Priya Willkhu
Candidate No. 1163
St Peters Collegiate School
Centre No. 20962
Unit 11- Psychological Perspectives
Pearson- Using theory to understand, manage and treat human behaviours
Learning Aim: A,B,C
, St Peters Collegiate School Priya Willkhu
20962 1163
A.P1- Explain how psychological perspectives are applied to the understanding of human
development.
A.P2-Explain how psychological perspectives contribute to the understanding of specific
human behaviours.
A.M1-Analyse the contribution of psychological perspectives to the understanding of
human development and behaviours.
There are multiple psychological perspectives that can be applied in order to understand
human development, that have different ways of understand human behaviour as well as
different approaches. Each psychological perspective has its own way of showing how
human development is linked within the perspective and how it affects the human
development in numerous ways. There are strengths and weaknesses for each perspective
not all are correct, there are different views and opinions about each perspective. The case
studies that will be linked within the psychological perspectives are Andy and Kiera, “Andy
who is thirty two years old and has recently been involved in a road traffic accident where
his partner died. Andy has been diagnosed as having post-traumatic stress disorder and has
begun to self-harm. Keira who is fifty four has become addicted to painkillers following
surgery three years ago. Keira found the surgery traumatic as it followed a diagnosis of
cancer and has altered her appearance.”
Behavioural Perspective
The first perspective is behaviour psychology; this approach focuses on observing the
individuals by looking at what the individual has learned, for instance this could be the
individual's personality, examples of this can be confident, kind, shy, arrogant and there are
many more. But also observing fleeting behaviours that may be seen as a habit and is
repeated often. This type of approach would be used to understand challenging behaviour
this can be non- verbal, verbal or even physical, when trying to understand challenging
behaviour the individual may be under distress or may have a long term health issue such
as dementia or a learning disability, this can also happen with a short term health issue
such as head injury or intoxication.
The most two famous behavioural psychologists are Ivan Pavlov and Skinner, they both
explain how human development can link within these psychological perspectives. Ivan
Pavlov (1849-1936) discovered classical conditioning, this was by experimenting with dogs
and their digestive system. This is how the experiment was taken place:
Pavlov’s Dog Experiment
➔ He had the dog attached to a harness with monitors attached to the dog in order to
measure the dog’s production saliva.
➔ Pavlov then discovered that the dog began to salivate when food was brought to the
dog, so this was before the dog had even tasted the food. Salivation is a reflex
response but it was seen as it only happened when the food was touching the
tongue that you began to salivate.
➔ Pavlov then discovered that the dog was salivating due to receiving the food.
➔ As salvation is a reflex response not learned, Pavlov called this an unconditioned
response- meaning a natural response to a stimulus.
2
Candidate No. 1163
St Peters Collegiate School
Centre No. 20962
Unit 11- Psychological Perspectives
Pearson- Using theory to understand, manage and treat human behaviours
Learning Aim: A,B,C
, St Peters Collegiate School Priya Willkhu
20962 1163
A.P1- Explain how psychological perspectives are applied to the understanding of human
development.
A.P2-Explain how psychological perspectives contribute to the understanding of specific
human behaviours.
A.M1-Analyse the contribution of psychological perspectives to the understanding of
human development and behaviours.
There are multiple psychological perspectives that can be applied in order to understand
human development, that have different ways of understand human behaviour as well as
different approaches. Each psychological perspective has its own way of showing how
human development is linked within the perspective and how it affects the human
development in numerous ways. There are strengths and weaknesses for each perspective
not all are correct, there are different views and opinions about each perspective. The case
studies that will be linked within the psychological perspectives are Andy and Kiera, “Andy
who is thirty two years old and has recently been involved in a road traffic accident where
his partner died. Andy has been diagnosed as having post-traumatic stress disorder and has
begun to self-harm. Keira who is fifty four has become addicted to painkillers following
surgery three years ago. Keira found the surgery traumatic as it followed a diagnosis of
cancer and has altered her appearance.”
Behavioural Perspective
The first perspective is behaviour psychology; this approach focuses on observing the
individuals by looking at what the individual has learned, for instance this could be the
individual's personality, examples of this can be confident, kind, shy, arrogant and there are
many more. But also observing fleeting behaviours that may be seen as a habit and is
repeated often. This type of approach would be used to understand challenging behaviour
this can be non- verbal, verbal or even physical, when trying to understand challenging
behaviour the individual may be under distress or may have a long term health issue such
as dementia or a learning disability, this can also happen with a short term health issue
such as head injury or intoxication.
The most two famous behavioural psychologists are Ivan Pavlov and Skinner, they both
explain how human development can link within these psychological perspectives. Ivan
Pavlov (1849-1936) discovered classical conditioning, this was by experimenting with dogs
and their digestive system. This is how the experiment was taken place:
Pavlov’s Dog Experiment
➔ He had the dog attached to a harness with monitors attached to the dog in order to
measure the dog’s production saliva.
➔ Pavlov then discovered that the dog began to salivate when food was brought to the
dog, so this was before the dog had even tasted the food. Salivation is a reflex
response but it was seen as it only happened when the food was touching the
tongue that you began to salivate.
➔ Pavlov then discovered that the dog was salivating due to receiving the food.
➔ As salvation is a reflex response not learned, Pavlov called this an unconditioned
response- meaning a natural response to a stimulus.
2
