Psychology has undergone major changes in the past few centuries, this includes the
way we perceive psychology. While William James’ functionalism and Wilhelm Wundt and
Titchener’s structuralism were two ideas, in the end, modern psychology was able to debunk
and break down the thought process that went into the development of these major ideas. Our
new understanding of psychology has led us to break down perception into five categories:
neuroscience, cognitive, behavioral, humanistic, and psychodynamic. These are the five
categories of major perspectives modern-day psychologists use to make certain assumptions.
Neuroscience is an approach that is used to look at behavior from a biological perspective.
Neuropsychology is a science that studies the physiological process of the neurological system.
The brain is the major part of the nervous system. (Cleveland Clinic, 2020) The nervous system
is considered the “control center” of your body. This is what controls your movements as well as
your thoughts. In simple terms: neuropsychology focuses on how the brain works and functions.
Some of the concepts neuropsychologists regularly deal with are developmental disorders,
learning disorders, traumatic brain injury, dementia, heredity, the changing of behavior, and
more. (American Psychological Association, 2008)
The cognitive approach focuses on our thought process and our thought process about the
world we live in. Cognitive psychology focuses on ideas like how we perceive certain
information, how we take in different kinds of information, and how we problem-solve and make
decisions based on the information we have. Cognitive psychology looks at the cognitive
process; the mental operations the brain performs to process information. (Mcleod, 2023) A
real-life example of a cognitive process is our ability to solve conflict. Say you put your phone on
the charger and it’s not charging. There are a handful of solutions you might try. You might try to
use a different cable, outlet, etc. Your cognitive process is the reason you are able to do those
things.
Just like it sounds, the behavioral approach is used to observe how we behave. Behavior
psychology is the examination of why we behave the way we do. Behavioral psychology looks
at things like how we can modify our habits and behavior and how the environment we live in
can affect our behavior. ( BetterHelp, 2023), An example of a study that behavioral scientists
and psychologists have examined is how the reward system can influence how we act. Rewards
are used to induce positive and pleasant experiences in return for completing an action. (White,
2011) The idea of a reward system is to encourage participants to complete an action more
willingly. An example of this is when a child’s parent gives them money in exchange for all A’s on
their report card. When you are put in an environment where you can be rewarded for your
deeds is more likely to motivate you to complete certain tasks that may seem daunting.
The fourth perspective used in psychology is the humanistic approach. This approach delves
into the uniqueness of an individual and their desire to experience free will and reach their
maximum potential; it focuses on what it means to be human. (Guy-Evans, 2023) Humanistic
psychologists use means that focus more on the whole person, like interviews, observations,
open-ended questions, and more. (Bhandari, 2023) An example of a humanistic approach
would be a parent or guardian who encourages their child to be their authentic self by dressing
how they like, being addressed how they like, doing the hobbyist that interests them, etc. The
reason why this is considered a humanistic approach is because the parent in this situation is
helping their child fulfill their needs and wants.
The final approach used in psychology is the psychodynamic approach. Psychodynamic
psychology focuses on how unconscious desires, conflicts, and drives affect our behavior.
Psychodynamic psychologists believe that these unconscious things deprave from childhood
experiences. (Shedler, 2010) Psychodynamic psychologists look at the unconscious processes
their clients experience and try to help them with self-awareness and the understanding of how
the present and the past correlate. A psychodynamic psychologist may encourage their client to
share traumatic experiences to gain insight into their thought and feelings. (SAMHSA, 2012) An
example of the psychodynamic reaction would be flinching at any contact with the skin as a
result of child abuse. The reason this is considered a psychodynamic reaction is that this action
is done unconsciously due to a traumatic experience faced in the past.
These five approaches allow psychologists to help their clients in the most effective way
possible and allow scientists to get a better idea of how the mind and body function. Each
approach has its ups and downs, but each allows psychologists to understand human behavior
better. The more understanding we have of psychology, the more we are able to describe,
predict, and explain human behavior. This could lead to a healthier-minded society. Psychology
has come a long way from William James’ functionalism and Wilhelm Wundt and Titchener’s
structuralism. While these theories were not terrible, the five major approaches allow for
psychologists to explore behavior better than we have ever been able to.
Citations
professional, C. C. medical. (n.d.). Nervous system: What it is, types, symptoms. Cleveland
Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/21202-nervous-system
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Clinical neuropsychology. American Psychological
Association.
https://www.apa.org/ed/graduate/specialize/neuropsychology#:~:text=Some%20of%20the%20c
onditions%20neuropsychologists,brain%20cancer%2C%20stroke%20and%20dementia.
Saul Mcleod, P. (2023, June 15). Cognitive approach in psychology. Simply Psychology.
https://www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive.html
Gottfried, J. A. (2011). Neurobiology of sensation and reward. CRC Press.
American Psychological Association. (n.d.-b). Psychodynamic psychotherapy brings
lasting benefits through self-knowledge. American Psychological Association.
https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2010/psychodynamic-therapy