Understanding Human Behavior - Essay Example

? Reflection Paper Reflection Paper In early 18th Century, there were only a few different schools of thoughts that participated in psychological studies, however, the number of psychological topics that are currently studied have significantly grown over the past two decades. Currently, only a few psychologists are evaluating their selves by considering particular school of thought. In the modern world, it is still possible to get pure psychoanalysts or behaviorists, though most psychologists manage their works in accordance to their areas of specialties and perspectives. Every topic in psychology is a subject to scrutiny, since different psychologists perceive these topics differently. This paper describes the various perspectives of modern theories of human behavior in the field of psychology. The six modern theories of human behaviors that are discussed in this article include biological, cognitive, humanistic, psychodynamic, behaviorism and sociocultural theories. As part of this paper, my personal impressions about these theories are also discussed. The Biological Perspective Psychology has been studied as a separate science, facilitated by physiological studies. This study is currently known as biopsychology or biological psychology. This theory emphasizes on the biological and physical bases of behavior (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2009). This theory has significantly grown over the past few decades, and this is due to the abilities of psychologists, and doctors to understand and explore the human nervous system and brain. Instruments such as PET scans and MRI scans enable researchers to observe the brain under different conditions. Researchers can, therefore, determine the effects of drugs, diseases and damages on the brain, which were not possible to understand in the past decades (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2009). According to biological perspective, human beings are controlled by their genes together with peripheral nervous system, central nervous system and endocrine system. Charles Darwin also argued that, human beings and other animals psychologically and physically adapt to their environment. Common emotions such as aggregation can be discussed and explained due to genetics and physiology (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2009). The cognitive Perspective This theory began to gain applications in 1960s. It is currently known as “cognitive revolution”, and it focuses on mental processes such as thinking, memory, decision-making, memory and language (Mandler, 2005). This theory was significantly influenced by psychologists Albert Bandura and Jean Piaget, and it has currently gained an increased use in studying various human behaviors. Piaget is the foremost pioneer of this theory. The Humanistic Perspective Humanistic psychology is a school of thought that emerged in 1950s. It was influenced by prominent humanists like Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers. This theory stresses on the roles of motivation on behavior and thought. Maslow’s concept of self-actualization is a vital part of this theory. Maslow suggests that there are certain needs that every individual must satisfy in a hierarchical fashion, beginning from the lowest to the highest. These include basic needs, safety needs, love and belonging needs, achievement needs, and self-Actualization (Weiten, 2010). Carl Rogers believes everybody operates from a distinct frame of references in terms of building their self concept and self regard. The Psychodynamic Perspective The origin of this perspective is attributed to the earlier work of Sigmund Freud. This theory focuses on the role of the early childhood experiences, interpersonal relationships, and unconscious mind to describe human behavior, and treat patients suffering from mental and psychological problems (Weiten, 2010). Freud feels that the human mind resembles an iceberg. Patients can gain extraordinary memories and consciousness if they are left freely to associate with others. The exposed upper part of the iceberg is like conscious awareness, and the submerged part is the preconscious. The deeply submerged large area is the unconscious part, and it contains feelings, memories and thoughts an individual is unaware of. Psychodynamic perspective is thus used for establishing and resolving problems stored in unconscious (Weiten, 2010). The Behavioral Perspective Behavioral psychology is a theory which emphasizes on learned behaviors. It is a theory that was not common amongst psychologists in the early 1950s, but it currently dominates psychology studies as from the early Twentieth Century. Based on the earlier ideas, this theory still depends on the ways in which behaviors can be reinforced and learned (Hutchison, 2010). The principles of this theory are mostly applied in mental health settings, where counselors and therapists utilize this perspective to treat and explain a variety of illness (Hutchison, 2010). For example, interfering with an organism’s homeostatic state will cause an arousal known as unlearned or primary drive. If this tension is caused by hunger, then it is referred to as hunger drive. This change of state can only be solved by taking food. This means that drive reduction is directly proportional to re-establishment of homeostasis. Drive is thus a psychologically induced response. The Sociocultural Perspective This theory suggests that learning processes and cognitive development processes are simply products of culture and society. Different cultures have their own distinctive systems including values, practices, beliefs, and normative behaviors (Hutchison, 2010). Different cultures around the globe also have different society cultural systems within them. Different cultures teach people different behaviors that may also differ according to the society. People’s socializations within specific cultures and societies, determine their behaviors and teach them the righteous from wicked. This theory suggests that psychological processes that mold self image, identity and reality, are just the products of the society and culture (Hutchison, 2010). Personal Reflection After reading through the various modern theories of human behavior, I realized that each of them had its own principles that supported its validity. Different people can use different theories to aid the understanding of some facts about themselves. Earlier before I understood the applications of these theories, I believed the biological perspective was the only available theory for determining and explaining various human behaviors. I was not aware of humanistic perspective, but after understanding it, I realized that motivation has direct roles on behavior and thought, which is true (Hutchison, 2010). I personally cannot scrutinize the principles of these theories, however, some approved relevant and easier to understand more than the rest. For instance, I believe psychodynamic theory is the best perspective that explains human behavior. This is because it focuses on the role of the early childhood experiences, interpersonal relationships, and the unconscious mind to explain human behavior (Hutchison, 2010). Its applications in the real world phenomena are also evident in the mental health hospitals, where it is applied to treat patients suffering from mental and psychological problems. This theory helps people to identify some facts that are hidden in their unconscious mind. It is, therefore, the best theory that can help people understand themselves better. Conclusion The six modern theories of human behavior described above, facilitate the understanding of their principles and applications. Each theory has its own unique principles that are difficult to scrutinize. This means that different individuals can choose any of the theories to reflect their individuality. The availability of various theories that explain human behavior has made the studying of psychology more compelling than before. Currently, psychologists are not restricted to particular theories, but the theories they use to describe their works depend on their areas of specialties and perspectives. References Hutchison E. D. (2010). Dimensions of Human Behavior: The Changing Life Course. Thousand Oaks: SAGE. Mandler G. (2005). Cognitive Psychology: An Essay in Cognitive Science. London: Routledge. Weiten W. (2010). Psychology: Themes and Variations. Florence: Cengage Learning. Zastrow C, Kirst-Ashman K. K. (2009). Understanding Human Behavior and the Social Environment. 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