Perspectives in Psychology

The various perspectives in psychology seek to explore the human mind. They explain
the different angles of human nature and behaviour. The different schools of psychology
assesses human nature and the behavioural patterns. Each perspective attempts to
analyse the complexity of the human mind in different ways and it adapts different
methods of analysis of the human mind and of the brain to reveal interesting facts about
the varying types of human personalities.

These perspectives are:

1. The Biological Perspective – this plays a major role in the development of
psychology as a separate science. This perspective has grown over the
years/decades with advances in our ability to explore and understand the
human brain and the nervous system. MRI Scans and PET Scans allow
researchers to examine the brain under a variety of conditions, they can now
look at the effects of brain damage, drugs and disease in ways that were not
possible in the past.
2. The Behavioural Perspective – this perspective in psychology is mainly
concerned with how behaviours are learned and reinforced. These principles
are applied in mental health areas where the counselors and the therapists use
these techniques to explain and treat the variety of illness.
3. The Cognitive Perspective in psychology came about in the 1960s. This area
in psychology focuses on the mental processes such as memory, thinking,
problem-solving, language and making decisions. This cognitive perspective
was influenced by psychologists such as Jean Piaget and Albert Bandura.
4. The Cross-Cultural Perspective is where the psychologists and researchers
examine human behaviour across the different cultures and through this
perspective we learn more about how our culture influences/affects our
thinking and our behavior.
5. The Evolutionary Perspective examines the basic principles of evolution,
including the natural selection and are applied to the psychological phenoma,
this perspective suggests that the mental processes exist because they serve
the evolutionary purpose and they aid in survival and reproduction.
6. The Humanistic Perspective which was influenced by Carl Rogers and
Abraham Maslow, emphasized on the role of motivation on thought and
behaviour. The concept of self-actualisation is an essential part of this
perspective.
7. The Psychodynamic Perspective originated with the work of Psychologist
Sigmund Freud. It emphasizes the role of the unconscious mind, childhood
experiences and interpersonal relationships that explain human behaviour and
to treat mental illnesses.
Resting and Action Potential

The Resting Potential is the difference in the electrical charge between the inside and the
outside of the neuron’s cell membrane where inside the neuron is more negative that the
outside. This occurs when the electrical potential of the neuron is at rest when it is not
sending a signal.

The Action Potential is where the electrical signal originating from some stimulus which
is conducted along an axon to a synapse. To activate the action potential the level of
stimulation must meet or surpass the threshold. This causes a series of events that lead to
the depolarization of the cell, causing the ion channels to open up making inside the cell
more positive. This process repeats itself down the length of the axon.

Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development

Psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg expanded on Piaget’s work on Moral Reasoning.

Kohlberg extended on Piaget’s theory, and proposed that moral development is a
continual process that occurs throughout the lifespan. His theory was based upon
research and interviews with groups of young children by presenting them with a series
of moral dilemmas to determine the reasoning behind their judgments of each scenario.

There are six stages within the preconventional and the conventional levels of moral
development.

Stage 1 – Obedience and Punishment – this is the earliest stage of moral development, at
this stage children see rules as fixed and absolute; obeying the rules is important because
it means avoiding punishment.

Stage 2 – Individualism and Exchange – at this stage, children account for individual
points of view and judge actions based on how they serve their individual needs.

Stage 3 – Interpersonal Relationships – this stage of moral development focused on living

up to the social expectations and roles, emphasis on traditional values, such as being nice
and consideration of how choices influence relationships.

Stage 4 – Maintaining Social Order – at this stage of moral development, you begin to
view society as a whole when making judgements, the focus is on doing one’s duty,
respecting authority and maintaining law and order by following rules.

Stage 5 – Social Contract and Individual Rights – persons begin to account for the
differing values, opinions and beliefs of other people.

Stage 6 – This final stage of moral reasoning is based on universal ethical principles and
abstract reasonings, people follow these internalized principles of justice even if they
conflict with the rules and laws.
Kohlberg’s theory was concerned with moral thinking however there is a difference
between knowing what you ought to do and actually doing it. His theory of moral
development overstates the concept as justice when making moral choices. Some other
factors such as compassion, caring and other interpersonal feelings play an important part
in moral reasoning. Individual cultures emphasize personal rights which collectivistic
cultures stress the importance of society and community.

Gender Development

Gender refers to an individual’s anatomical sex or sexual assignment and the cultural and
social aspects of being male or female. A person’s personal sense of maleness or
femaleness is his/her gender identity. Outward expression of gender identity according to
social and cultural expectations is a gender role. The cause of gender identity is
unknown, biological, psychological and social variables clearly influence the process.
Genetics, prenatal and postnatal hormones, differences in the brain and the reproductive
organs as well as socialization, all interact to mold a toddler’s gender identity Gender
Identity developes around the age of three where a boy becomes aware that he is a boy
and a girl knows she is a girl. Gender identity is derived from chromosomal makeup and
physical appearance, however this derivation of gender identity does not mean that
psychosocial influences are missing Gender Socialization or the process whereby a child
learns the norms and the roles that society has created for his/her gender plays a
significant role in the establishment of his/her sense of femaleness/maleness. If a child is
told that she is a female and is raised as a female then she believes that she is female. If a
child is told that he is a male and is raised as a male then he too believes that he is male.

Gender constancy is developed between the ages 5 – 6 years and that is their gender
cannot change. Gender-role awareness is a knowledge of the behaviours expected of
males and females in their society. Gender stereotypes are oversimplified beliefs about
what the typical male and female are like. Samdra Bem in 1981 created a measurement
which was called the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI). This instrument was used to
allow individuals to be both feminine and masculine. It included twenty feminine
characteristics, twenty masculine and twenty neutral. The results determined the amount
of feminine and masculine traits that the individual possessed.