Submitted by: Submitted by nuggetn8
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Category: Science and Technology
Date Submitted: 12/04/2011 11:49 PM
While there were a limited number of different schools of thought in the early years of psychology, the number of topics studied by psychologists has grown considerably in the last fifty years. While you may still find some pure behaviorists or psychoanalysts, the majority of psychologists instead categorize their work according to their specialty area and perspective (www.psywww.com, 2011).
Every topic in psychology is unique and can be considered from a variety of perspectives. For example, let’s consider the subject of aggression. Someone who emphasizes a biological perspective would look at the how the brain and nervous system impact aggressive behavior. A professional who stresses a behavioral perspective would look at how environmental variables reinforce aggressive actions. Another psychologist who utilizes a cross-cultural approach might consider how cultural and social influences contribute to aggressive or violent behaviors (Ciccarelli & White, p.14-16). .
Some of the primary perspectives in modern psychology include the biological, behavioral, and cognitive perspectives. The biological perspective emphasizes the study of physiology, and played a major role in the development of psychology as a separate science. Sometimes referred to as physiological psychology, this perspective emphasizes the physical and biological bases of behavior (www.psywww.com, 2011).
This perspective has grown significantly over the last few decades, especially with advances in our ability to explore and understand the human brain and nervous system. Tools such as MRI scans and PET scans allow researchers to look at the brain under a variety of conditions. Scientists can now look at the effects of brain damage, drugs, and disease in ways that were simply not possible in the past (www.psywww.com, 2011).
Behavioral psychology is a perspective that focuses on learned behaviors. Today, the behavioral perspective is still concerned with how behaviors are learned and...