Six main perspectives in psychology

Six main theoretical perspectives in Psychology The behavioral perspective in psychology attempts to use science to help in understanding of human behavior. It was developed from the observable human behavior. The perspective focuses more on the on the observable, controllable behavior. Many people have criticized it saying that it is dehumanizing given that it does not consider the unconscious part of humans. It is a good theory because it brings scientific evidence to help explain why humans behave in a certain manner. It can be used in industry, education and training. For example, Pavlov used dogs and ringing of the bell to proof that behavior can be conditioned (Myers, 2004).
The biological perspective is broader and it assumes that thought processes and human behavior have a biological basis. Psychopharmacology, psychoneuroimunology, neuroscience and physical psychology are all parts of biological psychology. It is focused on the investigation of controllable variables. Therefore, it uses quantitative methods of measurement to study a sample and generalize findings to the whole population. In real life, it helps in the treatment of some medical conditions. For instance, through biological psychology one understands that schizophrenia is affected by dopamine levels thus, will use such knowledge to produce the right treatment for the problem (Feist, 2006).
Cognitive perspective was developed in response to the theory of behaviorism to help in explaining human behavior. According to this perspective, thought processes can control human behavior. It suggests that the human behavior is just a manifestation of what has been going through ones mind and can be affected by processes such as language, attitude, belief systems, attention and memory. It helps to view human minds like a computer that receives; stores data processes it and retrieve information. It then helps people to be careful on what they allow to be fed into their minds because what goes in is what comes out (Strube, 2003).
Humanistic perspective was developed in response to the pessimistic view. It suggests that human beings are motivated by their potential to be productive and creative while responding to environmental and social conditions. Humanism is a hopeful view that encourages people to be conscious, subjective, solve their problems and live positively. The philosophy confronts reality and recognizes diversity. The theory motivates people to work hard towards achieving self-actualization. It breaks down the problem of low self-esteem and motivates people to be successful in all that they do (Sutich, 1999).
The psychodynamic perspective that was developed by Sigmund Freud, a medically trained neurologist assumes that conflicts between the instinctual unconscious psychological forces propel human motivation. It was developed to help in identification of the underlying conflicts that exist between intrapsychic, resolve and make them conscious. The theory helped in the development of human psychology. It helps to understand that the conscious and conscious parts of a human mind influences behavior. In real life, such knowledge can help in counseling people with psychological issues by helping them resolve conflicts (Cohen, 2004).
Finally, the social cultural perspective suggests that cultural influences, social pressures and environmental cues influence human behavior. The way people behave is more influenced by the background and the social networks. For instance, in a football match one can clearly see that human behavior is influenced by the crowd mentality. All people are shaped by nature of the environment and influenced perception of authority in the social order. The way people speak what they value and how they behave is a true representation of the social background in which they grew in (Crisp, 2010).
References
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Cohen, R. S., Cohler, B. J., Weissman, S. H., Michael Reese Hospital., & Conference on Parenthood as an Adult Experience. (2004). Parenthood: A psychodynamic perspective. New York: Guilford Press.
Cooper, M. (2003). The psychology of bulimia nervosa: A cognitive perspective. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Crisp, R. J. (2010). The psychology of social and cultural diversity. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.
Feist, G. J. (2006). The psychology of science and the origins of the scientific mind. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Goldhaber, D. (2000). Theories of human development: Integrative perspectives. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Pub.
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Myers, D. G. (2004). Psychology. New York: Worth Publishers.
Pratt, M. W., & Norris, J. E. (1994). The social psychology of aging: A cognitive perspective. Oxford, UK: Blackwell.
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Solso, R. L. (2003). The psychology of art and the evolution of the conscious brain. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Strube, G., & Wender, K. F. (2003). The cognitive psychology of knowledge. Amsterdam: North-Holland.
Sutich, A. J., & Vich, M. A. (1999). Readings in humanistic psychology. New York: Free Press.
Triandis, H. C. (1980). Handbook of cross-cultural psychology. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.