Psychological Perspectives - Health and Social Care Level 3 Unit 8 - P1 & M1

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Introduction In this assignment I will be explaining and the five principal psychological perspectives. I will also choose two psychological perspectives and compare them. There are many different ways of thinking about human behaviour. Psychologists utilise a variety of perspectives when studying how people think, feel and behave. Some researches focus on one particular type of perspective, while others take a more eclectic approach that incorporates multiple points of view. There is no single perspective that is “better” than another, each theory simply emphasises different aspects of human behaviour. A key part of working in the health and social care sector is to promote health and well-being. There is a broad definition of health, which is; ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’ (WHO 1946). If this is seen to be an important goal then those working in the health and social care sector need the knowledge and skills to help service users work towards achieving this. Psychological theories and research can help us achieve this. The five principal psychological perspectives are: The Psychodynamic Perspective The Biomedical Perspective The Behavioural Perspective The Cognitive Perspective The humanistic perspective The Psychodynamic Perspective The Psychodynamic perspective is the oldest scientific perspective on child development and was introduced by Sigmund Freud (1923) Its aim is to explain how past experiences exert unconscious influences over an individual’s current thoughts and emotions. Freud was a physician who specialised in diseases of the nervous system. Many of his patients were adults who suffered from ailments that seemed to have no biological causes. As Freud listened to his patients describe their problems and their lives, he became convinced that early
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