Author Question: Imagine you are watching the news with four psychologists, each of whom takes a different approach ... (Read 79 times)

karen · **on:** Jun 19, 2018

Imagine you are watching the news with four psychologists, each of whom takes a different approach to psychology (biological, behavioral, psychodynamic, cognitive). After the lead storyends, you ask, What would make someone do something horrible and violent like that? How would each psychologist respond to your question?

What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Congratulations You have been hired to teach psychology at the university. During the first week of classes, a student stops by your office and tells you, I'm thinking of becoming a psychology major, but I don't think I want to be a therapist. What else can I do with a psychology degree? Briefly summarize four of the many options available.

What will be an ideal response?

Chelseyj.hasty · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 19, 2018

Answer to Question 1

ANSWER:
The biological psychologist: The violent behavior is most likely the result of a hormonal imbalance. It's also possible that the person inherited genes that may give the person violent tendencies.
The behavioral psychologist: The person learned to be violent. The person most likely grew up in an environment where violence was common or an environment where violence typically resulted in people getting what they wanted.
The psychodynamic psychologist: We all have violent urges buried deep in our minds. This individual's internal conflicts were so great that the urges could not be kept unconscious.
The cognitive psychologist: The individual most likely perceived a threat, determined the cause of the threat, and then decided that the violent response was the appropriate solution to resolve the threatening situation.

Answer to Question 2

ANSWER:
There are many options besides going into the clinical subfield and becoming a therapist. Some of these include:
Development psychologists examine the changes that occur as we age. As a developmental psychologist, you would study the entire lifespan, from infants to the elderly.
Social psychologists research how people affect one another. A social psychologist may examine an advertising strategy, the development of prejudices, or the impact of peer pressure.
Industrial and organizational psychologists can work as consultants, helping businesses understand the needs, motivations, and stressors affecting their employees. Productivity and worker satisfaction would be major areas of interest.
Educational psychologists research effective teaching and student learning. An educational psychologist would study the impact of lectures versus discussions as well as effectiveness group activities versus individual projects.