January 3, 2013
Draza Nikolic, Ph.D.
University of Phoenix Material
Introduction to Psychology Worksheet
Part I: Origins of Psychology
Within the discipline of psychology, there are several perspectives used to describe, predict, and explain human behavior. The major perspectives in modern psychology identified in the text are neuroscience, cognitive, behavioral, humanistic, and psychodynamic. Describe these major psychological perspectives using two to three sentences each. Type your response in the space below.
Neuroscience: Views behavior from the perspective of biological functioning. How individual nerve cells are joined together, how the inheritance of certain characteristics from parents and other ancestors influences behavior, how the functioning of the body affects hopes and fears, which behaviors are instinctual, and so forth. This perspective includes the study of heredity and evolution, which considers how heredity may influence behavior; and behavioral neuroscience, which examines how the brain and the nervous system affect behavior.
Cognitive: Examines how people understand and think about the world. The emphasis is on learning how people comprehend and represent the outside world within themselves and how our ways of thinking about the world influence our behavior.
Behavioral: Focuses on observable behavior. Is the study of the behavior and how is affected by our surroundings, by observing the individual.
Humanistic: Is the approach of free will, voluntary chosen behavior. Self actualization or self fulfillment is part of this approach as well. Contends that people can control their behavior and that they naturally try to reach their full potential.
Psychodynamic: Is the study of the unconscious mind. The unconscious that is linked to our past. Unconscious process hidden beneath the surface of a person. Believes behavior is motivated by inner,...