Psychology - Major Perspectives

Evolutionary

Behavior patterns have evolved to solve adaptive problems; natural selection favors behaviors that enhance reproductive stress

Biological

An organisms functioning can be explained in terms of the brain structures and biochemical processes that underlie behavior 

Cognitive

Human behavior can’t be fully understood without examining how people acquire, store, and process info

Behavioral

Only observable events can be studied scientifically

Psychoanalytic

unconscious motives and experiences in early childhood govern personality and mental disorders

Humanistic

Humans are free, rational beings with potential for personal growth