As the field of psychology has expanded, the number of theories and topics about human behavior that psychologists investigate has grown as well. Modern psychology accepts that there are various methods of approaching the study of human behavior. Instead of focusing on a specific theoretical approach or school of thought as was common in the late 20th century, modern psychology categorizes work in accordance to an area of specialty or perspectives.
The major seven perspectives are distinct categories of approaching the study of behavior and conceptualizing psychological phenomena, with either being wrong or correct, but simply a unique way to examine a psychological topic. This paper will investigate the behavioral, cognitive, and humanistic perspectives.
Behavioral
The behavioral perspective focuses on studying human behavior as a response to an external observable stimulus. The approach emphasizes that all behaviors are learned via the stimuli interaction with the environment. Environmental factors influence behaviors to the point where innate or genetic factors are virtually insignificant. Therefore, all behavior is learned through what is known as classical or operant conditioning.
The perspective is largely based on John Watson’s and Pavlov’s behaviorist approaches of the early 20th century. This perspective greatly values objective methods of investigation and the scientific method in the psychological study (Staddon, 2017). In application, this perspective is commonly used in education and parenting where children are taught appropriate behaviors. Therefore, when simplified, the process of rewarding children for completed chores is an example of reinforcement, an essential element of operant conditioning that produces a desirable behavior over time.
Cognitive
The cognitive perspective sees the human mind as an information processing unit, creating cognitive models on how information is processed and thus influences behavior. This may include aspects such as perception, memory, language, and consciousness, among others. The cognitive model emphasizes that a mediational process occurs between an external stimulus and its output behavior. Cognitive psychology believes that to understand behavior, it is necessary to study the meditative processes.
In this perspective, human behavior is explained as a set of scientific processes, which can be explained through thought processes as a result of external stimuli (“Psychological perspectives,” n.d.). A common application of this perspective is during cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). It takes a practical approach to problem-solving by altering patterns of thinking and mental processes in response to stimuli. As a result, individuals change the way they feel about certain triggers, and behavioral changes occur, with the underlying solution being cognitive processes modification.
Humanistic
The humanistic perspective emphasizes examining an individual as a whole (holism) with the significance of concepts such as free will, self-actualization, and self-efficacy. Based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the humanistic perspective is considered more ‘positive’ as it examines personal motivations and an individual’s potential for growth and self-actualization. Human behavior is examined not only from an observer’s perspective but the acting individual as well. This perspective suggests that human behavior is innately connected to inner emotions and self-perception, which are subjective.
Therefore, each human has the agency of free will to make changes at any time in their lives, thus changing behavior and inner self-perception. Humanism also believes that all humans have an innate capacity for self-actualization and strive for achieving the highest potential to attain happiness (Acevedo, 2015). In practice, the humanistic perspective recommends individuals seek therapy and engage in self-help. Both tools emphasize a focus on personal strengths, re-examining life choices to make improvements, and building on positive aspects and wellness, while commonly avoiding examination of past mistakes or engaging in a deep examination of trauma.
Similarities and Differences
Humanists strongly reject the behavioral approach, which is considered more deterministic, that inherently clashes with free will and thought to be dehumanizing by humanists. Behaviorism and cognitivism emphasize scientific processes on the study of behavior as well as the role of the external environment in shaping it, while humanism rejects scientific methods for the most part and focuses on the innate human drive.
Humanism and the cognitive approach clash as well since cognitive psychology attempts to create generalizations in rules to human behavior while humanists believe in the individuality of each person’s behavior and choices, even if the differences are subtle. Meanwhile, behaviorists commonly reject the cognitive approach since internal mental processes cannot be objectively observed. However, the cognitive perspective goes beyond the simple stimulus-response of the behavioral approach and attempts to consider mediational processes.
These perspectives share some similarities, such as both behavioral and cognitive perspectives share the model of behavior being a response to external stimuli, albeit in different ways. Cognitive and humanistic perspectives share the emphasis on improving behavior and lives through examination of the inner self and mental processes.
Rationale
Human behavior can be best explained by the behaviorist perspective in my opinion. It offers the most logical explanation as to how human actions are done in response to stimuli, and in most cases, behavior is based on learned interactions of the past and evaluations of reward vs. punishment in our lives. Meanwhile, mental processes are well-explained by the cognitive approach as it seeks to understand the information processing tasks of the mind. These mental processes in response to stimuli have a great impact on behavior as well in terms of perceptions and subsequent decision-making.
Conclusion
The modern perspectives are critical as they provide value in examining human behaviors from a variety of methods and theories. This not only contributes to greater research and discussion but can provide a greater variety of therapeutic methods to resolve potential psychological issues or identify their causes in individuals. It is vital to maintain a diverse approach to psychological science to improve the understanding of various psychological, social, and behavioral tendencies in a broader context.
References
Acevedo, A. (2015). A personalistic appraisal of Maslow’s Needs theory of motivation: From “humanistic” psychology to integral humanism. Journal of Business Ethics, 148(4), 741-763. Web.
Psychological perspectives. (n.d.). Web.
Staddon, J. (2017). Theoretical behaviorism. Behavior and Philosophy, 45, 27-44. Web.