Psychology's Perspectives

Adam has been in a psychiatric hospital for about 8 months. He was admitted when his schizophrenic symptoms became so severe that neither he nor his family could care for him. His symptoms, which included hallucinations, emotional outbursts, and disconnected thoughts, have subsided considerably through the use of a prescription drug. He is looking forward to returning to his family and home soon. A possible explanation for this behavior is that, at first, Adam's symptoms were caused by an imbalance of the chemical neurotransmitter dopamine located in the brain. Now the drug seems to be successful in correcting this problem. Which perspective is illustrated with this scenario?

Unlike most students in his class, Brad was having a terrible time taking notes. He understood what the teacher was saying, but before he could write it down the teacher would say something new. This created a terrible dilemma for Brad. Should he listen or should he write? If he listened he would forget what the teacher had just said, but if he wrote he would not hear what the teacher had to say that was new. Brad's problem reflects the limitations of working memory (also referred to as short term memory). Working memory is limited both in the amount of information it can hold and in the length of time it can hold it. Information was being presented in the lecture at a rate faster than Ben could process it. Which perspective is illustrated with this scenario?

11-year-old Juan is upset. His peers made fun of him one day because he spoke of how he still sleeps in his parent's bed, more often than in his own. Juan sees this as normal - his older brothers & sisters always did it and his Hispanic parents regularly encourage closeness and a sense of security among the family members. It appears this is the normal thing to do in the Rodriguez household. His peers, one the other hand, state they haven't slept in their parent's bed since they were "babies" and don't understand why Juan still does. Which perspective is illustrated with this scenario?

Joanne is a 40-year-old professional undergoing psychotherapy for anxiety & depression. On her fifth visit to the therapist she suddenly remembered that her father sexually abused her when she was between the ages of four and seven. Prior to her sudden remembrance, she had no conscious recollection of the abuse. Clearly, this was traumatic for Joanne. The only way she could cope with the trauma had been to repress the memory of the abuse. As a result, the memory remained locked in her unconscious until brought out by therapy. Which perspective is illustrated with this scenario?

Chad's behavior at school was really becoming a serious problem. Although the rest of the children think his antics are funny, the teacher finds them disruptive and frequently has to send Chad to the principal's office. Despite the principal's attempts at discipline, Chad seems to take great delight in the aggravation he causes. Clearly, Chad's behavior has been shaped by the environment - the reactions of the other children, the teacher and the principal all serve as rewards which strengthen Chad's undesirable behavior. Which perspective is illustrated with this scenario?

A University of Michigan study refutes the standard theories of risk that group people in general categories as either "risk-seeking" or "risk-avoiding", and suggests we can engage in a mix of both risky and non-risky behaviors depending on the type. Researchers identified areas of risk taking based on the types of challenges that our ancestors faced during many thousands of years of human development. The types of risks identified included competition with other individuals; competition with other groups; mating and allocating resources for mate attraction; environmental risks (chasing a bear or skydiving); and fertility risks. The study showed that our tendencies for risk taking follow these types of challenges. People surveyed for the study were least likely to take fertility risks, and most likely to take risks related to social status in one's group - like standing up to one's boss. In all areas, men were significantly more risk taking than women. Thus, since during the time of early humans, men competed for social status and resources in order to attract mates, this pattern is not surprising, according to the researchers. Which perspective is illustrated with this scenario?

Sue shocked her family and many of her friends when she filed for divorce at age 26. They were surprised because they thought Sue was happy and content. Her husband, who was a kind man, earned a good income from his business and was able to provide a spacious home with a pool in a good neighborhood. However, despite her outward appearances, Sue had become quite unhappy in her marriage. Although she loved her husband, she had come to perceive her marriage as being very restrictive in that it provided little opportunity for her own personal growth. Thus, six months following the divorce, Sue returned to college to complete her degree in biology. The decision to divorce was very difficult for Sue, but she realized that it was the only way she could realize her full potential. Which perspective is illustrated with this scenario?