56 ❯ STEP 4. Review the Knowledge You Need to Score High
Humanistic Approach
By the middle of the 20th century, in disagreement with both behaviorists and psychoanalysts,
Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, and other psychologists thought that humans have unique
qualities of behavior different from other animals. The unique qualities of free will and potential
for personal growth guide behavior and mental processes. Humanists emphasize the importance
of people’s feelings and view human nature as naturally positive and growth seeking. Using
interview techniques, humanists believe that people have the ability to solve their own problems.Biological Approach
At about the same time, research on the physiological bases of behavior flourished.
Technological advances enabled biologists to extend knowledge far beyond Weber’s,
Fechner’s, and von Helmholtz’s work to examine how complex chemical and biological
processes within the nervous and endocrine systems are related to the behavior of organ-
isms. Many biological psychologists think that the mind is what the brain does.Evolutionary Approach
An offshoot of the biological approach, evolutionary psychologists, returning to Darwin’s
Theory of Natural Selection, explain behavior patterns as adaptations naturally selected
because they increase reproductive success.Cognitive Approach
Technological advances also permitted psychologists to renew their study of consciousness
(thinking and memory), currently called cognition. Cognitive psychologists emphasize the
importance of receiving, storing, and processing information; of thinking and reasoning; and
of language to understanding human behavior. Jean Piaget studied cognitive development in
children, laying part of the foundation for preschool and primary educational approaches.Sociocultural Approach
In the second half of the 20th century, travel and the economy became more global, greatly
increasing interactions among people from different cultures. Psychologists recognized that
people from different cultures interpret gestures, body language, and spoken language dif-
ferently from one another. Psychologists began to study social and environmental factors
that influence these cultural differences in behavior. The sociocultural approach examines
cultural differences in an attempt to understand, predict, and control behavior.Biopsychosocial Model
No single theoretical approach explains all aspects of behavior, although all provide a
framework for studying and understanding behavior. Most psychologists adopt ideas from
multiple perspectives. Psychologists who use techniques and adopt ideas from a variety
of approaches are considered eclectic. The biopsychosocial model integrates biological
processes, psychological factors, and social forces to provide a more complete picture of
behavior and mental processes. The model is a unifying theme in modern psychology draw-
ing from and interacting with the seven approaches to explain behavior.Domains of Psychology
Scientific psychology developed in universities with research laboratories where basic
research was conducted, and where experimental psychologists continue to add knowledge
to the field. After World War II, many opportunities for applied psychologists developed
outside of these institutions. The number of clinical, counseling, and school psychologistsTIP