Key Takeaways
- Psychological perspectives offer different ways of thinking about and explaining human behavior.
- The seven major psychological perspectives are: psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive, humanistic, biological, evolutionary, and cross-cultural.
Psychological perspectives are different ways of thinking about and explaining human behavior. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to studying and understanding the human mind and behavior. That’s why psychologists utilize a variety of perspectives when studying how people think, feel, and behave. Exploring different perspectives gives us a fuller, richer way to look at psychology—and solve problems that people might be experiencing.
For example, have you ever wondered why you flinch when you hear a loud noise? Someone with a behaviorist perspective might say it’s a learned reaction, while someone with a biological perspective would focus on how your brain processes and responds to sound. Looking at the problem from different perspectives gives us insight into the various factors that can play a role.
At a Glance
Psychological perspectives give us different ways of thinking about aspects of the human mind and behavior. Some researchers focus more on one specific school of thought, while others take a more eclectic approach that incorporates multiple points of view. No single perspective is “better” than another. Instead, each emphasizes different aspects of human behavior. Together, these perspectives give us a more well-rounded understanding of why we do the things we do.
Major Psychological Perspectives
The early years of psychology were dominated by a succession of these different schools of thought. If you have taken a psychology course, you might remember learning about structuralism, functionalism, psychoanalysis, behaviorism, and humanism—all of which are different schools of psychological thought.
As psychology has grown, the number and variety of topics psychologists investigate have also expanded. Since the early 1960s, the field of psychology has flourished. It continues to grow rapidly, as has the depth and breadth of subjects studied by psychologists.
Some of the most prominent psychological perspectives include:
- The psychodynamic perspective focuses on unconscious influences
- The behavioral perspective looks at learning via associations and reinforcement
- The cognitive perspective focuses on how we think and process information
- The biological perspective is concerned with the brain and genetic influences
- The cross-cultural perspective emphasizes how culture affects behavior and thought
- The evolutionary perspective examines the role of natural selection and inheritance
- The humanistic perspective focuses on growth and self-fulfillment
Psychological Perspectives Today
Few psychologists identify their outlook according to a particular school of thought. While there are still some pure behaviorists or psychoanalysts, the majority of psychologists today categorize their work according to their specialty area and perspective.
Purpose of Psychological Perspectives
Why are there so many different perspectives in psychology? It is important to remember that every topic in psychology can be looked at in many ways. For example, let’s consider the subject of aggression.
- A professional who emphasizes a biological perspective would look at how the brain and nervous system impact aggressive behavior.
- A professional who stresses a behavioral perspective would look at how environmental variables reinforce aggressive actions.
- A professional who utilizes a cross-cultural approach might consider how cultural and social influences contribute to aggressive or violent behavior.
Here are seven of the major perspectives in modern psychology.
1. The Psychodynamic Perspective
The psychodynamic perspective originated with the work of Sigmund Freud. This view of psychology and human behavior emphasizes the role of the unconscious mind, early childhood experiences, and interpersonal relationships to explain human behavior, as well as to treat mental illnesses.
Much thanks to Freud’s work and influence, psychoanalysis became one of the earliest major forces within psychology. Freud conceived of the mind as being composed of three key elements: the id, the ego, and the superego.
- The id is the part of the psyche that includes all the primal and unconscious desires.
- The ego is the aspect of the psyche that must deal with the demands of the real world.
- The superego is the last part of the psyche to develop and is tasked with managing all of our internalized morals, standards, and ideals.
While the psychodynamic perspective is not as dominant today, it continues to be a useful psychotherapeutic tool.
2. The Behavioral Perspective
Where the Freudian approach was all about early experiences and unconscious urges, the behaviorists were much more invested in understanding how environmental forces affect our actions.
Behavioral psychology focuses on learned behaviors. It was founded on the work of psychologists such as Edward Thorndike and John B. Watson. Behaviorism dominated psychology in the early twentieth century but began to lose its hold during the 1950s.
Behaviorism stands out from other perspectives because it focuses solely on observable behaviors rather than on emphasizing internal states.
Today, the behavioral perspective is still concerned with how behaviors are learned and reinforced. Behavioral principles are often applied in mental health settings, where therapists and counselors use these techniques to explain and treat a variety of illnesses. Techniques that are rooted in behavioral principles include exposure therapy, aversion therapy, flooding, systematic desensitization, behavior modeling, and token economies.
3. The Cognitive Perspective
During the 1960s, a new perspective known as cognitive psychology emerged. This area of psychology focuses on mental processes like memory, thinking, problem-solving, language, and decision-making. The cognitive perspective, influenced by psychologists such as Jean Piaget and Albert Bandura, has grown tremendously in recent decades.
The cognitive perspective focuses on how we learn, think, and remember—all the mental events that go on inside our heads and influence behavior. Unlike other psychological perspectives, this approach focuses on how we process emotions, make decisions, and solve problems.
Cognitive psychologists often use an information-processing model (comparing the human mind to a computer) to conceptualize how information is acquired, processed, stored, and utilized. For example, a psychologist taking the cognitive perspective might be interested in how you retrieve memories, analyze information, and form answers when you take a tough school exam.
This approach also lays the groundwork for cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), a therapeutic approach that strives to identify and then change negative thinking patterns that contribute to psychological problems.
4. The Biological Perspective
The study of physiology played a major role in the development of psychology as a separate science. Today, the perspective is known as biological psychology (also called biopsychology or physiological psychology). The point of view emphasizes the physical and biological bases of behavior.
Researchers with a biological perspective on psychology might look at how genetics influence behavior or how damage to specific areas of the brain affect personality.
Biopsychologists look at the brain, but they are also interested in other body systems including the nervous, immune, and endocrine systems. The role that genetics plays in behavior and psychological problems is also a huge area of interest.
Over the last few decades, the perspective has grown significantly with advances in our ability to explore and understand the human brain and nervous system.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans give researchers tools to observe the brain under a variety of conditions. Scientists can now look at the effects of brain damage, drugs, and disease in ways that were not possible in the past. It’s led to new insights (and treatments) for problems since we are now better able to understand the biological aspects of mental illness.
5. The Cross-Cultural Perspective
Cross-cultural psychology is a fairly new perspective that has grown significantly in the last twenty years. Psychologists and researchers in this school of thought look at human behavior across different cultures.
By examining these differences, we can learn more about how culture influences our thinking and behavior.
The differences in social behaviors between individualistic and collectivistic cultures are one good example of how this perspective can offer fresh insights. For example, researchers have studied how social behaviors differ in individualistic and collectivistic cultures. Individualistic cultures place emphasis on independence and self-reliance, while collectivist cultures stress social harmony and cohesiveness.
6. The Evolutionary Perspective
Evolutionary psychology focuses on the study of how the theory of evolution can explain physiological processes. Psychologists who take this perspective apply the basic principles of evolution (like natural selection) to psychological phenomena.
The evolutionary perspective suggests that these mental processes exist because they serve an evolutionary purpose—meaning they aid in human survival and reproduction.
This perspective suggests that psychological traits like fear, aggression, and social bonding have developed because they offer some survival advantage. For example, our tendency to form close relationships may have evolved because cooperating and being close to others increased the chances of finding food, shelter, and other crucial resources for survival.
7. The Humanistic Perspective
In the 1950s, a school of thought known as humanistic psychology arrived. It was greatly influenced by the work of prominent humanists such as Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow.
The humanistic perspective emphasizes the role of motivation in thought and behavior. Concepts such as self-actualization are essential. Psychologists with a humanist perspective focus on what drives humans to grow, change, and develop their personal potential.
Positive psychology (which focuses on helping people live happier, healthier lives) is a recent movement in psychology with roots in the humanist perspective.
This field focuses on the things that can improve quality of life, happiness, and subjective well-being. For example, this perspective helps us understand how practices like gratitude and compassion strengthen resilience and reduce stress.
