Unit: 01
Introduction
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BY
MS. VICTORIA SAMAR
SR. LECTURER
PNS, LUMHS, JAMSHORO
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Objectives
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At the end of this unit learners will be able to:
Define Behavioural Psychology.
Outline the major perspectives which developed into
modern psychology.
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Definition Behavioural Psychology.
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An organism's activities in response to external or
internal stimuli, including objectively observable
activities, introspectively observable activities (see
covert behavior), and nonconscious processes.
Or
Behavior refers to actions usually measured by
commonly accepted standards: His behavior at the
party was childish. Conduct refers to actions viewed
collectively, especially as measured by an ideal
standard: Conduct is judged according to principles of
ethics.
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What is normal Behaviour?
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'Normal‘ can be defined as any behavior or condition
which is usual, expected, typical, or conforms to a pre-
existing standard. 'Normal behaviour' may be defined as
any behaviour which conforms to social
norms(standards), which are the expected or typical
patterns of human behaviour in any given society.
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How do psychologists explain
behavior? 5
Biological psychologists explain behaviors in neurological
terms, i.e., the physiology and structure of the brain and
how this influences behavior. Many biological
psychologists have concentrated on abnormal behavior and
have tried to explain it.
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What are the 4 types of behavior?
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A study on human behavior has revealed that
90% of the population can be classified into
four basic personality types:
Optimistic
Pessimistic
Trusting
Envious(jelous)
However, the latter of the four types, Envious,
is the most common, with 30% compared to
20% for each of the other groups
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What are the 4 basic functions
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of behavior?
The four functions of behavior are:
Sensory stimulation
Escape
Access to attention
Access to tangibles
BCBA Megan Graves explains the four functions with a
description and example for each function.
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What are the 4 basic functions of behavior?
(cont)
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Sensory Stimulation: “A person’s own
movements/actions feel good to that individual. For
example, a child twists his or her hair as they sit for an
extended amount of time. If twirling hair gives that
individual the sensory input they are seeking, then hair
twirling will continue.”
Escape(leakage): “Something is (or signals) an
undesirable situation and the person wants to get away
from it. For example, a therapist says, ‘Wash your
hands,’ and the learner runs out of the bathroom.”
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What are the 4 basic functions of behavior?(cont)
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Access to Attention: “Someone desires for access to
social interaction(s). For example, the child screams
(Shouts), ‘Look at me!’ If screaming gets access to
attention, then screaming will continue.”
Access to Tangibles (real): “Someone wants access to
a specific item or activity. For example, Michelle takes
the iPad away fromimg_2439 Aaron, so Aaron pinches
her. If pinching gets access to the iPad, then pinching
will continue.”
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What are the 3 types of human behavior?
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Molecular and Moral Behavior. Molecular Behavior:
It is an unexpected behavior that occurs without thinking.
Overt(open) & Covert Behavior. Overt Behavior: It is
a visible type of behavior that can occur outside of human
beings.
Voluntary and Involuntary Behavior.
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Objective: 02
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Outline the major perspectives
which developed into modern
psychology
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What are the modern perspectives of
psychology?
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The Psychodynamic Perspective.
The Behavioral Perspective.
The Cognitive Perspective.
The Biological Perspective.
The Cross-Cultural Perspective.
The Evolutionary Perspective.
The Humanistic Perspective.
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The Psychodynamic Perspective
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The psychodynamic perspective initiated with the work of
Sigmund Freud.
Human behavior emphasizes the role of the unconscious mind,
early childhood experiences, and interpersonal relationships to
explain human behavior, as well as to treat mental illnesses.
Freud conceived of the mind as being composed of three key
elements: the id, the ego, and the superego.
The id is the part of the psyche that includes all the primal and
unconscious desires.
The ego is the aspect of the psyche that must deal with the
demands of the real world.
The superego is the last part of the psyche to develop and is
tasked with managing all of our internalized morals, standards,
and ideals.
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The Behavioral Perspective
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The behaviorist perspective is concerned with how
environmental factors (called stimuli) affect observable
behavior (called the response).
The behaviorist perspective proposes two main
processes whereby people learn from their environment:
Classical conditioning
Operant conditioning.
Classical conditioning involves learning by association,
and operant conditioning involves learning from the
consequences of behavior.
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The Behavioral Perspective(Cont)
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Classical conditioning (CC) was studied by the Russian
psychologist Ivan Pavlov.
Though looking into natural reflexes and neutral stimuli
he managed to condition dogs to salivate to the sound of a
bell through repeated associated with the sound of the bell
and food.
The principles of CC have been applied in many
therapies.
These include systematic desensitization for phobias
(step-by-step exposed to a feared stimulus at once) and
aversion therapy.
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The Behavioral Perspective(Cont)
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B.F. Skinner investigated operant conditioning of
voluntary and involuntary behavior.
Skinner felt that some behavior could be explained by the
person's motive.
Therefore behavior occurs for a reason, and the three
main behavior shaping techniques are positive
reinforcement, negative reinforcement, and punishment.
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The Cognitive Perspective
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During the 1960s, a new perspective known as cognitive
psychology emerged.
This area of psychology focuses on mental processes like
memory, thinking, problem-solving, language, and decision-
making.
Influenced by psychologists such as Jean Piaget and Albert
Bandura, the cognitive perspective has grown tremendously in
recent decades.
Cognitive psychologists often utilize an information-processing
model (comparing the human mind to a computer) to
conceptualize how information is acquired, processed, stored,
and utilized.
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The Biological Perspective
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The perspective is known as biological psychology (also called biopsychology
or physiological psychology).
The point of view emphasizes the physical and biological bases of behavior.
Researchers with a biological perspective on psychology might look at how
genetics influence behavior or how damage to specific areas of the brain affect
personality.
The nervous system, genetics, the brain, the immune system, and the
endocrine system are just a few subjects of interest to biological psychologists.
Over the last few decades, the perspective has grown significantly with
advances in our ability to explore and understand the human brain and nervous
system.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET)
scans give researchers tools to observe the brain under a variety of conditions.
Scientists can now look at the effects of brain damage, drugs, and disease in
ways that were not possible in the past.
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The Cross-Cultural Perspective
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Cross-cultural psychology is a fairly new perspective that
has grown significantly in the last twenty years.
Psychologists and researchers in this school of thought look
at human behavior across different cultures.
By looking at these differences, we can learn more about
how culture influences our thinking and behavior. For
example, researchers have looked at how social behaviors
differ in individualistic and collectivistic(socialist) cultures.
In individualistic cultures (such as the United States) people
tend to exert less effort when they are part of a group—a
phenomenon known as social loafing(lazing).
In collectivistic cultures (such as China), people tend to
work harder when they are part of a group. 08/28/2025
The Evolutionary Perspective
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Evolutionary psychology focuses on the study
of how the theory of evolution(progress) can
explain physiological processes.
Psychologists who take this perspective apply
the basic principles of evolution (like natural
selection) to psychological
phenomena( miracles).
The evolutionary perspective suggests that
these mental processes exist because they
serve an evolutionary purpose—meaning that
they aid in human survival and reproduction.
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The Humanistic Perspective
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In the 1950s, a school of thought known as
humanistic psychology arrived and was
proposed by Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow.
The humanistic perspective emphasizes the role
of motivation in thought and behavior.
Concepts such as self-actualization are essential.
Psychologists with a humanist perspective focus
on what drives humans to grow, change, and
develop their personal potential.
Positive psychology (which focuses on helping
people live happier, healthier lives) is a recent
movement in psychology with roots in the
humanist perspective.
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