Stability v Change-->Psychiatrist
Stability vs. Change
This debate in psychology focuses on whether a person’s traits, behaviors, and personality remain stable throughout their lifetime or if they significantly change as they develop. Understanding this helps psychologists determine if human growth is more about consistency or transformation.
Rationality vs. Irrationality
Psychologists examine whether humans generally think and act logically or whether their decisions are often influenced by irrational emotions, biases, and instincts. This question highlights the limits of human reasoning and how people process information.
Nature vs. Nurture
This long-standing debate considers whether genetics (nature) or environment and experience (nurture) have a greater influence on human behavior. Most modern psychologists recognize that both interact to shape who we are.
Humanistic
The humanistic perspective emphasizes free will, personal growth, and the human drive toward self-actualization. It focuses on positive aspects of human nature and the belief that people can achieve their full potential.
• Abraham Maslow: He created the hierarchy of needs, showing that people move from basic survival needs to higher-level goals like self-actualization. His theory highlights motivation and personal growth as essential to psychology.
• Carl Rogers: He emphasized client-centered therapy and the importance of unconditional positive regard. Rogers believed that acceptance and empathy are crucial for people to grow into their best selves.
Neuroscience (Biopsychology)
This perspective studies how the brain, nervous system, hormones, and neurotransmitters influence behavior and thought. It links biological processes to emotions, memory, and mental disorders.
• Behavior Genetics: This field explores how genes and environment interact to shape behavior. It often uses twin and adoption studies to measure the role of heredity.
• Evolutionary Psychology: This approach studies how natural selection has influenced psychological traits. It explains behaviors in terms of survival and reproductive advantages.
Psychodynamic (Psychoanalysis)
The psychodynamic perspective emphasizes unconscious drives, childhood experiences, and inner conflicts in shaping personality and behavior. It suggests that much of what we do is influenced by unconscious motives.
• Sigmund Freud: He founded psychoanalysis and focused on the role of the unconscious, repression, and psychosexual stages of development. Freud believed unresolved conflicts from childhood deeply affect adult behavior.
• Unconscious and Repression: Repressed thoughts and memories are pushed into the unconscious but continue to influence actions and emotions. This explains why people sometimes act in ways they cannot fully understand.
• Neo-Freudians: These psychologists built on Freud’s work but emphasized social and cultural factors more than sexual drives. They kept the idea of the unconscious while making it more adaptable to modern psychology.
Behavioral
This perspective studies observable behavior and how it is shaped through learning and conditioning. It focuses less on internal thoughts and more on external actions and reinforcements.
• Ivan Pavlov (Classical Conditioning): Pavlov showed that behaviors can be learned through association, as seen in his experiments with dogs and salivation. This became the foundation of classical conditioning.
• John Watson (Little Albert): Watson applied classical conditioning to humans by teaching a child to fear a white rat. His experiment highlighted how fears and behaviors can be learned.
• B. F. Skinner (Operant Conditioning): Skinner studied how rewards and punishments influence behavior. His work emphasized reinforcement and punishment as key tools in shaping actions.
Cognitive
The cognitive perspective focuses on mental processes such as thinking, memory, language, and problem-solving. It views the mind as an information processor and emphasizes how we perceive, interpret, and store information.
Social-Cultural (Sociocultural)
This perspective studies how culture, society, and group dynamics influence behavior and thought. It highlights the importance of social norms, traditions, and cultural values in shaping individuals.
Eclectic/Multiple Perspectives
An eclectic approach combines ideas from different psychological perspectives instead of sticking to just one. This allows psychologists to apply the most effective approach depending on the problem or situation.
Research
• Basic Research: Conducted to expand general knowledge in psychology without immediate practical use. It provides the foundation for understanding human behavior and mental processes.
• Applied Research: Focused on solving real-world problems by applying psychological principles. It takes knowledge gained from basic research and uses it to improve everyday life.
Clinical Psychologists vs. Psychiatrists
Clinical psychologists diagnose and treat mental health issues primarily through therapy and psychological testing. Psychiatrists, being medical doctors, can prescribe medication in addition to diagnosing and treating mental illnesses.