psych perspectives notes

%%unconscious%%

main idea: in order to understand behavior, we must uncover unconscious drives
- have urges in the unconscious or have childhood trauma that comes through the conscious through thoughts and behavior
we are unaware of our true feelings, but they influence our thoughts and behavior
- childhood experiences are extremely important

%%reinforcements through rewards and punishments%%

main idea: humans have been conditioned, either through rewards or punishments to think and behave in a certain way
- a student may study to do well on a test because their parent is giving them money (reward) for a high test score
observing and modeling
- a child learns to say “please” and “thank you” because their parent says it to others
^^can be manipulative^^

%%be the best person you can be%%

%%believed that everyone is a good person deep down%%

main idea: free will and choice; humans make regarding how to think and how to act
says that people should strive for authentication
- full development of oneself; become a whole person
didn’t like that behaviorists could manipulate people through rewards and punishments
tells parents they should let their kid make a choice
- don’t force an activity on them
- if they try something and don’t like it, don’t force them to continue it and let them pick something new

%%says that there is a part of your brain (amygdala) lights up when scared%%

main idea: genes, hormones, neurotransmitters, and brain structures influence thoughts and behavior
- dopamine, a neurotransmitter, is linked to Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia
- there is also a genetic link to schizophrenia
- adrenaline can give you your fight or flight instinct
- low levels of serotonin are signs of clinical depression

%%cognitive → thinking%%

main idea: humans think and behave according to how they process and interpret what is going around them
- their own way of thinking determines how they react

a student feels hopeless and doomed, so they don’t study and fail classes

%%its about survival%%

made by Charles Darwin
main idea: thoughts and behaviors reflect natural selection
- humans may internally fear heights because is we didn’t we could put ourselves in danger
- humans dislike of bitter foods could aid in our survival to prevent us from eating something poisonous

%%the people and culture around a person affects their thinking and behavior%%

main idea: a person’s culture influences their behavior and thinking
does your behavior differ depending on what group of people you are with?
- act differently with parents than with friends
body image differs within each culture and influences the thoughts and behaviors of people

%%interaction of biological, psychological and social factors%%

%%a combination of any of the perspectives%%

thoughts and behavior can be understood through a variety of perspectives
choose an approach to understanding behavior that best fits the person and situation
- not one perspective is the cause for something