Six Contemporary Perspectives in Psychology

Pages 23-28 in textbook (Discovering Psychology: The Science of Mind)

Today, in contemporary psychology, many of the theories from 125 years ago are
considered outdated. With the advancement in technology and brain imagery,
knowledge about genetics and inherited diseases, and the ability to collect and quantify
data, Psychology is an abundant part of our daily lives.

It is important to be aware of the contemporary perspectives in psychology. Many

perspectives overlap, yet each perspective has its own unique components.

DIRECTIONS: Please answer the following questions and/or fill in the appropriate
information.

1. What is a Psychological Perspective? Psychological perspectives are aspects of

psychology broken down into smaller categories in order to understand the
concept better and more in-depth.

Contemporary Perspective: Focus of Perspective:

Biological Psychology Focuses on the relationships between

mind and behavior and their underlying
biological processes, including genetics,
biochemistry, anatomy, and physiology

Evolutionary Psychology Looks at how physical structure and

behavior have been shaped by their
contributions to survival and reproduction

Cognitive Psychology Investigates information processing,

thinking, reasoning, and problem solving

Social Psychology Examines the effects of the social

 environment on the behavior of individuals

CULTURE: the practices, values, and

goals shared by groups of people

Developmental Psychology Examines the normal changes in behavior

that occur across a lifespan

Clinical Psychology Seeks to explain, define, and treat

abnormal behaviors

INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES: an approach

to psychology that investigates variations
in behavior from one person to the next

PERSONALITY: an individual's
characteristic way of thinking, feeling, and
behaving

3. Integrating Psychology’s perspectives in a 21st Century world. Explain how the

contemporary perspectives of psychology are often integrated. The contemporary
perspectives of psychology are integrated into the 21st century world by continuing to
apply them in order to understand the human mind and behavior.