psychology theories

By Kendra Cherry, About.com GuidePREPARED BY:

NIKKA S. ATIENZAAB-PSYCHOLOGY

Psychology Theories

http://psychology.about.com/od/psychology101/u/psychology-theories.htm

Psychology TheoriesMuch of what we know about human

thought and behavior has emerged thanks to various psychology theories.

For example, behavioral theories demonstrated how conditioning can be

used to learn new information and behaviors. Psychology students

typically spend a great deal of time studying these different theories.

Some theories have fallen out of favor, while others remain widely accepted,

but all have contributed tremendously to our understanding of human

thought and behavior. By learning more about these theories, you can

gain a deeper and richer understanding of psychology's past,

present and future.

Behavioral Theories

Cognitive Theories

Developmental Theories

Humanist Theories

Personality Theories

Social Psychology Theories

Learning Theories

Cognitive Theories

Developmental Theories

Humanist Theories

Personality Theories

Social Psychology Theories

Learning Theories

Behavioral psychology, also known as behaviorism, is a

theory of learning based upon the idea that all

behaviors are acquired through conditioning. Advocated by famous

psychologists such as John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner,

behavioral theories dominated psychology

during the early half of the twentieth century. Today, behavioral techniques are

still widely used in therapeutic settings to help clients learn new skills and

behaviors.

•What is

Behaviorism?

•Classical

Conditioning

•What is

Behaviorism?

•Classical

Conditioning

•What is

Behaviorism?

•Classical

Conditioning

Developmental Theories

Humanist Theories

Personality Theories

Social Psychology Theories

Learning Theories

Cognitive theories of psychology are

focused on internal states,

such as motivation,

problem solving, decision-making,

thinking, and attention.

Behavioral Theories

•What is Cognitive Psychology?•Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development

Cognitive psychology is the branch of psychology that studies mental processes including how people think, perceive, remember and learn. As part of the larger field of cognitive science, this branch of psychology is related to other disciplines including neuroscience, philosophy and linguistics.The core focus of cognitive psychology is on how people acquire, process and store information. There are numerous practical applications for cognitive research, such as improving memory, increasing decision-making accuracy and structuring educational curricula to enhance learning.

Jean Piaget's BackgroundJean Piaget was born in Switzerland in 1896. After receiving his doctoral degree at age 22, Piaget formally began a career that would have a profound impact on both psychology and education. After working with Alfred Binet, Piaget developed an interest in the intellectual development of children. Based upon his observations, he concluded that children were not less intelligent than adults, they simply think differently. Albert Einstein called Piaget's discovery "so simple only a genius could have thought of it."Piaget's stage theory describes the cognitive development of children. Cognitive development involves changes in cognitive process and abilities. In Piaget's view, early cognitive development involves processes based upon actions and later progresses into changes in mental operations.

Cognitive TheoriesCognitive Theories

Humanist Theories

Personality Theories

Social Psychology Theories

Learning Theories

Theories of development provide a framework for thinking about human growth,

development, and learning. If you have ever wondered about

what motivates human thought and behavior, understanding these theories can provide

useful insight into individuals and society.

Behavioral Theories

•Freud's Theory of Psychosexual Development•Erikson's Theory of Psychosocial Development•Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development•Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development

What is Psychosexual Development?According to Sigmund Freud, personality is mostly established by the age of five. Early experiences play a large role in personality development and continue to influence behavior later in life.Freud's theory of psychosexual development is one of the best known, but also one of the most controversial. Freud believed that personality develops through a series of childhood stages during which the pleasure-seeking energies of the id become focused on certain erogenous areas. This psychosexual energy, or libido, was described as the driving force behind behavior.If these psychosexual stages are completed successfully, the result is a healthy personality. If certain issues are not resolved at the appropriate stage, fixation can occur. A fixation is a persistent focus on an earlier psychosexual stage. Until this conflict is resolved, the individual will remain "stuck" in this stage. For example, a person who is fixated at the oral stage may be over-dependent on others and may seek oral stimulation through smoking, drinking, or eating.

What is Psychosocial Development?Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development is one of the best-known theories of personality in psychology. Much like Sigmund Freud, Erikson believed that personality develops in a series of stages. Unlike Freud's theory of psychosexual stages, Erikson's theory describes the impact of social experience across the whole lifespan.One of the main elements of Erikson's psychosocial stage theory is the development of ego identity.1 Ego identity is the conscious sense of self that we develop through social interaction. According to Erikson, our ego identity is constantly changing due to new experiences and information we acquire in our daily interactions with others. In addition to ego identity, Erikson also believed that a sense of competence motivates behaviors and actions. Each stage in Erikson's theory is concerned with becoming competent in an area of life. If the stage is handled well, the person will feel a sense of mastery, which is sometimes referred to as ego strength or ego quality.2 If the stage is managed poorly, the person will emerge with a sense of inadequacy.In each stage, Erikson believed people experience aconflict that serves as a turning point in development. In Erikson's view, these conflicts are centered on either developing a psychological quality or failing to develop that quality. During these times, the potential for personal growth is high, but so is the potential for failure.

Jean Piaget's BackgroundJean Piaget was born in Switzerland in 1896. After receiving his doctoral degree at age 22, Piaget formally began a career that would have a profound impact on both psychology and education. After working with Alfred Binet, Piaget developed an interest in the intellectual development of children. Based upon his observations, he concluded that children were not less intelligent than adults, they simply think differently. Albert Einstein called Piaget's discovery "so simple only a genius could have thought of it."Piaget's stage theory describes the cognitive development of children. Cognitive development involves changes in cognitive process and abilities. In Piaget's view, early cognitive development involves processes based upon actions and later progresses into changes in mental operations.

Moral development is a major topic of interest in both psychology and education. One of the best known theories was developed by psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg who modified and expanded upon Jean Piaget's work to form a theory that explained the development of moral reasoning.Piaget described a two-stage process of moral development, while Kohlberg's theory of moral development outlined six stages within three different levels. Kohlberg extended Piaget's theory, proposing that moral development is a continual process that occurs throughout the lifespan."The Heinz Dilemma"Kohlberg based his theory upon research and interviews with groups of young children. A series of moral dilemmas were presented to these participants and they were also interviewed to determine the reasoning behind their judgments of each scenario.The following is one example of the dilemmas Kohlberg presented"

Cognitive TheoriesCognitive Theories

Developmental Theories

Developmental Theories

Personality Theories

Social Psychology Theories

Learning Theories

Humanistic psychology theories began to grow in popularity during the

1950s. While earlier theories often focused on abnormal behavior

and psychological problems, humanist

theories instead emphasized the basic goodness of human beings. Some of the

major humanist theorists include Carl Rogers and Abraham

Maslow.

Behavioral Theories

During the 1950s, humanistic psychology began as a reaction to psychoanalysis andbehaviorism, which dominated psychology at the time. Psychoanalysis was focused on understanding the unconscious motivations that drive behavior while behaviorism studied the conditioning processes that produce behavior. Humanist thinkers felt that both psychoanalysis and behaviorism were too pessimistic, either focusing on the most tragic of emotions or failing to take into account the role of personal choice.Humanistic psychology was instead focused on each individual's potential and stressed the importance of growth and self-actualization. The fundamental belief of humanistic psychology is that people are innately good and that mental and social problems result from deviations from this natural tendency.During the late 1950s, Abraham Maslow and other psychologists held meetings to discuss the development of a professional organization devoted to a more humanist approach to psychology. They agreed that topics such as self-actualization, creativity and individuality and related topics were the central theme of this new approach. In 1961, they officially established the American Association for Humanistic Psychology.In 1962, Abraham Maslow published Toward a Psychology of Being, in which he described humanistic psychology as the "third force" in psychology. The first and second forces were behaviorism and psychoanalysis respectively.However, it is not necessary to think of these three schools of thought as competing elements. Each branch of psychology has contributed to our understanding of the human mind and behavior. Humanistic psychology added yet another dimension that takes a more holistic view of the individual.

•What is Humanistic Psychology?•Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Psychologist Abraham Maslow first introduced his concept of a hierarchy of needs in his 1943 paper "A Theory of Human Motivation" and his subsequent book Motivation and Personality. This hierarchy suggests that people are motivated to fulfill basic needs before moving on to other, more advanced needs.This hierarcy is most often displayed as a pyramid. The lowest levels of the pyramid are made up of the most basic needs, while the more complex needs are located at the top of the pyramid. Needs at the bottom of the pyramid are basic physical requirements including the need for food, water, sleep, and warmth. Once these lower-level needs have been met, people can move on to the next level of needs, which are for safety and security.As people progress up the pyramid, needs become increasingly psychological and social. Soon, the need for love, friendship, and intimacy become important. Further up the pyramid, the need for personal esteem and feelings of accomplishment take priority. Like Carl Rogers, Maslow emphasized the importance of self-actualization, which is a process of growing and developing as a person in order to achieve individual potential.Types of NeedsMaslow believed that these needs are similar to instincts and play a major role in motivating behavior. Physiological, security, social, and esteem needs are deficiency needs (also known as D-needs), meaning that these needs arise due to deprivation. Satisfying these lower-level needs is important in order to avoid unpleasant feelings or consequences.Maslow termed the highest-level of the pyramid as growth needs (also known as being needsor B-needs). Growth needs do not stem from a lack of something, but rather from a desire to grow as a person.

Behavioral Theories

Cognitive Theories

Developmental Theories

Humanist Theories

Personality Theories

Social Psychology Theories

Learning Theories