The Different Schools of Psychology

Introduction

Since its early beginnings, Psychology has had many different views on how to properly assess human behavior and thoughts. These views are known as "schools." Though many differnt views exist, there are six major views that are predominantly used by most psychologists. Those schools are: Behavioral, Humanistic, Psychoanalytic, and Evolutionary. Although it is common for a psychologist to use only one school, many psychologists use an "eclectic" approach, which means that thay use more than one school in their assessments.

Behavioral Psychology

Behaviorism is the area of psychology that focuses mainly on the idea that everything an organism does to interact with its environment is a learned behavior. From thinking to moving our bodies, behaviorists argue that it is the result of a process known as conditioning, pioneered by Ivan Pavlov and B.F. Skinner.

skinner Box Behvioral Pscychology Facts

Humanistic Psychology

Humanistic psychology focuses on individuals. It is based on the fact that humans have basic needs and goals, with the ultimate goal of becoming self-actualized. Established in the 1950s by psychologists Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers, Humanistic psychology is often seen as the more "positive" approach to psychology and has become one of the most prominent views used by psychologists today.

Pyramid of Human Needs Humanistic Psychology Facts

Psychoanalysis

Often seen as the original approach to psychology, psychoanalysis originated from the mind of Sigmund Freud. It focuses on the idea that humans have both conscious and unconscious thought prosesses that govern our everyday lives. In addition, psychoanalysts argue that all our psychological problems stem from unconscious conflicts.
Psychoanalysis Psychoanalysis Facts

Biological Psychology

Biological psychology, or psychobiology, is the area of psychology that focuses on behavior in relation to natural biological processes.For example, within the context of a mental disorder, a biological psychologist might look at an imbalance in neurotransmittersin the brain as the cause. Whereas, a psychoanalyist might look at repressed childhood memories as the cause of a particular disorder.

Double Helix Biological Psychology Facts

Evolutionary Psychology

Evolutionary psychology is the approach based on Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution. It focuses on explaining mental and psychological traits—such as memory, perception, or language—as adaptations, i.e., as the functional products of natural selection or sexual selection. Evolutionary psychologists view the traits shared by most humans today as a direct result of natural selection; therefore, these traits are what keep humans as the dominant species today. "Survival of the fittest!"
Evolution Evolutionary Psychology Facts

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Taylor Patton ~ 1/23/08