Perspectives in Psychology

A detailed Summary of Perspectives in Psychology


Sigmund Freud developed the psychoanalytical perspective by combining ideas of perception and memory with beliefs of biologically based instincts. His feelings were that unconscious processes such as fears and desires influence behaviour. These processes are forced into the unconscious because they are forbidden or punished by society and parents during childhood. Once in the unconscious they grow to become emotional problems, or on the positive side as ability's that are socially acceptable. Freud believed there is a cause for every action but they are often an unconscious motive.

An example based on the psychoanalytical theory is how whenever I go to bed I always snuggle up to my extra blanket and pillows. From a psychoanalytical perspective this would be blamed on an unconscious desire for my mother or father to be in bed with me cuddling me just like they used to when I was a little boy.

The biological perspective believes that all psychological events are results of the body affecting ones behaviour. It attributes overt behaviour to electrical and chemical events taking place in the body. Researchers study the brain activity of animals to in turn understand the human


An example of the behavioural theory is when a person is reluctant to go skydiving for their first time. If that same person is told that they will receive two hundred dollars for every second that they are in the air and their parachute is not open they will most likely jump. This is an example of behavioural psychology because the person's actions are predicted, and then controlled by their desire for money. The cognitive perspective is based on mental processes but not on introspection as the 19th century version of cognitive psychology was. They believe that we must study mental processes to understand the actions we take. This can be done by looking at specific behaviours and relating them to underlying mental processes. In effect, a person is as he or she thinks.

Humanistic psychology is the study of how the entire, subjective, experience affects behaviour and cognition. Humanists believe that to totally understand human nature they must push to understand the whole person including, behaviours, beliefs, feelings and anything else that pertain to mental and behaviour processes on an individual level. They think that everything about a person must be fully understo

Some common words found in the essay are:
Sigmund Freud, John Watson, behavioural psychology, mental processes, humanistic psychology, understand human, behaviour processes, biological perspective, red haired, perspective based, human behaviour, example behavioural,

Approximate Word count = 799
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

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