AP Psych Perspectives

Psychodymaic

Focus: Unconscious drives, hidden conflicts, and early childhood experiences.

Key Figure: Sigmund Freud.

Idea: Behavior is driven by inner forces and unresolved past issues that we are often not aware of.

Behavioral

Focus: Observable, measurable actions and environmental conditioning.

Key Figures: John B. Watson, B.F. Skinner.

Idea: All behavior is learned from our environment through rewards, punishments, and association

Humanistic

Focus: Free will, personal growth, and self-fulfillment.

Key Figures: Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers.
Idea: Humans are inherently driven to reach their full potential and make conscious choices

Cognitive

Focus: Internal mental processes like thinking, memory, and problem-solving.

Idea: How we process, store, and interpret information directly affects how we act and feel

Biological

Focus: The brain, nervous system, genetics, and hormones.

Idea: Physical and biological processes inside the body dictate behavior and mental health

Evolutionary

Focus: Natural selection and adaptation.

Key Figure: Charles Darwin.

Idea: Certain mental processes and behaviors exist because they helped our ancestors survive and reproduce

Sociocultural

Focus: Social interaction, cultural norms, and environment.

Idea: Culture, race, family, and societal expectations heavily shape how people think and act