Understanding what perspective means in IB Psychology
Think of perspective as the lens through which we see and interpret behavior. Imagine looking at a person’s actions from different angles—biological, cognitive, or sociocultural—with each angle tells you something new. To get the full picture of human behavior, you need to look at it from multiple perspectives and bring them together.
Why consider multiple perspective? Because psychology thrives on diversity of thought. Each perspective offers something important, and when you combine them, you get a deeper, more nuanced understanding of human behavior. Whether you’re exploring the effects of culture on behavior, the biological causes of mental health issues, or how our memories work, these perspectives enrich the entire field of psychology.
- The Big 3 Perspectives in IB Psychology:
- Biological Perspective: This one zooms in on the body—our genes, brain, hormones, and how they all work together to shape behavior. If something’s going wrong, like with a mental illness, the biological perspective might look for imbalances in neurotransmitters or brain structures.
- Cognitive Perspective: Here, we’re talking about the mind—memory, thinking, decision-making, and perception. It’s about how we process the world, make sense of things, and how our brains store and retrieve information.
- Sociocultural Perspective: This perspective is all about context—how our culture, social environment, and upbringing shape who we are and how we act. It’s the influence of family, peers, and society on everything from behavior to values.
- Biological Perspective: This one zooms in on the body—our genes, brain, hormones, and how they all work together to shape behavior. If something’s going wrong, like with a mental illness, the biological perspective might look for imbalances in neurotransmitters or brain structures.
- Theories and Models:
- Theories and models help us organize our understanding of behavior, like roadmaps guiding us through complex phenomena.
For example, the Levels of Processing theory (Craik & Lockhart, 1972) explains how deeply we process information affects our memory:
- Shallow Processing: This is like skimming the surface, ie. quickly reading a phone number without thinking about it. You see the digits but don’t really pay attention to their meaning.
- Deep Processing: Now, you connect the phone number to something meaningful, like remembering a friend’s birthday or a memorable event tied to that number. This deeper engagement leads to stronger memory retention.
- Shallow Processing: This is like skimming the surface, ie. quickly reading a phone number without thinking about it. You see the digits but don’t really pay attention to their meaning.
- Theories and models help us organize our understanding of behavior, like roadmaps guiding us through complex phenomena.
- Research Methods—Deductive vs. Inductive:
- Deductive Research: You start with a broad theory or hypothesis and then test it. Think of it like a scientist making predictions and running experiments to see if they hold up.
- Inductive Research: Here, you start with observations—you notice patterns and then form a theory. This is more about exploring data and seeing what insights emerge naturally.
- Deductive Research: You start with a broad theory or hypothesis and then test it. Think of it like a scientist making predictions and running experiments to see if they hold up.
- Emic vs. Etic Approaches:
- Emic: This is the insider perspective—looking at behavior from within a culture. It’s about understanding behaviors and experiences from the people who live them.
- Etic: This is the outsider perspective—looking at behavior from an external viewpoint, often comparing different cultures. It’s like observing from a distance, using a broader, cross-cultural lens to identify universal behaviors or patterns.
- Both perspectives are crucial for getting a complete view of human behavior: emic provides deep insight into specific cultures, while etic helps us compare across cultures and find commonalities.
- Emic: This is the insider perspective—looking at behavior from within a culture. It’s about understanding behaviors and experiences from the people who live them.
- The Power of Indigenous Perspectives:
- Indigenous perspectives are crucial because they bring in unique cultural, spiritual, and historical viewpoints on behavior.
For example, in mental health, traditional practices and holistic views of well-being may offer alternative but equally valid treatment options.
These perspectives promote cultural humility and equity in research and practice.
- Indigenous perspectives are crucial because they bring in unique cultural, spiritual, and historical viewpoints on behavior.
- Alternative Explanations:
- Being open to alternative explanations is key in psychology. There’s always room for different perspectives.
For example, if you’re studying the effects of social media on mental health, one theory might suggest that excessive use leads to loneliness. But what if it’s the other way around? Perhaps people who feel lonely are more likely to turn to social media.
Being open to alternative interpretations keeps research robust and avoids oversimplification.
- Being open to alternative explanations is key in psychology. There’s always room for different perspectives.
- Cultural Sensitivity in Research:
- Respecting cultural differences is essential for broadening the scope of psychology.
For instance, some behaviors that seem strange (like possession in Haitian Vodou) may have cultural significance and shouldn’t be dismissed. Understanding the context of such behaviors is essential for ethical research.
- Respecting cultural differences is essential for broadening the scope of psychology.