In cultural psychology the mental processes are compared with the society and the individual who has grown up in that society. Comparatively, cross-cultural psychologists systematically research behavior across cultures in different cultural situations (Shiraev & Levy, 2010). Critical Thinking Critical thinking in cross-cultural psychology is important because cross-cultural psychology is about identifying the similarities and differences in individuals and how they function in his or her culture. Critical thinking is about making realistic, valid and reasonable evidence. Critical thinking is described as maintaining an attitude that is open=minded and doubtful (Shiraev & Levy, 2010).
The social action approach, argues that individuals experience the social world by interpreting their actions and interactions with others and the meaning they assign to social phenomena. The starting point for understanding society should be the individual as they are authors of their own ideas. Emphasis should be given to how shared meanings develop and how these influence the way individuals define, act and react to their environment. Opposing the social action approach are the structural theories. Structural theories such as functionalism and Marxism are macro (large scale), and deterministic: they see society as a real thing existing over and above us, shaping our ideas and behaviour – individuals are like puppets, manipulated by society.
Next is the social cognitive theory, created by Albert Bandura. The cognitive social theory is the belief that people are flexible enough to learn from behaviors, people can regulate their own lives, people can control the nature and quality of their own lives, people can control their own behavior through external and internal factors, and when people are morally misunderstood they try to blame someone else or not take responsibility for the action or behavior (Feist & Feist, p. 478). The final theory is the cognitive social learning theory by Julian Rotter and Walter Mischel. Their theory is the belief that cognitive factors influence the way people respond to environmental forces (Feist & Feist, p.
Sociology 1 Class Paper Looking through the Sociology lens we are able to see the systematic study of human society today. Beliefs are specific statements that people who share a culture hold to be true. Beliefs are strongly underlined by Values which broadens Beliefs. Deviance is the violation of cultural norms. Norms guide all human activity, so the concept of Deviance is quite broad itself.
These big ideas can be categorized under social thinking, social influence, or social relations. The idea that we construct our social reality falls under social thinking, it describes the natural human urge to explain behavior, by attempting to attribute it to a cause, in order to make it seem orderly, predictable, and controllable (Myers, 2010). According to social psychology our social intuitions are powerful and sometimes perilous, suggesting that the human ability to understand something immediately, molds or influences behavior because it also shapes fears, attitudes, impressions, and relationships (Myers, 2010). It is also believed that social influences shape behavior as does behavior shape social influences. Myers (2010) provides an example as to how behavior is shaped by social influences making humans social creatures, “We speak and think in words we learned from others (Social psychology, p. 7).
Antisocial Personality is a term used to describe individuals and whose behavior pattern brings them repeatedly into conflict with society. (Schmalleger,220) 3. Sublimation is the psychological process whereby one aspect of consciousness comes to be symbolically substituted for another. (Schmalleger,225) 4. Modeling Theory is a form of social learning theory that asserts that people learn how to act by observing others.
Cognitive: Mental processes and skills are analyzed with this perspective. Problem solving, creativity and memory are some of the key elements of Cognitive. Neuroscientific/Biopsychological: The study of the biological reactions the brain makes towards being psychoanalyzed in any perspective. What makes a brain happy or sad and correcting it. Sociocultural: Studying how people act, react and are influenced by social stigmas.
These perspective viewpoints are known as emic perspective; however, the perspective pertains to specific psychopathologies in reference to culture. On a “cultural relativist perspective on the study of psychopathology may be important for several reasons. First of all, it may help in the development of culture-specific therapies. Second, it may provide valuable information about the psychological problems seen in particular cultures and their development as a function of the particular demands that culture places on individuals. Third, the studies of culture-bound syndromes, which are interesting in and of themselves, may help illuminate more general patterns of cultural values such as individualism or collectivism,” said plebius (2005).
Reflective Paper Naomi Evans BSHS/345 August 31, 2015 Elaine McCullough Reflective Paper Human beings live in groups, and their behavior is affected by information derived from the other individuals with whom they live. The study of culture is the study of how different kinds of information from each individual's environment, especially from his or her social environment, can be expected to affect that individual's behavior. The behavior elicited by this information reverberates throughout the individual's social group, as information that other individuals may act on in turn. The ongoing cycle that results in the generation of culture. (Tooby & Cosmides, 1995).
Running head: Personality Theories Personality Theories PSY/211 Personality Theories The existence of personality theories correspond to how scholars analyze and assess the development of human identity and behavior. Each viewpoint provides a specific understanding of what cultivates personality and the corresponding factors that influence such behavior. One way to analyze personality is through the lens of psychoanalytic theory. The main argument of this theory is that problems or issues pertaining to psychology can be rooted to one’s unconscious (McLeod, 2007). Specifically, the problems are influenced by latent issues surfacing in the conscious mind.