An Analysis of Psychological Perspectives on Human Behavior

This essay delves into the realm of psychological perspectives, examining three primary approaches: behaviorism, psychodynamic, and humanistic perspectives. The essay begins by defining psychology and its perspectives, highlighting how these frameworks are used to study and interpret human behavior. It explores the characteristics of each perspective, such as behaviorism's focus on environmental influences and conditioning, psychodynamic's emphasis on the unconscious mind and childhood experiences, and humanistic psychology's focus on free will and self-actualization. The essay then evaluates each perspective, discussing their strengths, weaknesses, and practical applications. It also includes a discussion of relevant research findings associated with each perspective, illustrating how these frameworks have been applied to understand and explain various aspects of human behavior. Ultimately, the essay aims to provide a comprehensive overview of psychological perspectives, showcasing their significance in understanding human behavior and mental processes.

PSYCHOLOGICAL
PERSPECTIVES AND
BEHAVIOUR

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Characteristics of perspective of psychology..............................................................................3
Evaluation of perspectives...........................................................................................................5
Relevant research of psychological perspectives.........................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
Psychological perspective refers to a scientific study that is being used to study the
behaviour of some individual and making interpretation of their behaviour. Psychological
perspective plays an important role in determining the behaviour of an individual along with
studying the impact of its emotions over its behaviour. It also helps the psychologist to explain
and predict the behaviour of human being. This perspective also helps to have an exploration of
knowledge and deeper understanding of an individual so that it can be used to develop better
approaches of treatment. This report will study about the various perspectives of psychology
along with its characteristics, evaluation and impacts over human behaviour. In addition, of this,
the present report will also discuss the various research over this perspective.
MAIN BODY
Characteristics of perspective of psychology
Psychology:
It refers to the study of mind and behaviour of an individual. It includes the study
regarding how people will feel, behave, act, think and other emotions. Under the study of
psychology psychologist study each and every aspect of human behaviour that how an individual
will react or what will be the reaction of an individual towards a stimuli.
Perspective of psychology:
Behaviorist perspective:
As per this perspective the behaviour of a person and animal is dependent upon the
surrounded environment. This means that the environment will reflect and control the behaviour
of an individual. This means the environment is known as stimuli which will determine the
response. This perspective is again comprised of two main process including classical
conditioning (CC) and operant conditioning (OC). However, CC is concerned with the learning
from association while OC is connected with learning from outcomes of behaviour (Gaines Jr,
2019). Behaviourism perspective is working on the basis of observance of behaviour and it will
be fully dependent upon stimuli. This means as per stimuli the response will vary.
Characteristics:

There are many characteristics associated with Behaviorist perspective. Since this perspective is
having an association with environment so its characteristics also depends upon the fact and
fluctuation that happened in environment. Out of its characteristics some important are:
Dependency upon environment:
This means that the response of the behaviourist is depends upon the fluctuation in
environment. Since environment is stimuli so any changes in this factor will also impact
response of behaviourist. This means that under this approach there is more role of environment
and the individual will learn from this factor only.
Scientific approach:
This perspective is based on scientific approach. This means that if an event will occur at
regular instances then the response towards the stimuli is also become similar that depecits
regularity. Likewise, the behaviourist will not accept anything as it will be presented. Instead of
this, behaviourist wants an appropriate verification of the facts for believing it. In addition, of
this the behaviourist will apply a set of techniques for believing a fact (McLeod, 2020). This
means for believing something behaviourist need implementation of adequate technique that may
includes, sample, survey, mathematical methods and various others.
Observable approach:
This means that this perspective is far away from inner feeling and emotions. This means
that whatever is being seen and observed the response will come in the same way. Thus, there is
no role of emotions, instead of that it is more dependent on external environment.
Psychodynamic perspective:
As per this perspective in addition of our active mind and observable behaviour there is a
major contribution of unconscious mind. This part of the mind contain many more things that
depict the behaviour of an individual. This can be understood as an impact that can be seen in the
adult age of the event that was occurred in the childhood (May, 2017). This means, that event
will be kept and stored in sub-conscious mind of a human being which will be reflected in the
behaviour of an adult.
Characteristic:
High role of unconscious and sub-conscious mind:

This is the main characteristic of this perspective. This means that the behaviour or
response of an individual towards any stimuli is related and concerned with its childhood
experience. That experience will become stimuli and control the response of an individual.
High role of relationship:
This is also an important characteristic of this perspective. This means that the response
and behaviour is closely related with the relation and relationship of an individual with some
event and or any fact (Wall, 2018). This means that if an individual has experienced something
then this will depict its behaviour in the long run.
Dependence of personality:
As per this perspective the personality of an individual is categorize as id, ego and super
ego.
Humanistic perspective:
As per this perspective the study of a whole individual is required in order to depict the
behaviour of that individual. Under this perspective the human behaviour is not only being
observed by the observant but the responder will also play an important role in analysing the
behaviour (DeRobertis, and Bland, 2020). This perspective says that each individual is unique
and has free will that it can change its behaviour.
Characteristics:
Free will:
This means that this perspective focus on free will of an individual. As an individual has
full right to change at any time of its life.
Self image:
This is also a unique characteristic of this perspective. This perspective says that every
individual has self-image and self realization. This means that every individual aims something
in its life and depict its behaviour that lead to achievement of the dream (Rich, 2018).
Evaluation of perspectives
Behaviorist perspective:
As this is one of the important perspective of psychology that helps in identification of
behaviour on the basis of changes in the environment. This is because as this perspective shows
the relationship between the environment and the behaviour of an individual.

There are various positive aspects regarding this perspective that justifies the importance
of this perspective in comparison of others. Since, it is concerned with environment so its shows
the strong side of it. This means that the environment has capability to influence and affect the
behaviour of an individual. This perspective has a strong practical application. This can be
understood as an environment that is being created with reward that can be presented in the
sector of education. As this reward environment will help an individual to determine its
behaviour in the form of showing interest towards the stimuli.
However, apart from these positive aspects it has certain adverse and negative aspects in
the form of non consideration of human biological behaviour. This means that the behaviour of
an individual is not solely dependent upon the environment. Instead of this an individual's
aspects and perspective also plays an important role (Walters, 2020). Also the principles of OC
and CC is also not related and helpful in determination of the spontaneous behaviour of an
individual. One more loophole regarding this approach is the assumption that human and animals
are same. But the fact is the nature of human is more complex in comparison of animal.
Thus, it can be evaluated that although this approach is best suited but it has certain
adverse impact and loopholes.
Psychodynamic perspective:
As this perspective is concerned with the childhood experience and contrary their impact
over the behaviour of an adult person. Also this perspective lies more focus towards the role of
unconscious mind which has power to store many old memories and events of the life of an
individual.
This aspect also has certain positive and negative points. The most important feature that
make this perspective better in comparison of other is the view that it combine both nature and
nurture together. This means that this perspective is a combination of nature including id, ego
and super ego along with nurture that includes childhood experience and memories (Bornstein,
Maracic and Natoli, 2018). Also as it is a fact that an individual is just like a depiction of its
childhood so this perspective justifies this statement and fact by showing and identifying the
relationship between the childhood and adultness.
Apart from this positive aspects this approach also contain some adverse loopholes that
contain the fact that an individual's behaviour is predetermined that an individual will behave in
predetermined manner but this is not true because every person has free will which can change

its behaviour and aspect. Thus, this would not be right to said that an individual behaviour is
predetermined. Likewise, as this perspective said that the childhood memories will depict the
future behaviour but again if an individual will try then it can overcome that deception. So there
is no scientific proof that this will implemented in every situation.
Thus, it can be evaluated that this perspective works in almost al the situation but not in
every situation because of the existence of free will of an individual.
Humanistic perspective:
As this perspective is based on the fact that an overall observation is required to
determine the behaviour of an individual along with the existing of fact that an individual has
free will. According to that will an individual can make and change the future aspects. Thus, it
would not be wrong to evaluate that this is one of the best perspective of psychology. This is
because it is the only perspective of psychology which gives importance to individual's personal
experience. Likewise, this perspective is said to be wholistic which gives focus over the entire
behaviour of an individual. This perspective is far better than other because it assumes that a
person has own will and desire along with its personal experiences that will be a determinant of
its behaviour (Ferry-Danini, 2018). In addition, of that this perspective also said that an
individual is non reductionist which mean that it is not a dependent of stimuli and neurons that
whatever they will message an individual will behave the same.
However on the other hand this perspective is too much subjective which means that it is
hard to study and there is no fact that can falsify its facts. But on an overall study it can be
evaluated that it is one of the best perspective of psychology.
Relevant research of psychological perspectives
The research regarding Behaviourist perspective concerned with behaviour of an
individual that many vary and depends upon certain stimuli. These researches evaluate that the
behaviourism has extended along with time (Araiba, 2019). This means that the behaviour of an
individual is modifies with passage of time.
In the same way the research associated with psychodynamic perspectives denotes that
the illness of an individual is not only related with the childhood. This means that there are
certain stimuli apart from childhood experience that may impact and affect the health of an
individual (Caputo, 2019).

On the other hand the research that are associate with humanistic perspective states that
the growth of a personality is a continuous process and it is an accumulation of different aspects
of an individual (Bland, and DeRobertis, 2020).

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Araiba, S., 2019. Current diversification of behaviorism. Perspectives on Behavior Science, pp.1-
19.
Bland, A.M. and DeRobertis, E.M., 2020. Humanistic perspective. Encyclopedia of personality
and individual differences, pp.2061-2079.
Bornstein, R.F., Maracic, C.E. and Natoli, A.P., 2018. The psychodynamic perspective.
Caputo, A., 2019. Psychodynamic insights from narratives of people with amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis: A qualitative phenomenological study. Mediterranean Journal of Clinical
Psychology. 7(2).
DeRobertis, E.M. and Bland, A.M., 2020. Lifespan human development and “the humanistic
perspective”: A contribution toward inclusion. The Humanistic Psychologist. 48(1). p.3.
Ferry-Danini, J., 2018. A new path for humanistic medicine. Theoretical medicine and
bioethics. 39(1). pp.57-77.
Gaines Jr, S., 2019. Personality psychology: the basics. Routledge.
May, M., 2017. Shame! A system psychodynamic perspective. In The Value of Shame (pp. 43-
59). Springer, Cham.
Rich, G.J., 2018. Positive psychology and humanistic psychology: Evil twins, sibling rivals,
distant cousins, or something else?. Journal of Humanistic Psychology. 58(3). pp.262-
283.
Wall, T.W., 2018. Hypnosis: A psychodynamic perspective. American Journal of Clinical
Hypnosis. 60(3). pp.218-238.
Walters, S., 2020. 14.4 Behaviourist and Social-Cognitive Perspectives on
Personality. Psychology-1st Canadian Edition.
Online references
McLeod, S., 2020. Behaviorist Approach. [Online]. Available through
<https://www.simplypsychology.org/behaviorism.html>
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