Theoretical Perspectives in Psychology

Psychology is often considered to be a science. However, it is unique among the sciences as it is not governed by a single set of principles or beliefs. Instead, psychologists can draw upon a range of alternative approaches, each of which views the person and the study of the person in very different ways. Theoretical Perspectives in Psychology introduces and outlines the six main approaches and considers how each has helped psychologists understand human behavior, thought and feeling.

Matt Jarvis is Senior Teaching Psychologist at Totton College of Further and Higher Education

List of illustrations

xiii

Acknowledgements

xv

Introduction

1

(10)

Introduction: one psychology or many?

1

(1)

Case examples and explanations

2

(5)

Case example 1

3

(4)

Case example 2

4

(1)

Case example 3

5

(2)

The major features of each psychological approach

7

(1)

Scientific and less scientific approaches

8

(1)

Summary

9

(2)

Behavioural psychology

11

(20)

Key assumptions of the approach

11

(2)

Classical conditioning and early behavioural theory

13

(4)

Evaluation of early behavioural theory

16

(1)

Operant conditioning and later behavioural theory

17

(4)

Operant conditioning

17

(2)

Uncontrollable reinforcers

19

(1)

Evaluation of radical behaviourism

20

(1)

Social learning theory

21

(3)

Evaluation of social learning theory

23

(1)

Key application: behaviour change

24

(2)

Aversion therapy

24

(1)

Child-behaviour management

25

(1)

Contemporary issue: the media violence debate

26

(2)

Contributions and limitations of behavioural psychology

28

(2)

Summary

30

(1)

Psychodynamic psychology

31

(28)

Key assumptions of the approach

31

(2)

Freud's theories

33

(15)

The unconscious mind and personality

34

(2)

The ego-defences

36

(3)

Psychosexual development

39

(4)

Dream theory

43

(2)

Discussion of Freud's work

45

(3)

Winnicott's theories

48

(2)

The unconscious mind

48

(1)

The first relationship

48

(1)

Evaluation of Winnicott's theories

49

(1)

Key application: mental health

50

(3)

Early experience and later mental disorder

50

(1)

Psychodynamic approaches to therapy

51

(1)

Discussion of the psychodynamic approach to mental health

51

(2)

Contemporary issue: why do we love monsters?

53

(2)

Discussion

54

(1)

Contributions and limitations of the psychodynamic approach

55

(2)

Summary

57

(2)

Humanistic psychology

59

(18)

Key assumptions of the approach

59

(2)

Rogers' theories

61

(5)

The actualising tendency

62

(1)

Development of the self-concept

62

(2)

The fully functioning person

64

(1)

Discussion of Rogers' theory

65

(1)

Maslow's theories

66

(3)

The hierarchy of needs

66

(1)

The self-actualised person

67

(1)

Evaluation of Maslow's theories

68

(1)

Key application: person-centred counselling

69

(2)

Principles and techniques of person-centred counselling

69

(2)

Discussion of person-centred counselling

71

(1)

Contemporary issue: is there a place for spirituality in psychology?

71

(2)

Discussion of spirituality in psychology

72

(1)

Contributions and limitations of the humanistic approach

73

(1)

Summary

74

(3)

Cognitive psychology

77

(22)

Key assumptions of the approach

77

(3)

The computer analogy

79

(1)

Strands of cognitive psychology

80

(1)

Memory

80

(6)

Long-and short-term memory

81

(1)

Working memory

82

(2)

Evaluation of working memory

84

(1)

Episode and semantic memory

84

(1)

Evaluation of the episodic/semantic distinction

85

(1)

Forgetting

86

(4)

Cue-dependency

86

(3)

Repression

89

(1)

Key application: eyewitness testimony

90

(3)

Contemporary issue the reliability of children's memories

93

(2)

Applying the cognitive approach to the rest of psychology

95

(1)

Contributions and limitations of the cognitive approach

96

(1)

Summary

97

(2)

Cognitive-developmental psychology

99

(22)

Key assumptions of the approach

99

(1)

Piaget's theory of cognitive development

100

(9)

How children learn

101

(1)

How children think

102

(3)

Piaget's stage theory

105

(2)

Later research on Piaget's ideas

107

(2)

Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development

109

(2)

The social and cultural basis of learning

109

(1)

The zone of proximal development

110

(1)

The role of language

110

(1)

Discussion of Vygotsky

111

(1)

Key application: applying psychology to teaching

111

(5)

Historical background

111

(1)

Implications of Piagetian theory for teaching style

112

(1)

Implications of Vygotsky's theory for teaching style

113

(3)

Contemporary issue: computer-aided learning

116

(2)

Contributions and limitations of the cognitive-developmental approach

118

(1)

Summary

119

(2)

Social psychology

121

(24)

Key assumptions of the approach

121

(2)

Obedience and agency

123

(4)

Agency theory

125

(1)

Evaluation of agency theory

126

(1)

Prejudice and social identity

127

(5)

How prejudiced are we?

128

(2)

Social identity theory

130

(1)

Evaluation of social identity theory

131

(1)

Social constructionism

132

(5)

A deliberately political and unscientific psychology?

132

(1)

The importance of culture and language

133

(1)

Discourse and discourse analysis

133

(2)

Discourse and reality

135

(1)

Evaluation of social constructionism

136

(1)

Key application: tackling racism

137

(3)

Common in-group identity model

137

(1)

Racist discourse

138

(2)

Contemporary issue: lesbian and gay psychology

140

(2)

Contributions and limitations of social approaches

142

(1)

Summary

143

(2)

Biological psychology 1: genetic influences on behaviour

145

(18)

Key assumptions of the approach

145

(2)

Behavioural genetics: the genetics of Individual differences

147

(8)

The origins of intelligence

147

(1)

Twin studies

148

(1)

Gene-environment interaction

149

(2)

Molecular genetics and cognitive abilities

151

(3)

Discussion of behavioural genetics

154

(1)

Evolutionary psychology: the genetics of human similarity

155

(4)

Innate behaviour and abilities in children

156

(1)

Mate selection

157

(1)

Discussion of evolutionary psychology

158

(1)

Contemporary issue: does behavioural genetics pose a threat to other psychological approaches?

159

(1)

Contributions and limitations of genetically based approaches

160

(1)

Summary

161

(2)

Biological psychology 2: neurophysiology

163

(26)

Key assumptions of the approach

163

(1)

The brain

164

(3)

Discussion of localisation of brain function

167

(1)

Techniques for measuring brain function

167

(4)

Imaging techniques

167

(2)

EEG and MEG

169

(2)

Lesioning studies

171

(1)

Bodily rhythms and sleep

171

(4)

The sleep cycle

175

(1)

Theories of sleep

175

(3)

Restoration theories

175

(2)

Evolutionary theory

177

(1)

Dreams

178

(4)

Activation-synthesis theory of dreaming

180

(2)

Key application: understanding the effects of shiftwork and jet lag

182

(2)

Shiftwork

182

(1)

Jet lag

183

(1)

Contemporary issue: are gender differences due to biological factors?

184

(2)

Contributions and limitations of biological approaches

186

(1)

Summary

187

(2)

Study aids

189

(8)

Improving your essay writing skills

189

(4)

Practice essay

190

(3)

Key research summary

193

(4)

Glossary

197

(8)

References

205

(14)

Index

219

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Theoretical Perspectives in Psychology

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

FREE SHIPPING

Rent More, Save More! Use code: BBRENTAL

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Theoretical Perspectives in Psychology

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

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