1.1.

8 Prac)ce: Iden&fying Perspec&ves in Psychology

Name: Clara Bui. Date: Dec 20th, 2023

Part 1 (20 points)

In this course, you have learned about different perspec@ves in psychology and
how perspec@ves might vary for psychologists from different disciplines. For
example, if you are examining why someone forgot his mother's name, someone
from the psychoanaly@c perspec@ve might say it was because he had unresolved
anger toward his mother. Someone from the behavioral perspec@ve might say it
was because he never received posi@ve reinforcement for saying her name, but
instead was punished if he said it.

For each case study below, provide an explana@on from the viewpoint of the
following five perspec@ves to explain or describe the behaviors:
• Neurobiological
• Humanis@c
• Psychodynamic
• Behavioral
• Cognitve

Devote a paragraph to each perspec@ve.

Part 1 is worth a total of 20 points: 10 points for each case study (2 points possible
for each perspec@ve).

Case Study #1: Mrs. B has been teaching English for the past 12 years. Un@l this
year, she always planned interes@ng and crea@ve lessons for students with a
variety of different ac@vi@es. This year, the quality of her lessons gradually
deteriorated. She began to doubt her ability to mo@vate students, believing her
students found her "boring." In an evalua@on, the school principal men@oned that
her classes appeared "poorly organized." During the past year she has undergone
a variety of life changes, including the death of her 82-year-old father and the
departure of her only child for college out of state. She confided in a close friend
that she has been feeling overwhelmed and lonely.
Case Study #2: Barry is a 45-year-old computer programmer who has never been
married and lives with his mother. He spends his evenings and weekends either
playing Scrabble with his mother, surfing the Internet or par@cipa@ng in chat
rooms. His friend Eddie set him up on a blind date with a woman from his work.
Yet Barry forgot the @me and showed up so late that his date had already le\,
thinking she’d been stood up. Barry would like to date her, but is too ashamed to
call and apologize for not keeping their date. Un@l recently, his work had been
going really well, but a\er he missed an important project date, the client
withdrew the contract offer.

Case Study #1:

Neurobiological Perspec=ve:
From a neurobiological perspec@ve, Mrs. B's change in behavior and mo@va@on
could be a`ributed to altera@ons in brain func@on due to the stress and
emo@onal upheaval she experienced over the past year. The death of her father
and the departure of her child might have triggered changes in neurotransmi`er
levels, affec@ng her mood, mo@va@on, and cogni@ve processes.

Humanis=c Perspec=ve:
The humanis@c perspec@ve suggests that Mrs. B's decreased mo@va@on and self-
doubt stem from a lack of fulfillment in her personal and professional life. Her
feelings of overwhelm and loneliness might indicate a failure to meet her own
needs for personal growth and meaningful connec@ons, leading to a decline in her
overall well-being.

Psychodynamic Perspec=ve:
From a psychodynamic standpoint, Mrs. B's unconscious conflicts and unresolved
emo@ons related to the death of her father and her child leaving for college may
be manifes@ng in her diminished teaching quality. The emo@onal distress might be
influencing her self-esteem and ability to organize her thoughts and lessons
effec@vely.

Behavioral Perspec=ve:
The behavioral perspec@ve might a`ribute Mrs. B's decline in teaching quality to
the lack of posi@ve reinforcement or feedback for her efforts. If her students are
not responding posi@vely to her lessons, she may feel less mo@vated to invest in
crea@ve planning. The school principal's men@on of poor organiza@on could be
seen as a behavioral consequence of this lack of posi@ve reinforcement.

Cogni=ve Perspec=ve:
From a cogni@ve perspec@ve, Mrs. B's nega@ve thoughts about her teaching
ability and her classes being "boring" could be a result of distorted thought
pa`erns and cogni@ve biases. Her recent life changes might have influenced her
cogni@ve processes, leading to a more nega@ve percep@on of herself and her
teaching abili@es.

Case Study #2:

Neurobiological Perspec=ve:
Barry's forgebulness and decline in work performance might be explained by
neurobiological factors such as changes in brain func@on or neurotransmi`er
imbalances. Stress and anxiety, possibly triggered by his late project and the failed
date, could be affec@ng his cogni@ve func@oning.

Humanis=c Perspec=ve:
From a humanis@c viewpoint, Barry's avoidance of social situa@ons and shame in
apologizing may indicate a lack of self-actualiza@on or personal growth. His
reluctance to confront his mistakes and pursue meaningful rela@onships could be
a manifesta@on of unmet psychological needs.

Psychodynamic Perspec=ve:
Psychodynamically, Barry's difficul@es in social interac@ons and work may be
linked to unresolved unconscious conflicts, possibly rooted in his rela@onship with
his mother. His dependence on her and avoidance of roman@c rela@onships might
be influenced by deep-seated emo@onal issues.

Behavioral Perspec=ve:
The behavioral perspec@ve might a`ribute Barry's social difficul@es to a lack of
reinforcement for social behavior. If his interac@ons with his mother provide
sufficient social sa@sfac@on, he may be less mo@vated to engage in rela@onships
outside of this familiar context.

Cogni=ve Perspec=ve:
Cogni@vely, Barry's forgebulness and shame could be analyzed in terms of
cogni@ve processes such as memory, a`en@on, and percep@on. Distorted thought
pa`erns or cogni@ve biases might be influencing his percep@on of social situa@ons
and interac@ons, leading to avoidance behaviors.

Part 2 (10 points)

In this part of the assignment, explain how both the evolu@onary and social-
cultural perspec@ves might explain the use of corporal punishment on children.
Your answer should clearly define what each perspec@ve is and how it applies to
corporal punishment.

Part 2 is worth a total of 10 points, 5 points for each clear explana@on of the
perspec@ves and how each applies to corporal punishment

Consider the distant past when our ancestors lived in small communi@es
facing numerous survival challenges. Quick learning was essen@al for the group's
well-being. From an evolu@onary standpoint, the use of corporal punishment on
children may have emerged as a tool to rapidly convey the poten@al dangers of
certain behaviors. For example, a child who receives physical discipline for
reaching into the fire learns quickly to avoid such ac@ons, contribu@ng to the
safety and cohesion of the group. In this way, the evolu@onary perspec@ve
suggests that the prac@ce might have been shaped by its adap@ve value in
promo@ng swi\ learning and survival in ancestral environments.
Imagine how different socie@es have their unique ways of approaching
child-rearing. The social-cultural perspec@ve on corporal punishment emphasizes
the influence of cultural norms and values on disciplinary prac@ces. In some
cultures, using physical punishment is deeply ingrained and widely accepted as an
effec@ve means of teaching children appropriate behavior. It aligns with cultural
beliefs about authority, respect, and obedience. On the flip side, in other cultures,
corporal punishment might be frowned upon or even considered harmful.