There are many aspects to the field of psychology, and this has led to separate perspectives of psychology that have developed as approaches to understanding the mind and behavior. The major perspectives of psychology are Psychodynamic, Behaviorist, Cognitive, and Evolutionary; and they are based on very different underlying assumptions (Kowalski & Westen, 2011). The brain is also an integral factor in psychology as well as the biological processes occurring throughout the nervous system, and behavioral neuroscience is a field which studies these processes in relation to behavior (Kowalski & Westen, 2011). This paper will examine the main assumptions of the perspectives of psychology as well as the fundamentals of behavioral neuroscience.
The Psychodynamic perspective proposes that people are not consciously aware of most of the things going on their minds (Kowalski & Westen, 2011). Their emotions, thoughts, and desires affect the way they act without them always understanding why they act that way. A person acts based on how their emotions, thoughts, and desires interact in their unconscious which leads to internal conflict. The things people want and what they know is expected of them compete and can lead to behaviors the person does not consciously want or cannot control. A person reflects their unconscious thoughts and feelings in even the smallest actions. According to the psychodynamic perspective, one can uncover a person’s unconscious processes by analyzing things they do not consciously control such as dreams, body language, or subtle behavior (Kowalski & Westen, 2011).
The Behaviorist perspective proposes that people act the way they do because of how their environment has caused them to learn to act (Kowalski & Westen, 2011). Thoughts and emotions have no place in this perspective, and instead interactions with the environment directly lead to learned behaviors. Observable behaviors are not under a person’s control, but are simply the effects of previous environmental learning. This learning occurs through physiological association or consequences of previous behavior. Controlling a person’s environment allows control over their behavior, and controlling the consequences for a person’s behavior allows one to completely shape their behavior. According to the Behaviorist perspective, there is a direct cause and effect relationship between an environmental stimulus and a behavioral response, and both can be measured in scientific experimentation (Kowalski & Westen, 2011).
The Cognitive perspective proposes that a person acts based on how they think and process the world around them (Kowalski & Westen, 2011). People process information based on their perceptions and memories, and this allows them to understand and react to their understanding of their environment. Memory is a complex process of encoding, storing, and retrieving information and the way a person performs these steps is integral to their behavior. People create expectations, views, opinions, and motivations based on their memories of the past and the way they perceive their environment, and this leads them to predict possible outcomes and make decisions. According to the Cognitive perspective, people can create thoughts and categorize information based on their mental framework that is constantly incorporating new perceptions and experiences (Kowalski & Westen, 2011).
The Evolutionary perspective proposes that many behaviors have evolved over time as a means of surviving and adapting to the world (Kowalski & Westen, 2011). This refers to behaviors such as eating, sleeping, and developing language as well as genetic predispositions for behaviors and personalities. Behaviors that help a person to adapt to their environment give them more of a chance to have children, and so these behaviors are genetically passed on and eventually more effective and successful behaviors have evolved. According to the Evolutionary perspective human behavior and biology has served a purpose at some point in human evolution, and many behaviors and traits are inborn and cause people to pass on their genetics; thereby causing the human race to thrive. However, the behaviors that keep a person from being able to adapt and survive will also keep them from being able to have children and pass on their genetics that do not promote survival (Kowalski & Westen, 2011).
The role of biology in behavior has been a common topic of study for years, but the field of behavioral neuroscience emerged when brain functioning was clearly linked to behavior (Kowalski & Westen, 2011). Behavioral neuroscientists have discovered that specific parts of the brain play critical roles in different types of behavior. Overall, many different parts of the brain contribute to most complex behaviors, and the interconnections of neurons and neural systems are an important factor of psychology. The nervous system runs on electrical and chemical reactions and communications that lead people to behave the way they do. Furthermore, biological processes and tendencies can be linked to almost all aspects of psychology because of how normal and abnormal processes affect a person’s behavior (Kowalski & Westen, 2011).
Humans are complex beings that encounter almost infinite environmental and biological influences which has caused different schools of thought in the study of how and why humans behave the way they do. These perspectives are based on different data and assumptions and explain human phenomena with different approaches. Understanding the different perspectives of psychology offers a foundation for studying and interpreting psychology, and a basis for approaching psychological evidence. Since biological processes have proven to be an important aspect of behavior they should be taken into consideration when examining behavior. Considering all of the different perspectives of psychology help create a dynamic understanding of behavioral phenomena.
References
Kowalski, R., & Westen, D. (2011). Psychology: The study of mental processes and behavior (6th ed.). John Wiley & Sons Inc.
