Book Description

There are six major perspectives in psychology which are also referred to as models or approaches. Each approach involves assumptions about human behaviour and psychological functioning. The major perspectives are the Psychodynamic, Behavioural, Cognitive, Humanistic, Biological and Socio-cultural approaches or models. There may be different theories within each approach, but they all share some common assumptions. Given the complexity of human behaviour and experience, it is not surprising that psychology has multiple pathways for approaching its subject matter. Most psychologists agree that no one perspective is fully able to explain human behaviour as each has its strengths and limitations and most disorders result from a combination of factors. Each approach has something unique to offer to our understanding of human behaviour but none offers a complete view. A contemporary holistic view however, is the Bio-psychosocial approach which assumes that biological, psychological and socio-cultural factors all combine and interact to produce psychological disorders. An eclectic approach to understanding and treating human behaviour, one which draws and blends from theories, principles and therapies across the different perspectives is now used by many psychologists, practitioners and therapists.Chapter one discusses the main theoretical perspectives, while the following chapters provide an understanding of the discipline of psychology in applied settings, discussing the theory, research and practice of clinical, forensic, organisational, educational and health psychology and the theories of human growth and development.