Sociocultural Perspective On Human Behavior And...

Have you ever wondered why do we do things that we do? Why do we act in a certain way? What compels us to follow a path or formulate habits? One perspective among many others is the sociocultural perspective. A sociocultural perspective is an approach to understand why humans behave the way they do. It seeks to understand human behavior and personality development by examining the influence of rules of social groups on individuals who are members of those social groups. Sociocultural approach is an emerging topic that looks at the important contributions that society makes to an individual. The sociocultural approach is based on the assumption that our personalities, beliefs, attitudes and skills are learned from others. It refers to a point of view that is built upon the idea that society and culture are major factors that influence personalities. This approach believes that people are heavily influenced by their social environment. What makes and defines us as individuals is the ap plication of sociocultural approach. For example, if you look outside the window and see a man talking to a tree, what conclusions will you draw? You may think the man is a lunatic and needs some kind of medication. But would your opinion change if you knew that the man was Native American and Native Americans believe in a spiritual philosophy that trees can speak if you listen to them. So you see, the context of culture makes a huge difference in how you ascertain someone’s behavior and that’sShow MoreRelatedHistorical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology1320 Words   |  6 PagesHistorical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology Susan Hardin University of Phoenix Abnormal Psychology PSY/410 Krisit Lane, Ph.D. October 25, 2011 Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology Historical perspectives of abnormal psychology sounds complicated, mainly due to the differing definitions, or interpretations, of what is considered abnormal. Identifying someone at work or in a social situation who appears to be behaving abnormally is easier to spot than it is to define theRead MorePsychology: Behavior and Mental Process1100 Words   |  5 PagesPsychology is the study of the behavior of individuals and their mental processes. (Gerrig page 2). I think the field of psychology is divided into several parts: Research, counseling, perspectives, goals, and careers. Research has played a vital role in the psychology. It has identified and helped us to understand how and why people feel, act, and think. Implementing the scientific method enables the results to be both reliable and valid. By employing this precise method, psychologists are ableRead MoreNature Vs Nurture : Is It Nature Working With Nurture?1550 Words   |  7 PagesIs the question really Nature ve rsus Nurture or is it Nature working with Nurture? These two forces work together to form a person throughout his or her life. Some scientists believe that personality is based on genetic predispositions, which is known as nature. Other scientists believe the way a person acts is from life experiences, the way a person is taught, and the environment in which a person grew up is known as nurture. In all honesty, the two go hand in hand. One side may pull a bit harderRead MoreMental Illness And Child Development881 Words   |  4 PagesMental Illness and Child Development Mental Illness is a prominent occurrence throughout the world and commonly overlooked in the development of children. From psychotic disorders, such as Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder to emotional dysregulation and mood disorders, such as Major Depression and Anxiety children are prone to such occurrences just as adults. Child development is a very broad subject that encompasses an array of environmental and biological factors contributing to theRead MorePsychology : Psychodynamic And Behavioral Perspectives1320 Words   |  6 Pagessix modern psychological perspectives. These perspectives are behavioral, psychodynamic, humanistic, cognitive, sociocultural, and biological. Each perspective has its own unique way of explaining the human behavior. I believe to truly explain the complex mental processes and behavior, each perspective must be examined and not limited to just one. The following is my explanation and comparisons between two of these perspectives: psychodyna mic and behavioral perspectives pertaining to the articleRead MoreThe Ever-Changing Deviant Society Essay1499 Words   |  6 Pagescauses of deviance and how deviance has changed throughout the years. So what, really, is deviance? According to John Macionis in Society: The Basics (2008), deviance is â€Å"the recognized violation of cultural norms†. These norms â€Å"guide virtually all human activities, [making] †¦ the concept of deviance quite broad† (Macionis, 2008). In America a cultural norm may range from watching television frequently to going shopping every weekend to eating out at restaurants on a regular basis. Not only do normsRead MoreFamily Youth Communtiy Sciences1484 Words   |  6 Pages 0.0/ 0.4 Points The stage concept assumes that change is A. development is a process of gradually adding more of the same types of skills that were there to begin with. B. change is fairly sudden rather than gradual and ongoing. C. infants and preschoolers respond to the world in much the same way as adults do. D. development is a smooth, continuous process. Question 3 of 25 0.0/ 0.4 Points Dr. Kudrow views development as open to change in response to influential experiences. Dr. KudrowRead MoreIntimate Relationships Between Estrogens And Androgens1676 Words   |  7 PagesWhen looking at intimate relationships from the varying psychological perspectives one must wonder how it is that any one perspective could be more or less important or contributive than another. Each perspective actually seems to come into play and have a role throughout an intimate relationship. When we first meet someone we decide if we are attracted to that person, we gauge how we physically respond to them this tends to be biologically driven, â€Å"The lust system is proposed to motivate individualsRead MoreThe Role Of Cultural And Social Influences On Our Behavior1301 Words   |  6 Pagesdifferent ways psychologists study behaviors and mental processes. Included were the contemporary perspectives, such as behavioral, which focuses on behavior that is observed. Psychodynamic focuses on our fantasies and our hidden motives. Humanistic is all about our free will and conscious choices. Physiological is the relationships between biological processes and behavior. Cognitive perspective is our acquired knowledge, and last but not least is sociocultural, which places great value on the roleRead MoreKemet980 Words   |  4 PagesPARHAM ARTICLE, DESCRIBE AFRICAN PSYCHOLOGY’S INFLUENCE ON AFRICAN AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGY. African Psychology can be traced to Ancient Egypt known as Kemet. The people of ancient Egypt studied the human psyche or soul and the higher mental processes as a holistic environment. From their perspective, they believed that there was a continuity and harmony between nature and God. They had three levels components of being which were mental, physical, and spiritual. It was based on religion. They can