lecture 3 models presentation slides .ppt
- 1. Current perspectives/ models of Psychology Madiha Ansar
- 2. Current perspectives of Psychology: Psychology is a discipline that asks and answers the fundamental question, why do we behave the way we do and think the way we think? The best way to characterize the different approaches that are taken to answer the question of psychology is to identify them as major perspectives.
- 3. Cont.. A paradigm in psychology is a distinct way of describing, observing, understanding, and predicting any given psychological phenomena. The major perspectives represent fundamental assumptions that underlie the research questions and methods that are used in order to answer the questions of psychology.
- 4. Current approaches/ perspectives/ models The major approaches to study Psychology are following: i) The biological approach/ model ii) The psychodynamic approach/model iii) The cognitive approach/ model iv) The behavioral approach/ model (v) Sociocultural approach/ model (vi)The humanistic approach/ model
- 5. i) The biological approach/ model According to this approach, the behavior of people and animals should be considered from the view of their biological functioning. There is a physiological and genetic basis to all behaviors The role of brain, genes, neurotransmitters, endocrine glands etc.
- 6. Cont.. Behaviors have their origins in specific locations of the brain. The study of brain and nervous system helps us interpret perception, memory, emotions and psychological disorders, etc. An understanding of biochemical processes will give an understanding of psychological and social phenomena Neurochemicals are chemicals involved in the functioning of an organism's nervous system.
- 7. Cont.. • Root cause of abnormalities and disorders lies in biology and requires medical intervention
- 8. ii) The psychodynamic approach/model The psychodynamic theory emphasizes unconscious motivation. It has major impact in the fields of personality, psychological disorders and therapy The basis of motivation and behavior lies in inner forces; forces over which humans have little control, which the person is not aware of i.e., unconscious determinants of behavior
- 9. Cont.. It provides a basis to understand everyday life phenomena e.g. interpersonal relationships, aggression, prejudice It gives an entirely new perspective to the understanding of behavior and mental processes as well as mental illness
- 10. iii) The cognitive approach/ model This approach includes the study of mental processes, such as thinking, perception, memory and problem solving. Cognitive psychologists seek to explain how we process information and how our ways of thinking about ourselves, world and about the future.
- 11. Cont.. Cognition, a term used to describe all the mental processes involved in acquiring, storing, and using knowledge. Such processes include perception, memory, thinking, problem solving, imagining, and language. This shift in emphasis toward cognition had such a deep influence on psychology that it has often been called the cognitive revolution. The psychological study of cognition became known as cognitive psychology.
- 12. iv) The behavioral approach/ model The behavioral approach concentrates on observable behavior. It suggests that an understanding and control of a person’s environment is sufficient to fully explain and modify behavior.
- 13. Cont.. John B. Watson was the first person that advocated the behavioral approach. This is a psychological approach that considers the relationship between behavior and environmental stimuli as the focus of study; observable behavior is what psychology should be studying, understanding, and explaining. This approach dominated psychology for most of the 20th century
- 14. Socio Cultural approach/ model The social/cultural perspective in psychology suggests that human behavior is influenced by social context, environmental cues, social pressures and cultural influences. Social psychologists suggest that social forces are very powerful and explain a great deal about the causes of human behavior and thought processes.
- 15. V) The humanistic approach/ model The humanistic approach emphasizes that people are unique and complex organism; each person has a capacity to reach his or her maximum potential. It is specially important in the field of personality , motivation and psychotherapy. It is the approach that focused on: • The idea that people are in control of their life. • The person or the self and personal growth and development are to be emphasized
- 16. Cont.. It focuses on that Human beings are capable of shaping their own destiny. They can think and design their course of action and can follow it in the way they like. People can overcome or minimize the environmental, and inherent influences
- 17. Psychology today All these five approaches have come to dominate psychology in the 21st century. These models add to our understanding of why human beings behave the way they do. Psychologists with different view points have different things to say; each tackles the issue from different angle and contribute different insights.
- 18. Psychology today They are now more likely to have an eclectic approach to study behavior and cognitive processes. Eclectic approach: Use of different approaches to study the same behavior.
- 19. Psychology as a science Psychology is a science of behavior including a person’s overt behavior and his cognitive mental processes. As a science, psychology shares goals and scientific methods with other sciences, such as biology, chemistry, etc.
- 20. Cont.. “Scientific method is a systematic and organized series of steps that scientists adopt for exploring any phenomenon in order to obtain accurate and consistent results. These steps involve observation, description, control, and replication”.
- 21. Cont.. Psychology employs the scientific method for gathering knowledge and information. It uses scientific procedure that is essential to be adopted in order to carry out psychological research; otherwise the research will not be considered authentic, reliable, or scientifically valuable
- 22. Cont.. Psychologist begin with a body of knowledge and then proceed to investigate. They use a variety of methods for this purpose. These research methods allow them to reach the goals of description, explanation, prediction and control. Psychology is comprised of systematized knowledge that is gathered by carefully measuring and observing events. Theories are used to summarize observation and to predict the outcomes of future observations.