INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY 1 S01V

ASSIGNMENT 4
Part I: For this writing assignment you will discuss the four major perspectives of

Psychology and give an example of each

There are four major approaches which psychologists use to guide their investigations.

These are: cognitive perspective, learning perspective, sociocultural perspective and biological

perspective.

The cognitive perspective of psychology seeks to understand how human beings process

information. It also leads psychologists to understand “how people’s thoughts and explanations

affect their actions, feelings and choices” (Wade & Tavris, 2017). Being among the perspectives

with the greatest influence in research, this approach has allowed researchers to dig deep into

conscious and unconscious human thinking by observing how we behave. Other aspects of

cognition involve trying to understand normal cognition by studying people with brain damage

and involving technology (computing) for a better understanding of cognition. (Eysenck &

Keane, 2015) An example of this perspective is analyzing a task and deciding on the best way to

solve it. I have observed my son as he tries to complete his jigsaw puzzle. He attempts to put the

pieces together, stops, frowns, then he tries a different piece. When it gets too difficult, he asks

for help. I think it shows how he is able to reason and decide what he can and cannot handle as

he strives to accomplish the task.

The learning perspective of psychology, also referred to as the behavioral approach,

looks at external factors which can have an effect on how humans and animals behave (Wade &

Tavris, 2017). Such factors are based on how we are affected by our environment and our

interactions with our surroundings rather than our thoughts. However, modern theorists are

basing their research to also include cognitive learning principles (Mishra, 2016). I believe I have
experienced this perspective many times since starting at Ashworth College. For example, I

sometimes have issues concentrating on completing an assignment when my son is around. I do

not take enough care to check my work because I am always wondering what he is up to or

distracted by his questions. When he’s not around, however, I am more relaxed and able to

complete my work with more focus. Another example is Skinner’s use of reward and punishment

to demonstrate how operant conditioning can affect the behaviour of rats (Wade & Tavris, 2017).

The socio-cultural perspective of psychology involves the impact of our social norms,

values and roles on human behaviour. It takes into account “how groups affect attitudes and

behaviour, why people obey authority, and how each of us is affected by other people” (Wade &

Tavris, 2017). Socio-cultural theorists believe that our culture affects how we think, act and feel

in various situations. For example, in a particular society, people may behave very friendly

towards strangers. So if a stranger is in danger, the people of that society are willing to help. In

another society, because of their negative experience with the police, a man who is being robbed

might take the law into his own hands rather than call the police for help. One of the noted

sociocultural theorists, Lev Vygotsky, stated that “humans master themselves from the ‘outside’

through symbolic, cultural systems” (Daniels, 2017). He recognized that the most important

element of societal influence is the meaning behind every interaction with one’s environment.

The biological perspective of psychology explains how our behaviour is affected by our

body’s mechanisms (Wade & Tavris, 2019). These events involve the transmission of

information through the nervous system and also involve hormonal changes. The biological

approach seeks to inform us that “we cannot really know ourselves if we do not know our

bodies” (Wade & Tavris, 2019). Basically, the theorists who believe in this approach seek to

prove that there is a correlation between our physical bodies and our emotions, thoughts and
behaviour. For example, someone who is hungry can be affected mentally when they are unable

to focus on an exam. Another example is the effect of lack of sleep on someone’s mood. I’ve

found myself to be quite irritable when I do not get enough rest. Darwin, who was a biologist,

gave psychologists food for thought by providing them with enough evidence to consider

psychology from a “biological perspective” (Eysenck, 2004). He explored the concepts of

heredity and individual differences, which he believes is a direct influence on who we are

(personality, parental resemblance, etc.).

For Part II: of the written assignment, explain why the following course objectives are

important to understanding psychology:

Define the science of psychology.

It is said that “the most reliable way to develop a belief is through the method of science”

(Goodwin & Goodwin, 2016). Psychology is a field of study which uses scientific means of

discovering how we behave. Although psychologists make predictions as to what they believe

influences our thoughts and actions, it is through scientific research methods that they are able to

either justify or review their claims. They experiment with animals and study human interaction

to draw conclusions that are based solely on evidence. If not, their theories would hold no

substance in the eyes of other researchers.

Distinguish between a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.

One of the characteristics of a psychologist is that they rely on empirical evidence to

support their theories. A theory is an explanation of a psychologist’s thoughts on why certain

events occur and how they are related (Wade & Tavris, 2017). There are many theories which
apply to early childhood education. I’ve had to research on the experiments of Pavlov, Erikson’s

eight stages of learning and Piaget’s cognitive development stages, to name a few. However,

some are simply opinions which require more in-depth experimentation and research before they

can be accepted or considered to be plausible.

After coming up with a theory, a psychologist will put his logical predictions into terms

which describe what might occur in an event. This statement is called a hypothesis. It is

important that a hypothesis is very clear, as new ideas can be accepted but as long as it has the

evidence to support it (Goodwin & Goodwin, 2016). To help understand how the statement can

be tested, operational definitions are used. Operational definitions are “precise definitions” of

terms “in a hypothesis, which specify how the phenomena in question are to be observed and

measured” (Wade & Tavris, 2017). Psychologists repeat this process of establishing a theory,

presenting a hypothesis, explaining their predictions via operational definitions, and backing all

of it with scientific evidence until they have obtained satisfactory results. This is the cycle of

scientific research. Repeating this cycle allows scientists to find patterns that either support

initial predictions or allow them to form new ones.

Explain how genes, chromosomes, DNA, and genomes all relate to one another and

their importance to psychology.

Researchers have linked biology with psychology as they study how our genetic make-up

influences our behaviour. We inherit genes from our parents which allow us to physically

resemble them in some way (Bernstein, 2015). For instance, my mother’s genes are stronger in

the physical structure of my face. However, I have been told I walk like my father. Genetic cells
are responsible for this. These cells come together to form long slim tissue called chromosomes.

A chromosome can be found inside each of your body’s cells. It’s structure involves DNA

(deoxyribonucleic acid), which basically tells the cells how to create proteins which our genes

are constructed from. All of our DNA, along with our genes, are together referred to as genome

(Wade & Tavris, 2017). Researchers are often trying to figure out what each gene is responsible

for but not all are known right away, once they have been identified. Sometimes they are easy to

recognize, such has the shape of your nose or hair colour. Some genes are normal and some are

abnormal. Sometimes it is a combination of genes which can produce a particular characteristic.

So genetics is a field of continuous study, with new results popping up often.

Identify and describe the major structures of the central nervous system and their

primary functions.

The nervous system of our bodies is responsible for processing information and generally

control the functioning of cells. Our nervous system is divided into two parts. One of these is the

central nervous system. This is where we can find our brain and spinal cord. The central

nervous system is responsible for processing incoming information about the things we sense in

our environment. Additionally, it sends information to various body organs (Wade & Tavris,

2017). The spinal cord is responsible for this. Another of its functions is to act as a reflex centre.

It manages the impulses we get, when interacting with our environment, whether conscious or

unconscious. For example, I have touched a hot iron accidentally and my first instinct is to

remove my hand. However, this ‘instinct’ was more due to the reflex response embedded in the

spinal cord, which sent information to the muscles in my hand to retract. Another function of the
spinal cord is to act as a message connector between the body’s organs and the brain (Edgell,

2014). It is important to note that when any damage is dealt to the spinal cord, many other body

functions are also affected (the ability to walk, for instance). This is because the spinal cord is no

longer able to send the appropriate messages to other parts of the body, especially the brain. The

brain is responsible for managing the nervous system. Impulses flow from the brain to other parts

of the body through the spinal cord. The brain is one of the most important organs in the body, if

not the most [Link] is why people who suffer from brain damage have little to no

response or react very differently from their normal habits.

Bernstein, D. (2015). Psychology. (10th Ed.) Cengage Learning.

Daniels, H. (2017). Introduction to vygotsky. (3rd. Ed.) Taylor & Francis.

Edgell, B. (2014). Mental Life (Psychology Revivals): An Introduction to Psychology. (Reprint).

Psychology Press.

Eysenck, M. W. (2004). Psychology: an international perspective. Taylor & Francis.

Eysenck, M. W. & Keane, M. T. (2015). Cognitive psychology: a student's handbook. (7th Ed.)

Psychology Press.

Goodwin, C. J. & Goodwin, K. A. (2016). Research In Psychology Methods and Design. John

Wiley & Sons.

Mishra, B. K. (2016). Psychology: the study of human behaviour. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd.