The Theoretical Approaches Of Psychology - 1651 Words

Psychology is the scientific â€Å"study of the mind† (Gross, 2015) and behaviour, which includes the study of humans and animals. There are various approaches in modern psychology. A theoretical approach is a perspective which is someone’s view about human behaviour, there can be many different theories within an approach, however they all piece together the same assumptions. (McLeod, 2007). A theory is an attempt by theorists to try to explain behaviour. Theories are not facts but can be verified by testing. Theories can then be evaluated which I aim to achieve through this essay, where I will briefly explain the theoretical approaches in psychology and aim to focus on an analysis of each perspective which consists of the psychodynamic,†¦show more content†¦Also, his aim which is to give a complete theory of human nature is way over-ambitious. Yet, this can be argued that cognitive psychology has identified unconscious processes, like our memory (Tulving, 197 2), processing information (Bargh Chartrand, 1999), and social psychology has shown the significance of implicit processing (Greenwald Banaji, 1995). These findings have confirmed unconscious processes in human behaviour. Most evidence for theories is taken from Freud’s case studies, e.g. Little Hans. This case study was only based on one person in detail. Little Hans case study was carried out via mail contact with his father, only meeting Hans after the case was published which many would argue is not reliable. Freud got his results from talking sessions known as â€Å"free association† with patients which he wrote as case studies. Some patients in question are often small numbers of middle-aged Jewish women from Vienna that suffered comparable issues, which are biased samples, this makes the generalization to the wider population challenging. (Gross, 2015). Re-examinations of Freud’s theories propose that he occasionally distorted his patient’s cases to fit with his theory, e.g. being Dora and Ratman, both separate case studies both claimed he misrepresented facts and was unsuccessful in curing them. The theories are also greatly criticized by the humanist approach for b eing sexist against women. (Sulloway, 1991). The behaviourist perspective was a radicallyShow MoreRelatedTheoretical Approaches And Theories Of Psychology1803 Words   |  8 PagesAnalyse theoretical approaches to psychology In this essay I will be looking at different approaches and theories used in psychology. The behaviourists believed that all behaviour is learned through the environment. They suggest that we learn through classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Classical conditioning was discovered by Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov 1902. Classical conditioning suggests that all behaviour is learnt through association. Pavlov discovered this through hisRead MoreDifferent Theoretical Approaches Within Psychology1606 Words   |  7 PagesThis essay will explore and analyse four different theoretical approaches within psychology; the behavioural, psychoanalytic, humanistic and cognitive approaches. Assumptions and theories of each approach will be described and evaluated. The behavioural approach involves two different types of conditioning, which are classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Watson suggested that human behaviour is learnt and that we are born as a ‘blank slate’ or ‘tabula rasa’ (McLeod, 2013). 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