The untrained individuals would look at psychopathology as being a study of mental disorders on the mere manifestation of different behaviors. However, we in the field of psychology would determine what is by going through the basics. It is commonly referred to as abnormal psychology which is the clear understanding of nature, certain treatments, and the many different causes. There are several ways in fact to where individuals in the field of psychology may use to explain psychology. For example, one psychologist may use descriptive psychopathology to which will strive to provide answers for symptoms or mental illness.
Nature versus Nurture of Child development “Genes and family may determine the foundation of the home, but time and place determine its form.”(Kagan, 2010). Every person in this world has their own distinctive personality and behavior. People may wonder why an individual acts the way they do or what makes someone different from each other? These kinds of questions naturally intrigue us. Personality psychologists claimed that one of the most profound challenges is to account for personality development, that’s why they put this into a study whether an individual’s behavior are caused by heredity or the environment, this study is known as the “nature” and “nurture”.
3, 2009). Psychologists see personality from different angles and perspectives. The basis for this could be that these personality theorists come from different backgrounds (Feist & Feist, 2009). Psychologists base theories on his or her background; they live in different places and study from a different perspective. Feist and Feist, (2009), points out that “there is no single definition that is acceptable to all personality theorists can say that personality is a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that give both consistency and individuality to a person’s behavior” p.
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.
Describe the four major theories of personality (psychodynamic, trait or five-factor model, humanistic, and social-cognitive) and identify advantages and disadvantages of each theory. The psychodynamic theory of personality revolves around Sigmund Freud’s findings. He believed that the mental processes of the brain were unconscious and that people had three levels of awareness; the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious. The unconscious, being the most important, contains thoughts, feelings, memories, and desires that have influence over the day-to-day aspects of people’s lives without them being aware of it. The personalities of people were also split into three sections; the Id, Ego, and Superego.
This school of study ultimately depends on the methods of the case studies that are performed to provide the necessary information that will clearly show them the evidence based on motivations. The theory of psychodynamics will tell us that the researcher will be able to collect the correct information based on the subject’s willingness to reveal the truth about themselves in their everyday actions. The Behaviorist Perspective This school of study is also known as “behaviorism.” In this school of study behavior is observed and learned by the way it is shaped by the stimuli in our environment. This study
It is mainly used to develop research hypotheses It's goal is to test psychological theories. Question 2 Select the most appropriate definition of a psychological theory: l. 2. 3. • Psychological theories are sets of observations about human nature. Psychological theories are best defined as statements about the principles underlying human behaviour, but these statements are not testable.
Having Fun With Operational Definitions Adapted from teachpsychscience.org Directions: Identify and operationally define the independent and dependent variables in each of the following research ideas. Research Idea #1: A social psychologist was interested in whether people are more likely to exhibit conformity when they are in situations that make them feel nervous and unsure of themselves. What is the independent variable? How would you define it operationally? What is the dependent variable?
Personality can mean many things but collectively the definition according to Feist & Feist in 2006, “…a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that give both consistency and individuality to a person’s behavior” (Feist & Feist, 2006). It is hard to understand personality when no one can even agree about the true definition of personality so that is why we have to study it and assess the information that will help us understand what influences our own traits and characteristics. Quantifiable Human Nature The field of psychology is based on the basic ways in which humans will react through perceptions, position, and the point of views from of a lot of theorists. In the area of psychology according to Feist and Feist in 2009, “there are six dualistic dimensions on human nature and they are determinism versus free choice, pessimism versus optimism, causality versus teleology, conscious versus unconscious determinants of behavior, biological versus social influences, and finally uniqueness versus similarities” (Feist & Feist). First a thing where a human does anything willingly is called free choice.
Social psychologists not only complete research in a laboratory setting, but also try to complete experiments in real world settings, through surveys and other research methods, as some people may not act the same in a controlled setting as he or she do in an uncontrolled. Conclusion Social psychology is an important discipline in psychology. This study helps to take psychology from just focusing on the internal cognitions that an individual has and puts it in the context of social situations. As humans, we are not solitary creatures and seek the company of other individuals. The way that individuals think others view them and the way he or she view themselves have a big role to play in why he or she is the person that they are.