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Psychological Perspectives and Etiology of Disorders

Lily Scott

Lily Scott

10 min read

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Study Guide Overview

This AP Psychology study guide covers psychological approaches (behavioral, biological, biopsychosocial, cognitive, evolutionary, humanistic, psychodynamic, and sociocultural) including their strengths and weaknesses. It also examines the effects of diagnostic labeling, highlighting the Rosenhan Study and its implications. Finally, the guide provides practice questions and exam tips focusing on applying these concepts.

AP Psychology Study Guide: Psychological Approaches & Diagnostic Labeling ๐Ÿš€

Hey there, future AP Psych master! Let's break down these key concepts to make sure you're feeling super confident for the exam. We're going to make this stick with clear explanations, memory aids, and a focus on what really matters.

Psychological Approaches to Understanding Behavior

Understanding the different approaches is crucial because they give you different lenses to analyze behavior and disorders. Remember, AP questions often combine multiple perspectives!

Overview Table of Psychological Approaches

ApproachDefinitionKey FiguresDisorders
Behavioral ๐Ÿ“–Studies the connection between our minds and behavior. Focuses on observable behaviors and how they are learned through conditioning.Ivan Pavlov, B.F. SkinnerCould explain learned phobias. Think about the Little Albert study ๐Ÿ€ where fear was conditioned.
Biological ๐ŸงฌStates that behavior is based on physical processes such as those relating to the brain, hormones, and other chemicals.Paul Broca, Carl Wernicke, Roger SperryDisorders are a result of a misbalance in the brain ๐Ÿง , whether it be with neurotransmitters or hormones. For example, depression can be linked to low serotonin levels.
BiopsychosocialAcknowledges the person as a whole and tries to look at all of the patient's circumstances. It looks at biological, psychological, and social factors to understand a personโ€™s behavior.Modern PsychologyDisorders are as a result of genetic predispositions, a misbalance in the brain, maladaptive thoughts, and culture. It's the holistic approach!
Cognitive ๐Ÿง States that thought processes impact the way people behave. A cognitive psychologist may study how an emotion such as fear affects oneโ€™s thinking.Jean Piaget, Albert BanduraDisorders are a result of maladaptive thoughts. For example, anxiety can stem from catastrophic thinking patterns.
Evolutionary โค๏ธUses evolutionary biology to explain human behavior. Also, it looks at how natural selection of traits promotes the survival of genes. An evolutionary psychologist may study how anger could be a gene inherited from our ancestors.Charles DarwinAnxiety helped us survive, therefore we have it. It was part of natural selection. Think about fight-or-flight responses.
Humanistic ๐Ÿ”บBelieves that humans have free will and the ability to grow ๐ŸŒฑ All individuals are striving to reach self-actualization with this approach.Abraham Maslow, Carl RogersAnxiety disorders are a result of not having the environment to grow (not having an unconditional positive regard) and therefore being unable to reach self-actualization.
Psychodynamic ๐Ÿ™ŠFocuses on the study of the unconscious mind. It states that behavior is determined by past experiences stored in the unconscious mind.Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Erik EriksonCould explain that anxiety disorders are a result of unconscious thoughts from childhood or the instability of the ego and not being able to balance between the id and superego.
Sociocultural ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธStudies how thinking and behavior vary across cultures and situations. A sociocultural psychologist may study how expressions of fear vary across cultures.Solomon Asch, Stanley MilgramAnxiety occurs as a result of norms that exist within a culture. For example, some cultur...