are motives of sexual and
aggressive nature which
stay at the unconscious level of mind.
ØSometime these unconscious feelings reveal in different symbolic ways ,such as: dreams, slips of
tongue and fainting spell .Sometimes
psychological problems.
ØHe believes that behaviour is
motivated /determined by inner forces(ID,Ego and super Ego) and conflicts about
which are thought to be unconscious.
6.Humanistic Psychology
This Perspective is developed by Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers during 1950s and 1960s.
According to them each person is a unique individual and experience the world
differently.
Humanists rejects
Ø The Freudian idea
that personality is ruled by unconscious forces and
ØThe behaviorist idea
that we are controlled by the environment.
8.The
Physiological or Biological Perspective
The Contributor of
this perspective is Lesley .
ØThis perspective
focus its attention on Biological Basis of Behaviour.
ØEvery Human Behaviour is
related to physiological changes with in the body.(behaviour
and mental process are determine by the function of Nervous system, hormones
and neurotransmitter)
ØThis perspective also study Neurotransmitters- Chemical Substances
that influence normal and Abnormal behaviour .
Ø(The working
relationship between the body ,behaviour and mental process is
main focus of biological perspective)
ØPhysiological
psychologists are focusing on the influence of heredity on personality
characteristics and ability.\
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