Throughout history, different psychological theories have emerged, such as René Descartes' Dualism, Lev Vygotsky's Constructivism, the Theory of the Gestalt, among many others, that give a focus to the essential aspects of behavior, emotions and human cognitive processes. It is that the way in which we understand current human behavior is part of the studies that these writers have done in the field of psychology to try to explain the complexities of the human brain and to lay the foundations of knowledge current.
Here is a summary of the Top 10 Psychological Theories most interesting and that, surely, have impacted your life in one way or another, without even noticing it.
Index
- Classical conditioning
- Cartesian dualist theory
- Operant conditioning or stimulus-response theory
- Gestalt psychology
- Piaget's theory of meaningful learning
- Lev Vygotsky's social learning theory
- Theory of information processing
- Cognitive dissonance theory
- social learning theory
- Embodied cognition theory
Classical conditioning.
One of the fundamental and most important theories of psychology is that of Classical Conditioning, postulated by Ivan Pavlov, who is considered one of the fathers of behaviorism. Pavlov discovered the foundations of classical conditioning in his laboratory through tests on animals, in which he observed that they physically reacted to certain environmental stimuli.
From the academic and psychological point of view, this theory is associated with the individual's response to a neutral stimulus, which is known as a conditioned response. That is to say, the conditioning stimulus generates a conditioned response. Currently, it is one of the most used theories in different fields, such as military, sports and even pet training.
Cartesian dualist theory.
The Cartesian dualist theory, proposed by René Descartes, maintains that there is a clear distinction between the mind and the body. According to this theory, the mind is a non-material, conscious and thinking entity, while the body is a material entity, composed of physical substance. Descartes postulated that the mind and body interact with each other at a specific point in the brain called the pineal gland.
This psychological theory is based on the idea that the mind and the body are substantially different and can therefore exist independently. Descartes argued that the mind is the seat of consciousness, thought, and will, while the body is a physical machine governed by natural laws. As a result, Cartesian dualism poses a dichotomy between the mental and the physical, which implies that the mind cannot be reduced to purely physical processes.
Although this perspective was discarded centuries ago, it has had a significant influence on the philosophy of mind and has generated debates about the nature of consciousness, the mind-body relationship and the existence of an identity staff.
Operant conditioning or stimulus-response theory.
Burrhus Frederic Skinner, was the one who proposed the psychological theory of operant conditioning, which is also part of behavioral psychology. It is a position in which it is argued that learning is conditioned by certain behaviors that are reinforced by pleasant or unpleasant stimuli. That is, through positive or negative reinforcements.
It was one of the most widely used theories until the mid-1960s, when psychology entered the scene. cognitive, which demonstrates that learning can occur in the individual with or without the presence of a stimulus.
Gestalt psychology.
The Gestalt psychology It is a theoretical and methodological current within psychology that arose at the beginning of the 20th century in Germany. Your main focus focuses on the study of perception and understanding, and how people organize and make sense of sensory information.
It is based on the idea that the human experience is not made up solely of isolated elements, but that we perceive and interpret the world in terms of patterns and meaningful wholes. Gestaltists argue that our perception is influenced by organizing principles. innate, such as the law of good form, the law of proximity, the law of similarity and the law of continuity.
These principles explain how we group stimuli in meaningful ways and how we perceive the structure and meaning of objects and events.
Piaget's theory of meaningful learning.
One of the most important psychological theories in the psychological field is Jean Piaget's cognitivism or cognitive learning. His postulate says that the individual can build their own learning, based on their experience, so that the teaching they obtain forms a scaffolding that allows them to form new knowledge.
In addition, Piaget established a set of stages in which people may or may not acquire certain learning, based on their cognitive, physical, biological, and social development.
Lev Vygotsky's social learning theory.
One of the most interesting psychology theories is that of social learning postulated in the 20th century by the Soviet psychologist Lev Vygotsky. It focuses on the central role of social interaction and culture in the cognitive development of individuals.
According to Vygotsky, Human development occurs through interaction with the social and cultural environment. He held that higher psychological processes, such as abstract thought, problem solving, and language, are acquired through social interaction and participation in culturally significant.
Theory of information processing.
This is one of the most relevant theories within the field of current psychology, because it establishes that The human mind works through different processes, where the first is the input of stimuli through the senses, then these stimuli are deposited in memory (conscious or unconscious) and then taken to generate actions.
Therefore, it is one of the most controversial and widely used psychological theories, since it explains how our behaviors are the consequence of the processing of the different stimuli through the most mental operations complex.
Cognitive dissonance theory.
Leon Festinger was the one who raised the theory of Cognitive Dissonance. It is a position in which the individual feels discomfort or discomfort when trying to hold two postures, beliefs or ideas that are antagonistic or different from each other, which causes that cognitive “noise” because those ideas do not fit into their mental schemes.
In this article we explain What is cognitive psychology: history and authors.
Social learning theory.
Social Learning Theory, also known as Observational Learning Theory or Vicarious Learning Theory, was proposed by psychologist Albert Bandura in the 1960s. This theory is based on the premise that learning occurs not only through direct experience, but also through observing the behavior of others, especially of significant models.
According to this theory, people learn new behaviors, skills, and attitudes by observing others and the consequences they experience as a result of their actions. Bandura argued that this type of learning occurs in a four-step process: attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation.
Theory of embodied cognition.
George Lakoff is the father of this psychological theory. His approach is that the body and the mind are a single entity that work together, so it is an antagonistic theory to the duality of René Descartes. It is also known as the thesis of the embodied mind or “thinking with the body”.
The embodied cognition establishes that there is a dialectical character between the mind and the bodyTherefore, executive functions are related to the signals that the body sends through stimuli. That is what provides the basis for ensuring that the brain receives the orders from the body, and then sends a signal that allows the body to act accordingly.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- Josep, T., & Almenara, J. (2008). Cognitive Development: Piaget and Vygotky's Theories. Master in Pedopsychiatry. Okay, 07-08.
- Lacal, P. L. Q. (2009). Bandura's theories applied to learning. Malaga, 54, 1-8.
- Suarez, M. AND. S., Serra, D. G., González, M. AND. G., & Echeverria, M. YO. TO. (2011). Psychological theories and their influence on education. Havana: People and Education.
