Educational Psychology - Psychological Approaches

Psychological Approaches/Models

  • Psychological perspectives are different ways of thinking about and explaining human behavior.

  • Psychologists use a variety of perspectives to study how people think, feel, and behave.

7 Major Perspectives of Modern Psychology:

  • Psychodynamic

  • Behavioral

  • Cognitive

  • Biological

  • Cross-Cultural

  • Evolutionary

  • Humanistic

Major Psychological Perspectives:

  • Psychodynamic: Focuses on unconscious influences.

  • Behavioral: Learning via associations and reinforcement.

  • Cognitive: How we think and process information.

  • Biological: Brain and genetic influences.

  • Cross-Cultural: How culture affects behavior and thought.

  • Evolutionary: Role of natural selection and inheritance.

  • Humanistic: Focuses on growth and self-fulfillment.

Sigmund Freud's Psychoanalytical Theories (Psychodynamic Perspective):

  • Theory of the psyche

    • The human mind is structured into two main parts: the conscious and unconscious mind.

    • The conscious mind includes all the things we are aware of.

    • The unconscious mind includes all of the things outside of our awareness.

    • Human personality is divided into three major components: the id, ego, and superego.

      • Id: The most primitive part of the personality; source of basic urges; entirely unconscious.

      • Ego: Deals with reality; ensures the demands of the id are satisfied realistically, safely, and socially acceptably.

      • Superego: Holds internalized morals and standards acquired from parents, family, and society.

  • Psychosexual theory

Freud's Theory of Psychosexual Development (5 stages by age):

  • Oral (0-2 years): Gratification through oral activities.

  • Anal (2-3 years): Responding to societal demands (e.g., bowel and bladder control).

  • Phallic (3-7 years): Realizing differences between males and females and awareness of sexuality.

  • Latency (7-11 years): Sexual urges are relatively quiet.

  • Genital (11-Adult): Dealing maturely with the opposite sex.

    • Oral: The mouth - sucking, swallowing etc. EGO develops

    • Anal: The anus- withholding or expelling faeces.

    • Phallic: The penis or clitoris - masturbation. SUPEREGO develops

    • Latent: Little or no sexual motivation present.

    • Genital: The penis or vagina - Simply sexual intercourse

Behavioral Psychology/Perspective

  • Behaviorism: All behaviors are acquired through conditioning via interaction with the environment; behavior can be studied systematically and observably.

    • Actions are shaped by environmental stimuli.

Theories of Behaviorism

  1. Classical conditioning (learning through association)

    • Classical conditioning, also called Pavlovian conditioning or Respondent conditioning, is learning through association.

    • Pavlov's Dog Experiment: Dogs associated bell ringing with food, leading to salivation.

  2. Operant conditioning (reinforcement and punishment)

    • Operant conditioning, sometimes referred to as Instrumental conditioning, is a method of learning that occurs through reinforcement and punishment.

    • Association between behavior and consequence.

    • B.F. Skinner: Rewards and punishments modify behavior.

    • Skinner's Rat Theory: Behaviors are shaped by consequences.

      • Positive consequences strengthen behaviors, negative consequences weaken them.

      • Reinforcement schedules (continuous or partial) influence how quickly a new behavior is acquired and the strength of the corresponding response.

  3. Social Learning Theory (observation, imitation, and modeling)

    • Social learning theory, introduced by psychologist Albert Bandura, proposed that learning occurs through observation, imitation, and modelling

    • Learning occurs through observation, imitation, and modeling.

    • Factors influencing learning: attention, motivation, attitudes, and emotions.

    • Actions that are rewarded are more likely to be imitated, while those that are punished are avoided.

    • Core Concepts:

      • People can learn through observation.

      • Internal mental states are an essential part of this process.

      • Learning does not necessarily result in a change in behavior.

    • Bandura identified three basic models of observational learning:

      • A live model involves an actual individual demonstrating or acting out a behavior.

      • A symbolic model involves real or fictional characters displaying behaviors in books, films, television programs, or online media.

      • A verbal instructional model involves descriptions and explanations of a behavior.

    • Bandura's 4 Elements of Social Learning Theory

      1. Attention

      2. Retention

      3. Reproduction

      4. Motivation