Basic Approaches of Psychology
In today’s post I will talk about the main
approaches of psychology. So first we will know what approach means is. Then we
will get to know the main approaches of psychology.
Basically approach is something like a perspective
or a view which involves some beliefs or assumptions about how human behave
like how they function. And in approach, there is some basic research methods
what they will use in doing some study.
Approach also decides which aspects of human
behavior they will study and there can be many theories in one approach but all
will share the same beliefs.
Psychodynamic Approach
This approach is mainly popularized by Sigmund
Freud’s writing. Actually many people know psychology by him. In this approach,
psychologists mainly used psychoanalysis. Sigmund Freud is the founder of
psychoanalysis, though he gave Josef Breuer the credit for creating this.
Actually
psychoanalysis is both a theory and therapy. The theory is called psychodynamic
theory. It emphasizes human behavior on unconscious mind, also focus on early
childhood experiences to treat mental illness.
The components of Freud’s theory are id, ego and
superego. Id is fully unconscious and governed by pleasure principle. Ego tries
to coordinate between id and physical world and is governed by reality
principle.
Superego is the moral part of personality. Freud
divided human mind in 3 parts. These are conscious, preconscious and
unconscious minds.
about ego defense mechanism which is a process to
deal with neurotic and moral anxiety.
Freud’s talked about Oedipus complex in which a
male child desire for his mother and in Electra complex a female child desires
her father. In psychoanalysis, psychologists use free association, dream
analysis to treat clients.
Psychoanalysis has been criticized for its over
emphasize on sexuality. And mainly this theory is not scientific but this
theory also influenced Carl Jung and Erickson to develop their theories.
Behavioral Approach
Some people think psychologists do experiment with
dogs and cats to understand their behavior. Behavioral approach mainly works
with this. It tries to find out how environmental factors affect behavior.
This approach works with two processes to find out
how people learn from environment.
One is classical conditioning, which was studied by
Ivan Pavlov by his famous experiment with dogs. It involves learning by
association. John B. Watson was one of the behaviorists who believed that
scientific methods could be applied to observe human behavior.
Classical conditioning’s principles have been
applied in many therapies. One is systematic desensitization which is a process
of step by step exposed to a feared stimulus and another is aversion therapy.
Another form is operant conditioning. B. F. Skinner
used this form to study voluntary and involuntary behavior. It involves
learning from the consequences of behavior.
Edward Thorndike found this in cat’s behavior which
he called as Law of Effect. Skinner used Skinner box to do the experiment. Food
is the reinforcer of their behavior.
Reinforcement both positive and negative and
punishment are main behavior shaping techniques used in this approach.
This approach rejects the idea of the free will of
human and believes that environment determines all behavior. And all research
should be done in controlled experiments.
It has been criticized for using animals to
understand human behavior and also to underestimate the complexity of human
behavior.
Cognitive Approach
Cognitive approach is mainly concerned with mental
processes like memory, perception, attention, thinking, language, problem
solving, decision making etc.
This approach emerged in 1960, when a new field
named cognitive psychology started. It is influenced by Albert Bandura, Jean
Piaget.
Psychologists try to study cognition which is
actually the mental act by which we acquire knowledge. They use an information-
processing model to understand how information is acquired, processed, stored
and utilized.
Psychologists found that memory has 3 stages:
encoding, storage and retrieval.
Cognitive approach uses lab experiments to do
research of human behavior so it is a scientific approach. And it has some
applications like eyewitness testimony and some cognitive therapy also.
Biological Approach
This approach is also called psychobiology or
physiological psychology because it mainly emphasize on physical and biological
causes of behavior, feeling and thought.
It studies brain, genetics, hormones, immune and
nervous systems. They believes biological factors like genes, chromosomes,
hormones and brain have an influence on behaviors. It also thinks that most of
the behavior is inherited.
Most psychologists’ belief that abnormal behavior
is also influenced by biological factors like Schizophrenia is affected by
dopamine (a neurotransmitter).
This approach mainly tries to help patients with
drugs. But many other fields believes that this don’t treat human fully so they
need other helps also.
Humanistic Approach
Humanistic approach is mainly influenced by the prominent
humanists such as Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers. It arrived in 1950s as a
school of thought.
This approach mainly studies a person as a whole.
It observes behavior not only through the eyes of counselors but also through
the eyes of clients also. Humanistic approach believes that each person is
unique and he has the free will to change anything of his life.
Every person has the inborn capacity for
self-actualization which is the desire to achieve highest position as people.
This approach doesn’t consider scientific methods
to study human.
So, these are the 5 major approaches of psychology.
We can’t say that one approach is correct fully. And every approach has benefits and problems.
That’s why psychology needs many approach to understand human better. Now tell
us which approach you like most.
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