psych perspectives

Explains behavior as the result of unconscious drives and internal conflicts. These conflicts are rooted in early childhood experiences.

Psychodynamic perspective

A psychologist suggests a client's fear of abandonment stems from an unconscious conflict. This conflict is rooted in inconsistent care during early childhood.

Psychodynamic perspective — Apply

Explains behavior in terms of internal mental processes. These processes include perception, memory, reasoning, and problem-solving.

Cognitive perspective

A researcher studies why students forget material for a test. She examines how the information was encoded and stored in memory.

Cognitive perspective — Apply

Explains behavior as the product of learning through conditioning and environmental reinforcement. It makes no reference to internal mental states.

Behavioral perspective

A dog trainer eliminates a dog's jumping behavior using conditioning. He only gives treats when all four paws stay on the ground.

Behavioral perspective — Apply

Explains behavior in terms of free will and personal growth. It emphasizes an individual's drive toward self-actualization.

Humanistic perspective

A counselor helps a client set personal goals by focusing on their capacity for growth and self-fulfillment. This approach looks forward rather than dwelling on past trauma.

Humanistic perspective — Apply

Explains behavior as a trait shaped by natural selection. This trait increased ancestors' chances of survival and reproduction.

Evolutionary perspective

A psychologist explains humans' innate fear of snakes as a trait shaped by natural selection. This fear helped ancestors avoid deadly predators and survive to pass on their genes.

Evolutionary perspective — Apply

Explains behavior in terms of physical causes. These causes include brain activity, genetics, and hormones.

Biological perspective

A researcher links a patient's depression symptoms to brain chemistry. Specifically, she points to unusually low levels of serotonin in the brain.

Biological perspective — Apply

Explains behavior as shaped by social roles and group norms. This includes the cultural context a person is embedded in.

Sociocultural perspective

A psychologist explains that teens in a tight-knit friend group are more likely to conform to the group's norms. This conformity shows up in choices like clothing and slang.

Sociocultural perspective — Apply