Theoretical Approaches Explaining Behavior

a movement considered to be the first school of psychology as a science, independent of philosophy. Usually attributed to Wilhelm Wundt, defined psychology as the study of mental experience and sought to investigate the structure of such experience through a systematic program of experiments based on trained introspection.

• Functionalism

• Gestalt

• Structuralism

• Cognitive

A general psychological approach that views mental life and behavior in terms of active adaptation to environmental challenges and opportunities. This approach was developed at the University of Chicago at the beginning of the 20th century as a revolt against the atomistic point of view of structuralism, which limited psychology to the dissection of states of consciousness and the study of mental content rather than mental activities. This approach emphasizes the causes and consequences of human behavior; the union of the physiological with the psychological; the need for objective testing of theories; and the applications of psychological knowledge to the solution of practical problems, the evolutionary continuity between animals and humans, and the improvement of human life.

• structuralism

• functionalism

• humanistic

• sociocultural

An approach to psychology, formulated in 1913 by John B. Watson, based on the study of objective, observable facts rather than subjective, qualitative processes, such as feelings, motives, and consciousness. To make psychology a naturalistic science, Watson proposed to limit it to quantitative events, such as stimulus–response relationships, effects of conditioning, physiological processes, and a study of human and animal behavior, all of which can best be investigated through laboratory experiments that yield objective measures under controlled conditions. Historically, held that mind was not a proper topic for scientific study since mental events are subjective and not independently verifiable. With its emphasis on activity as an adaptive function, is seen as an outgrowth of functionalism.

• structuralism

• behaviorism

• psychoanalytic

• biological

A psychological approach that focuses on the dynamic organization of experience into patterns or configurations. This view was espoused by German psychologists in the early 20th century as a revolt against structuralism, which analyzed experience into static, atomistic sensations, and also against the equally atomistic approach of behaviorism, which attempted to dissect complex behavior into elementary conditioned reflexes. psychology holds instead that experience is an organized whole of which the pieces are an integral part. A crucial demonstration (1912) was that of two successively flashed lights, which gave the illusion of motion between them rather than of individually flashing lights. Later experiments gave rise to principles of perceptual organization, which were then applied to the study of learning, insight, memory, social psychology, and art.

• functionalism

• evolutionary

• biopsychosocial

• gestalt

An approach to the mind, personality, psychological disorders, and psychological treatment originally developed by Sigmund Freud at the beginning of the 20th century. The hallmark of this approach is the assumption that much mental activity is unconscious and that understanding people requires interpreting the unconscious meaning underlying their overt, or manifest, behavior. This approach focuses primarily, then, on the influence of such unconscious forces as repressed impulses, internal conflicts, and childhood traumas on the mental life and adjustment of the individual.

• psychoanalysis

• biopsychosocial

• behaviorism

• sociocultural

the assumption in psychology that people are essentially good and constructive, that the tendency toward self-actualization is inherent, and that, given the proper environment, human beings will develop to their maximum potential. The perspective arose from the contributions of Carl Rogers, who advocated a personality theory based on the study of healthy individuals as opposed to people with mental disorders.

• gestalt

• behaviorism

• psychoanalytic

• humanistic

An approach to psychological inquiry that views human cognition and behavior in a broadly Darwinian context of adaptation to evolving physical and social environments and new intellectual challenges with an emphasis on the effects of natural selection on information processing and the structure of the human mind. for . The application of principles permeates different subdisciplines within psychology, including clinical science, cognitive psychology, and neuroscience. For example, the influence of theories can be seen in studies conducted to determine whether particular clinical disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety) are in fact psychological adaptations, or in assertions that emotions evolved to serve primary functions (particularly to motivate and communicate) that would enhance survival.

• evolutionary

• humanistic

• cognitive

• biological

an approach to abnormal psychology that emphasizes physiologically based causative factors, such as the amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease, and consequently tends to focus primarily upon therapies.

• evolutionary

• humanistic

• biological

• structuralism

any theory of mind that focuses on mental activities, such as perceiving, attending, thinking, remembering, evaluating, planning, language, and creativity, especially a theory that suggests a model for the various processes involved.

• psychoanalytic

• gestalt

• biological

• cognitive

denoting a systematic integration of biological, psychological, and social approaches to the study of mental health and specific mental disorders.

• behaviorism

• humanistic

• biological

• biopsychosocial