Custom «The Theory of Psychology » Essay Paper Sample

The broad theory of psychology is that it is a scientific study that investigates the human body, mind and matter in numerous different fields of psychology so as to conduct and comprehend explanation on the mental processes of the mind and other observable behavior. Psychology may be used to explain the mysteries behind human behavior, such as possibilities and potential in different behavioral patterns that show self expression and how people feel. A study of the brain is an examination of a person's mental alertness of both the unconscious and the conscious states. Various schools of thought have developed such as:

(a) Behaviorism:

It is founded upon the work of people like Ivan Pavlov, John B. Watson and B. F. Skinner. Behaviorism states that environmental causes can be used to explain all behavior, other than by using internal forces. Behaviorism focuses on behavior that is observable. Some of the theories of learning include operant conditioning and classical conditioning which focus on enormous research.

(b) Psychoanalysis:

Psychodynamic approach (founded by Sigmund Freud) is a school of thought that emphasizes on the control of the human behavior by the unconscious mind. Freud alleged that the mind of a human being was made up of three elements: the ego, superego, and the id.

(c) Humanistic Psychology:

In order to respond to psychoanalysis and behaviorism Humanistic psychology was developed. Humanistic psychology focuses on free will and individual control, self-actualization and personal growth

(d) Gestalt Psychology:

Gestalt psychology holds that our experiences are as unified wholes. Rather than simplifying behavior and thoughts to their tiniest element, the gestalt psychologists alleged that one should look at the whole experience. According to them, the whole is bigger than the sum of its equivalent parts.

(e) Cognitive psychology

This is a branch that studies mind processes such as how people think, remember, learn and perceive thing. In a larger field of cognitive science, this branch is linked to other disciplines such as linguistics, philosophy and neuroscience. The most significant theories from this school was the cognitive development theory brought up by Jean Piaget.

The principal biological foundation of psychology that is linked to behavior is the nervous system and brain. The peripheral, nervous, endocrine, central systems are the biggest systems concerned in biological psychology. The nervous system is a system which delivers information to the brain. The essential units contained in the nervous system are the structures of the nerve cells, neurons and the transmissions linking the nerve cells. Biological psychology studies all parts of the body and how they affect behavior in humans. Genetics also contribute a large part in psychology. It not only makes up the traits that we look and inherit but also what is contained in our bodies. Psychology studies these genetics and forms hypothesis on how we became the way we are.