Unit 1 – Intro to
Psychology
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Chapter 1 Section 4
Contemporary Perspectives
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Emphasizes the influence of biology on our
behavior
Brain activity
Hormones
Genetics
The Biological Perspective
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Evolution of behavior and mental processes
Adaptation
Hereditary
The Evolutionary
Perspective
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The role that thoughts play in determining
behavior
Mental processes and human nature
Information processing
Problem solving
The Cognitive Perspective
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Human capacity for self fulfillment
Importance of consciousness, self-awareness,
and the capacity to make choices.
Experiences
Basically good and desire to help others
The Humanistic
Perspective
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Stresses the influence of unconscious forces on
human behavior.
Impulses
The Psychoanalytic
Perspective
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Emphasizes the effects of experience on
behavior
Importance on environmental influences and
focus on the learning of habits through
repetition and reinforcement
The Learning Perspective
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Influences of ethnicity, gender, culture, and
socioeconomic status on behavior and mental
processes
The Sociocultural
Perspective