Lesson 1 - Review and Defining Abnormal Behaviour

Introduction

Review of Psychology?

You may recall from previous psychology courses that the field of psychology is not easily defined. The branches within psychology are very diverse and encompass many topics. The main factor that characterizes all branches of psychology, however, is that of behaviour. No matter what the focus of a branch is, psychologists study behaviour.

Not all psychologists have the same perspective on behaviour. The perspective a psychologist has influences the questions he or she asks and the information and data he or she considers important. Some of the main perspectives psychologists have regarding behaviour are given below.

The behavioural perspective studies observable responses of individuals in differing environments. Biology, emotion, desire, and drive are not considered important. A dog that has been observed wagging its tail is not seen as happy or sad or afraid. Emotion is neither assumed nor considered - only the behaviour.

The biological perspective focuses on how the body and brain work together. Psychologists want to know how hormones, chemicals, and genes interact. They wonder how the body and brain co-ordinate and form memories, emotions, and sensory experiences.

The cognitive perspective reflects upon how the mind processes, stores, and retrieves information. This perspectives deals with thinking and knowing as they relate to experience and action.

The psychoanalytic perspective believes that behaviour comes from our unconscious desires. Freud was instrumental in the development of this perspective, and his theory of the id, ego, and superego (combined with sexual and aggressive drives) link unhappiness and maladaptive behaviour to the effects of unfulfilled wishes and childhood traumas.

The humanistic perspective assumes people have power to choose their life patterns and can grow and make their own meaning of life. This perspective rejects both the Freudian view that people are driven by unconscious forces and the behavioural view that humans are merely a collection of responses to environmental stimuli.

Please watch the short video below that summarizes the seven perspectives.

Many psychologists blend the best parts of several perspectives and theories to form what they consider to be a complete picture of behaviour. When individuals take the best ideas, concepts, and treatments regarding behaviour, they are said to have an eclectic view; they use eclectic-based treatment. When diagnosing and treating abnormal behaviour, an eclectic view is often most desirable.

As with any science, psychologists use the scientific method to study the behaviour of people (and other animals). The scientific method requires the researcher to have a hypothesis. A hypothesis clearly states what the researcher believes will be the outcome of an experiment; the scientist's beliefs are related to his or her perspective. Once again, what psychologists believe to be important is related to their outlooks and world-views.