Schools of Psychology

 SOCIOCULTURAL APPROACH
 An emerging theory in psychology that looks at the important contributions
that society makes to individual development. This theory stresses the
interaction between developing people and the culture in which they live.
 Sociocultural theory grew from the work of psychologist Lev Vygotsky, who
believed that parents, caregivers, peers and the culture at large 
responsible for the development of higher order functions.
 According to Vygotsky, "Every function in the child's cultural development
appears twice: first, on the social level, and later, on the individual level; first,
between people (interpsychological) and then inside the child
(intrapsychological). This applies equally to voluntary attention, to logical
memory, and to the formation of concepts. All the higher functions originate
as actual relationships between individuals."
 Sociocultural theory focuses not only how adults and peers influence
individual learning, but also on how cultural beliefs and attitudes impact how
instruction and learning take place.
BEHAVIOURAL APPROACH
 behaviour can be studied in a systematic and observable manner
withOUT considerING of internal mental states  ONLY observable
behaviours should be studied, since internal states such as
cognitions, emotions, and moods are too subjective.
 According to Watson's strict behaviourists should believe  any
person could potentially be trained to perform any task, regardless
of other things like genetic background, personality traits, and
internal thoughts (within the limits of their physical capabilities); all
it takes is the right conditioning.
 Behaviourism is based upon observable behaviours, so it is easier to
quantify and collect data and information when conducting
research.
 Remains as an influential force in psychology. Outside of
psychology, animal trainers, parents, teachers and many others
make use of basic behavioural principles to help teach new
behaviours and discourage unwanted ones.
 Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis and the psychodynamic
approach to psychology. This school emphasized the influence of
the unconscious mind on behaviour. To Freud, the human mind was composed
of three elements: the id, the ego and the superego.
 Freud's theories of psychosexual stages, the unconscious, and dream symbolism
remain a popular topic among both psychologists and laypersons, despite the
fact that his work is viewed with skepticism by many today
 Many of Freud's observations and theories were based on clinical cases and
case studies, making his findings difficult to generalize to a larger population.
Regardless, Freud's theories changed how we think about the human mind and
behaviour and left a lasting mark on psychology and culture.
 Another theorist associated with psychoanalysis is Erik Erikson. Erikson expanded upon
Freud's theories and stressed the importance of growth throughout the lifespan.
Erikson's psychosocial stage theory of personality remains influential today in our
understanding of human development
COGNITIVE APPROACH

 Cognition  mental activity including thinking, remembering,

learning and using language. When applying cognitive approach
to learning and teaching, it’ll focus on the understanding of
information and concepts. If we are able to understand the
connections between concepts, break down information and
rebuild with logical connections, then our retention of material and
understanding will increase.
 When we are aware of these mental actions, monitor them and
control our learning processes it is called metacognition.
 Cognitive theory  how one thinks largely determines how one feels
and behaves. This relates to and incorporates to all forms of
knowing, including memory, psycholinguistics, thinking,
comprehension, motivation, and perception.
 Behavioural neuroscience study the biological reasons for human behaviour. It is a combination
of psychology and biology. A behavioural neuroscientist needs to know a lot about not only
science and medicine, but also psychology. Behavioural neuroscientists must also have a strong
background in mathematics and chemistry.
 Scientists who study behavioural neuroscience use highly technical equipment to study the brain.
These equipments may include functional magnetic resonance images (fMRIs) or special
microelectrodes that monitor brain activity. These electrodes are fastened to the head, and
sense brain activity in different areas of the brain, giving researchers an accurate picture of brain
activity. These electrodes can be used during fMRI scans, to provide the most accurate
representation of activity available.
 Behavioural neuroscience study the biological reasons for human behaviour. It is a combination
of psychology and biology. A behavioural neuroscientist needs to know a lot about not only
science and medicine, but also psychology. Behavioural neuroscientists must also have a strong
background in mathematics and chemistry.
 Scientists who study behavioural neuroscience use highly technical equipment to study the brain.
These equipments may include functional magnetic resonance images (fMRIs) or special
microelectrodes that monitor brain activity. These electrodes are fastened to the head, and
sense brain activity in different areas of the brain, giving researchers an accurate picture of brain
activity. These electrodes can be used during fMRI scans, to provide the most accurate
representation of activity available.
There are many areas of study in
behavioural neuroscience. The main focus is on the
parts of the brain THAT allow people to perform
certain behaviours. The brain is very specialized,
each area performing its own unique task.
Behavioural neuroscientists try to map these regions
out by studying what areas of the brain light up
when a person is hooked up to the electrodes or
being monitored through an Fmri/similar app.. The
participants  given a series of tasks to perform,
asked to think about certain topics, or shown a
variety of pictures. Researchers can monitor the
participants’ brain activity to map out brain function
 Evolutionary psychology is a theoretical approach to psychology that
attempts to explain useful mental and psychological traits—such as
memory, perception, or language—as adaptations, i.e., as the
functional products of natural selection.
 The purpose of this approach is to bring the functional way of thinking
about biological mechanisms such as the immune system into the field
of psychology, and to approach psychological mechanisms in a similar
way. In short, evolutionary psychology is focused on how evolution has
shaped the mind and behaviour. Though applicable to any organism
with a nervous system, most research in evolutionary psychology
focuses on humans.
 Evolutionary Psychology proposes that the human brain comprises
many functional mechanisms, called psychological adaptations or
evolved cognitive mechanisms designed by the process of natural
selection.
 Examples include language acquisition modules, incest avoidance
mechanisms, cheater detection mechanisms, intelligence and sex-
specific mating preferences, foraging mechanisms, alliance-tracking
mechanisms, agent detection mechanisms, and so on
 This psychology has roots in cognitive psychology and evolutionary
biology.
 It also draws on behavioural ecology, artificial intelligence, genetics,
ethology, anthropology, archaeology, biology, and zoology.
 mechanisms, especially evolutionary developmental psychologists.
Evolutionary psychology  closely linked to sociobiology, but there are
key differences between them including the emphasis on domain-
specific rather than domain-general mechanisms, the relevance of
measures of current fitness, the importance of mismatch theory, and
psychology rather than behaviour. Many evolutionary psychologists,
however, argue that the mind consists of both domain-specific and
domain-general
 Sociocultural theory is an emerging theory in psychology that looks at
the important contributions that society makes to individual
development. This theory stresses the interaction between developing
people and the culture in which they live.
 Sociocultural theory grew from the work of psychologist Lev Vygotsky,
who believed that parents, caregivers, peers and the culture at large 
responsible for the development of higher order functions.
 According to Vygotsky, "Every function in the child's cultural
development appears twice: first, on the social level, and later, on the
individual level; first, between people (interpsychological) and then
inside the child (intrapsychological). This applies equally to voluntary
attention, to logical memory, and to the formation of concepts. All the
higher functions originate as actual relationships between individuals."
 Sociocultural theory focuses not only how adults and peers influence
individual learning, but also on how cultural beliefs and attitudes impact
how instruction and learning take place.