Question

What are the major approaches in contemporary psychology?

Answer 1

Most important approaches in contemporary psychology are given below:

1. The Behavioral approaches:

Behaviourism is defined as an objective and scientific methods based psychological method or approach.

It only related to observable behaviour based on stimulus-response.

It states that all learning of all behaviours occurs due to environmental experiences.

In 1913, John Watson state that learning of all behaviours is due to environmental interaction.

New experiences are learned through classical conditioning. Because infants are born with the ‘tabula rasa’ mental state.

2. Two factor aproach: The two-factor theory of emotion is described that emotions are mainly based on 2 factors:

1.physiological factor

2. cognitive factor.

This theory was developed by researchers Jerome E. Singer & Stanley Schachter.

Entirely different reactions to same external events may happen due to different cognitive level, past experiences and psychological perception.

It may also cause due to fight or flight hormone is also known as adrenaline. It may cause different actions like fear or joy and excitement. The Psychodynamic approaches

3. The Evolutionary approaches: According to this theory development of state occur over a time period and step by step. It started with primitive form when a single family created then it develops as a clan and tribe.  

4. Cognitive approaches

5. The Biological approaches

6. The Humanistic approaches

7. The Cross-Cultural approaches