Psych Approaches

Biological

The behavior and psychological process are the result of nervous system functions and biological responses

Evolutionary

The study of evolution of behavior and the mind using principles of natural selection

Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic

Unconscious forces or influenced by childhood experiences, sexual and aggressive urges, and repressed memories

Behavioral

Tend to repeat behaviors for which you are rewarded, and eliminate behaviors for which you are punished

Behavior is a result of earning and associations

Humanistic

Striving to reach goals and be a good person

Cognitive

Behavior is the result of mental processes, focuses on problem solving

Socio-cultural

Behavior is based on social, ethnic, religious, or cultural norms or expectations

BioPsychoSocail

An integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological and social-cultural levels of analysis

Matilda has trouble with math. She

goes to get extra help from a math teacher who first tells Matilda that she must

change her way of thinking about math in order to succeed. The teacher tells

Matilda that she must believe she CAN do math.

Cognitive

Sam does not feel satisfied with his life.

He quits his job and climbs Mount Everest. When he reaches the top he feels

self-actualized, like he has accomplished a great goal

Humanistic

Every time Henny

enters a mall she has a panic attack. She goes to see a psychologist who

suggests that Henny must have had a traumatic experience being lost in the

mall as a child. She must confront that experience in order to get rid of her

panic attacks.

Psychodynamic/ Psychoanalytic

Phoebe has a severe phobia of dogs.

Every time she sees, hears, or even thinks of a dog, she sweats and wants to run

away. Phoebe goes to see a psychologist who helps her by giving her rewards

every time she gets closer to touching a dog

Behavioral

Diego has been feeling very down for

several weeks. He goes to see a psychiatrist who suggests that there is a

chemical imbalance in Diego’s brain. The psychiatrist prescribes Diego a

medication and soon, Diego feels much better

Biological

Ronny is deathly afraid of the color red.

So much so that he can not enter a room where the color is present. He goes to

a psychologist who talks with him about how his fear is completely irrational.

Together they discuss how the color red can not do anything to harm Ronny and

how there is no reason for him to be afraid of it.

Cognitive

Harriet hates being

in small, enclosed spaces. She goes to see a psychologist who uses hypnosis to

get her to remember a time when her older brother locked her in a closet

during a game of hide and seek. Harriet remembers why she was so afraid then

and gets over her fear

Psychoanalytic/ Psychodynamic

Brian begins having tingling sensations in

his arms and legs and his fingertips are less sensitive when he picks up hot or

cold objects. He goes to the doctor who finds out that he has a tumor in his

brain near the sensory strip. The doctor removes the tumor and the symptoms

go away.

Biological

Ms. Garcia’s first graders are not

behaving. They are talking non-stop, getting out of their seats, and not doing

their work. Ms. Garcia sets up a system in which she gives 5 extra minutes of

recess to those behaving and 5 fewer minutes of recess to those misbehaving.

Behavioral

Sam has been

having frightening dreams lately which wake him up in the middle of the night.

Because of these nightmares he is not getting enough sleep and it is starting to

affect his school work. His therapist believes that his dreams are a product of

hidden desires and unconscious fears that are manifesting when he dreams

Psychodynamic / psychoanalytic

Harry hasn’t been doing well in school

and has been skipping most of his homework. Concerned for his son’s

education, Harry’s father asks a therapist for advice. The therapist believes that

if Harry’s father structures a pattern of rewards and punishments to Harry’s

behaviors in school, Harry will begin to do better in school

Behavioral

Sarahy has stopped eating because

she wants to be skinny like famous people and models she sees in magazines

and on TV. Concerned for her health, she agrees to see a therapist who believes

that eating disorders develop mainly due to the emphasis we, as Americans,

place on being skinny and how we attribute being skinny to being beautiful.

Sociocultural

Dr. Frank believes that the ability to

recognize people’s facial expressions has helped us to adapt and survive in the

world.

Evolutionary

Struggling and unhappy in life, Greg

makes a list of goals for himself that he begins to strive for. Working to meet his

full potential gives him a sense of control over his personal growth. When he

finally meets one of his goals, he feels proud and accomplished and begins to

work towards his next goal.

Humanistic

Anya was in a terrible car accident

caused by texting while driving. In the hospital, doctors discover that, although

she can speak, her words are jumbled and she is not making any sense. A

psychologist concludes that Anya’s speech problems have been caused by head

trauma to Wernicke’s area in her left temporal lobe

Biological

Mira has a genetic predisposition to

depression, her roommates at college are always discussing catastrophic and

heartbreaking world events. Mira begins to focus on these depressing events

and finds that she has stopped doing things that make her happy. Mira begins to

enter a period of depression.

BioPsychoSocial