Psychology

Biological Perspective

Psychologists who utilize the biological perspective aim to specify the neurobiological processes that underlie behavior and mental processes. Through this perspective, psychologists have found out that:

• The brain is composed of 10 billion nerve cells, with an almost infinite number of interconnections between them.
• Depressed individuals have abnormal levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain.
• The hemispheres of the brain are specialized for certain functions. For example, facial recognition is mainly located on the right side of the brain. Damage to a particular region on the right side of the brain causes Prosopagnosia.
• Hippocampus is the part of the brain involved in consolidating memories. In humans, the hippocampus fully develops at ages 1 and 2. Research on the hippocampus reveals that it may partly explain for Childhood Amnesia, or our inability to remember events that occurred during the first 3 years of our lives.

The biological perspective in Psychology originated from Hippocrates' observation on the executive function of the brain. It was significantly expanded by Robert Sperry in his research on neuropsychology.

Behavioral Perspective

Psychologists who utilize the behavioral perspective aim to analyze the dynamics of stimuli and behavioral responses in terms of conditioning, that is, how rewards (or reinforcements) and punishments influence behavior. Through this perspective, psychologists have found out that:

• In the study of obesity, specific stimuli (e.g., watching TV) can lead to specific responses (e.g., overeating). Thus, obese individuals are advised to avoid such stimuli to reduce the chance to overeat.
• Children become more aggressive when their object of aggression, typically another child, withdraws than counters. If the object of aggression withdraws from the "fight," the aggressor levels up the aggression, presumably because the withdrawal appears rewarding, that is, the aggressor perceives winning the "fight." If the object of aggression counters, the aggressor levels down the aggression, presumably because countering appears punishing, that is, the aggressor perceives initially losing the "fight."

The behavioral perspective in Psychology can also be applied in analyzing social situations. Using Stimulus-Response (S-R) Psychology, social situations may be analyzed in terms of the people we interact with (social stimuli), our responses, and their responses (whether rewarding, punishing, or neutral).

The behavioral perspective in Psychology originated from the school of Behaviorism developed by John B. Watson in the early 20th century. It ignored mental processes then; it continues to ignore mental processes even today. While deciding whether a stimuli feels rewarding or punishing is under the domain of mental processes, delving into the process of decision-making is futile according to this perspective because such processes occur privately and cannot be directly observed. Psychologists who use the behavioral perspective limit the scope of their research on the stimuli and the corresponding behavioral responses.

Cognitive Perspective

Psychologists who utilize the cognitive perspective aim to understand the nature of mental processes. They analyze behavior, too, but in terms of its underlying mental processes. Research using the cognitive perspective typically involves perception, memory, reasoning, decision-making, and problem-solving. Through this perspective, psychologists have found out that:

• Language is a tool we use to organize and store information to memory. Linguistic ability develops at age 3. Thus, childhood amnesia may partly be due to an immature linguistic ability.

The cognitive perspective in Psychology originated from Introspection and Gestalt Psychology.

Psychoanalytic Perspective

The psychoanalytic perspective assumes that behavior comes from unconscious mental processes (known as just the unconscious). Psychologists who utilize the psychoanalytic perspective aim to uncover the dynamic relationship between the unconscious and behavior.

The psychoanalytic perspective originated from Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis. He claimed that humans and animals share the same basic instincts: sex and aggression. These instincts are housed in the unconscious early in childhood because society forbids them, yet they continue to manifest as emotional problems, mental illness, and even socially approved endeavors, like in the arts and in literature. Using this perspective, psychologists trace clinical problems arising during adulthood from childhood, uncovering traumatic experiences, and addressing them into awareness.

Subjectivist Perspective

Psychologists who utilize the subjectivist perspective analyze behavior in reference to one's perception, and in comparison to the objective world in which the perception is based. Through this perspective, psychologists have found out that:

• We have a tendency to consider our perception as reality, a phenomenon called Naïve Realism. For example, children from the poor sector tend to overestimate the size of valuable coins.
• We have a tendency to attribute other people's behavior as personality traits. For example, if we see someone sweeping outdoors, we easily judge the person as "industrious," without even seeing the inside of the house, or observing the person in a different setting, like at work. This tendency is called the Fundamental Attribution Error. According to the subjectivist perspective, this perception error is borne out of Western emphasis on personal agency, which subsequently leads people to forget considering the influence of situations.
• Our choice of media instills and strengthens schemas and scripts that can be utilized in our future interpersonal encounters. The subjectivist perspective explains research on TV violence and aggression according to the violent and aggressive schemas and scripts acquired in such media.

The subjectivist perspective is often used in Social and Personality Psychology.