AP Psychology Perspectives Framework

General Perspectives

• Psychoanalytic Perspective

  • Focus on unconscious conflicts, basic childhood anxiety, life crises, psycho-social development, and inferiority complexes. Key theorists include Karen Horney, Erik Erikson, and Alfred Adler.

• Cognitive Perspective

  • Emphasizes mental processes, stages of cognitive development, and rational emotive behavior. Prominent figures are Jean Piaget and Albert Ellis.

• Humanistic Perspective

  • Centers on free will, self-direction, the basic goodness of people, and the hierarchy of needs. Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow are significant contributors.

• Biological Perspective

  • Looks at physiology, genetics, brain structures, and their impact on behavior and personality. Key contributors include Hans Eysenck and research from studies like those on Phineas Gage.

• Behaviorism Perspective

  • Focuses on learning through interaction with the environment and the importance of reinforcement histories in shaping behavior. B.F. Skinner's work on operant conditioning exemplifies this perspective.

• Gestalt Perspective

  • Highlights the organizational processes in behavior, particularly in perception and problem-solving.

Perspectives on Personality

• Psychoanalytic (Personality)

  • Suggests personality is driven by sexual instincts, with Freud as a primary figure.

• Behaviorist (Personality)

  • Argues that behavior, influenced by reinforcement history, constitutes personality.

• Humanistic (Personality)

  • Views people as inherently good, striving for self-actualization within a hierarchy of needs.

• Cognitive (Personality)

  • Emphasizes rationality and the desire to predict and control the world through personal constructs.

• Biological (Personality)

  • Considers biological factors, like genetics or physiology, as fundamental to personality.

Perspectives on Abnormal Psychology

• Psychoanalytic (Abnormal)

  • Attributes psychological disorders to unconscious conflicts, often rooted in childhood.

• Biomedical (Abnormal)

  • Focuses on physical abnormalities, biochemistry, and structural defects as causes of psychological disorders.

• Cognitive (Abnormal)

  • Points to unusual ways of thinking or inappropriate belief systems as origins of disorders.

• Behavioral (Abnormal)

  • Suggests disorders result from faulty reinforcement contexts.

• Cultural (Abnormal)

  • Considers the impact of social class, gender, and environmental factors on the development of disorders.

• Humanistic/Existential (Abnormal)

  • Sees psychological disorders as failures to fulfill one's potential.

Therapy/Treatment Modalities

• Psychoanalysis

  • Techniques include free association, dream analysis, and transference to alleviate unconscious conflicts.

• Behavior Therapy

  • Applies learning principles through methods like systematic desensitization, flooding, and aversion therapy.

• Cognitive-Behavior Therapy

  • Combines thoughts and behavior adjustments, including cognitive restructuring and rational-emotive therapy.

• Humanistic Therapy

  • Focuses on personal responsibility for improvement, notably through Rogers' client-centered therapy.

• Biomedical Treatment

  • Involves medical procedures and medication, including psychosurgery, ECT, and psychopharmacological treatments for psychological disorders.

This framework provides a structured overview of the diverse perspectives and treatment modalities covered in AP Psychology, highlighting the key theories, figures, and approaches that define the study of the mind and behavior.