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AP Psych Perspectives

  1. Psychodynamic Perspective (The Thumb)

    • Origin: Sigmund Freud

    • Focus: Unconscious mind, childhood experiences, interpersonal relationships

    • Key Concepts:

      • Behavior influenced by unconscious drives and conflicts

      • Early childhood events shape behavior and cognition

      • Exploration of unconscious memories and feelings

  2. Cognitive Perspective (The Pointer Finger)

    • Focus: Internal mental processes

    • Key Concepts:

      • How information is encoded, processed, stored, and retrieved

      • Emphasis on memory, thinking, problem-solving, perception, and language

      • Understanding how we interpret and make sense of the world

  3. Behavioral Perspective (The Social Finger)

    • Focus: Observable behavior

    • Key Concepts:

      • Behavior learned through conditioning (classical and operant)

      • Role of rewards and punishments in shaping behavior

      • Objective measurement and modification of behavior

  4. Humanistic Perspective (The Ring Finger)

    • Focus: Personal growth and self-actualization

    • Key Concepts:

      • Emphasis on free will, motivation, and individual potential

      • Importance of achieving self-actualization and aligning self-concept with ideal self

      • Consideration of human issues such as love, creativity, and spirituality

  5. Biological (Neuroscience) Perspective (The Pinky)

    • Focus: Brain and physiological processes

    • Key Concepts:

      • Impact of genetics, brain structure, hormones, and neurotransmitters on behavior and emotions

      • Biological and medicinal treatments for mental health conditions

      • Understanding how the brain and body influence mental processes

  6. Evolutionary Perspective (The Wrist)

    • Focus: Evolution and natural selection

    • Key Concepts:

      • Behaviors and mental processes are inherited and serve evolutionary purposes

      • Emphasis on survival and reproduction as driving factors for behavior

      • Mental processes evolved to aid in adaptation and survival

  7. Social-Cultural Perspective (The Palm)

    • Focus: Cultural and social influences

    • Key Concepts:

      • Impact of culture, religion, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status on behavior and mental processes

      • Understanding how cultural norms and social environments shape thinking and behavior

      • Examples include variations in greeting customs across different cultures