The Four Major Perspectives of Psychology

Psychology
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Part I: The Four Major Perspectives of Psychology
The four major psychology perspectives include biological perspective, cognitive perspective, learning perspective, and humanistic perspective. The biological perspective is associated with the bodily activities that affect human feelings, thoughts, and behaviors (Simons et al., 2014). Researchers consider it one of the most important psychology perspectives because it involves the study of genetics, brain hormones, the immune system, and the nervous system (Plutchik, 2013). The theory behind the biological perspective is that most human behaviors are hereditary and have an adaptive function. An example of a biological perspective is a child subjected to abuse and ends up being abusive in adulthood.
The cognitive perspective deals with the mental processes in perception, language, memory, attention, and problem-solving (Brabant et al., 2018). In other words, it involves cognition which is the mental process or act by which individuals acquire knowledge. This perspective relates the human mind to computers based on how people process information. It argues that human functions like a computer because it processes data and stores information like a computer (Simons et al., 2014). This perspective is purely scientific because it uses lab experiments to study human behaviors. A good example of a cognitive approach is the failure of a person to remember something due to stress or weak retrieval cues.
Learning Perspective demonstrates how the environment and experiences affect behaviors. Environmental influences, beliefs, observations, imitation, and values affect the learning approach. According to Brabant et al. (2018), learning is a behavior change molded by experience and accomplished largely through classical or operant conditioning. Classical conditioning is learning by association, whereas operant conditioning entails learning from the consequences of behavior (Plutchik, 2013). An example of learning behavior is a child who aggressively behaves because they spend a considerable amount of time with a violent role model. In this case, a violent role model influences a child to adopt aggressive behaviors.
The humanistic perspective emphasizes looking at the whole person and stresses concepts like free will, self-efficacy, and self-actualization. Instead of focusing on dysfunction, this perspective strives to help individuals achieve their potential and maximize their well-being. According to humanistic psychologists, individual behavior is tied to self-image and inner feelings (Simons et al., 2014). The theory behind this approach is that everyone is unique and has the freedom to change. The humanistic perspective further suggests that people are responsible for their own happiness and well-being because they have a unique desire to fulfill their highest potential (Brabant et al., 2018). An example of the humanistic perspective is sensitivity training at the workplace. Individuals are taught to respect and value their colleagues for who they are, irrespective of their differences. This creates a stronger workplace relationship and a more...