Schools of Psychology

Positive psychology

• The study of various contributors to a healthy and thriving life for the self and others

  • Gratitude, positive relationships, and mindfulness can help long term happiness and well being

  • Positivity is linked to increased lifespan, better heart health, lower rates of depression

Positive psychology founder

Martin Seligman

Gestalt Psychology

• How a mind can perceive a whole image vs. its parts

  • The whole of something is greater than the sum of its parts

  • The mind fills in missing info to perceive a whole object

  • PERCEPTION

Gestalt Psychology founder

Max Wertheimer

Biological Perspective

• Focuses on the link between biological processes and psychological phenomena, examining how the brain, nervous system, hormones, and genetics influence thoughts, feelings, and behaviors

• Neurons use both electrical impulses and chemical messengers

• The function of the nervous system relates to psychology, its main function is feeling and touch as well as commanding the body.

• Genes influence traits

Biological perspective test person

Phineas Gage (case study)

Evolutionary perspective

• Idea of natural selection, carrying best genes for best survival

• Mental/behavioral

• Survival of the fittest

• Not fully physical traits but how well you can adapt to the environment

• REPRODUCTION

Evolutionary Perspective founder

Charles Darwin

Socio-cultural perspective

• A persons development is largely influenced by their surrounding culture, gender, socioeconomic status, and raceperson's

• Zone of proximal development

  • How much you learn by yourself vs how much you learn with external factors

Socio-cultural perspective founder

Lev Vygotsky

Behavioral Perspective (operant conditioning)

• Based on behaviors followed by rewards

  • Behaviors followed by rewards are more likely than behaviors followed by punishments

Behavioral perspective (operant conditioning) founder

B.F Skinner

Behavioral Perspective (classical conditioning)

A form of learning that occurs through association

• Two stimuli are combined to create a new learned response

• A dog hears a bell and knows their getting food

Behavioral Perspective (classical conditioning) founder

Ivan Pavlov

Huministic Perspective

Focusing on the whole person, high importance on free will, personal growth, and a drive to be the best version of yourself

• Sometimes called a third force because it offers a more holistic perspective on the way of life

  • Focuses on client centered therapy, relied on establishing relationships with clients to help with growth

• Maslows Hierchy of needs

  • You need the base needs before getting other needs

    • Physical needs, safety needs, social needs, self esteem needs, self actualization

Humanistic perspective founders

Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers

Psychoanalytical perspective

Highlights importance of unconscious mental processes

• how your early childhood effects you as a person

• Focuses on abnormal behavior

Psychoanalytical perspective founder

Sigmund Freud

Cognitive perspective

The study of how people think, perceive, and learn

• Focused on child development

• Sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational

Cognitive perspective founder

Jean Piaget